Denzel to Daughter: ‘You’re Dark-Skinned’ So You’ll Have to Work Harder

Denzel Washington (with a little help fromJamie Foxx) share advice for people that want to follow in their footsteps.

By Jorge Rivas Nov 12, 2012

All four of Denzel Washington’s children have gone in to the entertainment industry. He says he has extra advice for his daughter Olivia who is currently studying acting at New York University.

In ‘The Actors’ roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter Washington shared the advice he gives to his daughter. "I say, ‘You’re black, you’re a woman, and you’re dark-skinned at that, so you have to be a triple/quadruple threat.’

Below is Washington’s full answer to the Hollywood Reporter:

I tell my daughter — she’s at NYU — I say: "You’re black, you’re a woman, and you’re dark-skinned at that. So you have to be a triple/quadruple threat." I said: "You gotta learn how to act. You gotta learn how to dance, sing, move onstage." That’s the only place, in my humble opinion, you really learn how to act. I said: "Look at Viola Davis. That’s who you want to be. Forget about the little pretty girls; if you’re relying on that, when you hit 40, you’re out the door. You better have some chops."