Denzel Washington revealed in a video interview with Gayety that he kissed a man on the lips while filming Gladiator II, but the scene was cut from the theatrical release of the long-awaited sequel. The Oscar winner stars Ridley Scott as Macrinus, a wealthy broker in Rome who maintains a stable of gladiators for sport.
The screenplay for “Gladiator II” mentions that Macrinus had affairs with other men in the past, prompting Gaity to ask Washington: “How great was the Roman Empire?”
Washington then revealed: “I kissed a guy in the movie but they took it out and cut it off, and I think they got the chicken.” “I kissed a guy full on the lips and I think he wasn’t ready for it yet. I killed him after about five minutes. He’s ‘The Gladiator’. It’s the kiss of death.”
Washington received an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his electrifying performance as Macrinus. This role reunites the actor with director Ridley Scott after they worked together on the 2007 crime drama “American Gangster,” and it was Scott’s participation alone that convinced Washington to sign on for the sequel.
“I have to be inspired by the director, and Ridley has inspired me tremendously,” Washington told Empire magazine earlier this year. “We had a great first round and here we are. He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next movie. He’s an inspiration. We should all want to feel that at 86 years old.”
Washington has admitted in recent interviews that he is not sure how many acting jobs he has left before his retirement, so working with great directors is of the utmost importance for the remainder of his career.
“For me it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this stage of my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” he told Australia’s Today programme. “I don’t know how many films I’m going to make. Maybe not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.”
Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22 from Paramount Pictures. Watch Washington’s full interview with Gaiety in the video below.