Meet Olivia Washington, Denzel Washington’s daughter and star of Slave Play: she’s treading the boards in Jeremy O. Harris’ controversial theatre show in London, and has a twin

When the UK organisers declared that two nights of the 12-week run would be “Black Out” nights for Black theatregoers, even the country’s former prime minister Rishi Sunak weighed in, calling the idea “concerning” and “divisive”.

“I think … creating an environment where people feel welcome is important,” Washington hit back while speaking to Vogue. She’s standing her ground on the play’s highly provocative subject nature too. “Isn’t that what art is supposed to do?” she told the Sunday Times. “It’s supposed to challenge the norm. It’s not supposed to necessarily make you comfortable.”

So aside from her passion for tricky projects, what else do you need to know about Olivia Washington?

Olivia Washington is a twin

She overcame her shyness through dancing

Washington told WWD that she credits her Juilliard-graduate mother with bringing her out of her shell by sending her to dance classes as a child. And they weren’t just any old dance classes, as Washington is the daughter of two Hollywood stars, but ones taught by acclaimed choreographer Eartha Robinson and actor Vernee Watson. “The wild thing is, I was very shy,” Washington said. “They really just pushed that door open, because they saw something [in me].”

What else has Olivia Washington been in?

After graduating from NYU with a drama degree in 2013, she began getting parts in TV shows such as Empire, Madoff and Mr Robot, but it’s only more recently that her choices have begun to garner more attention. In 2022, she played John Boyega’s anguished wife in crime film Breaking, and then came I’m a Virgo.

She doesn’t want to take on uninspired roles

Since starring in I’m a Virgo as the superhuman love interest of a 396cm (13-foot) tall giant, Washington said it gave her “a deep desire to continue to tell stories at this kind of level”. She added, “You can’t make me go back to the one-dimensional female role. Don’t make me go back.” Her desire from this point on, she told Elle, is to “work with incredibly talented up-and-coming or established writer-directors”. She’s seeking opportunities to work with other Black women in film too.

What has she said about nepotism?

With both parents and all three siblings in the industry in one way or another, Washington says she nevertheless had a “very normal” childhood. “I wouldn’t say I grew up in the industry. My parents were in it, but I went to school, I had after-school activities,” she told the New York Amsterdam News.