Denzel Washington Says His Same-Sex Kiss Was Cut fromGladiator II: 'Guess They Weren't Ready for That Yet'

Mar. 15, 2025

Denzel Washington as Macrinus in ‘Gladiator II’.Photo:Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures

Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures

Denzel Washingtonrevealed that a same-sex kiss he filmed forGladiator IIwas cut from the final movie.Speaking withGayety, the actor, who portrays Macrinus in directorRidley Scott’s sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, said he kissed a male costar for a since-deleted moment. The revelation came after Washington was asked “how gay” the Roman empire was.“I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out. They cut it,” Washington, 69, said. “I think they got chicken.““I kissed a guy full on the lips and they, I guess they weren’t ready for that yet,” he added, before joking that in the sequence he “killed him about five minutes later” in what he called the “kiss of death.“Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’.Paramount PicturesGladiator IIalso starsPedro PascalandPaul Mescal, who play the characters Acacius and Lucius, respectively. Mescal revealed in a recent interview withEntertainment Weeklythat their forehead kiss didn’t make the final cut either.The actor, 28, said he and Pascal were rehearsing a fight scene during filming when he “had an idea” of kissing his costar “on the forehead” toward the end of the combat.“I did it in one of the takes, and then we’re getting the radio messages back to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?’ There was radio silence for a second,” Mescal said. “His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ‘I’m afraid I did.’ ““I think Ridley’s one of the funniest men I’ve ever come across,” he added, revealing that the forehead smooch was eventually scrapped.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’.Aidan Monaghan/Paramount PicturesGladiator II,arriving over 24 years after its Oscar-winning predecessor,picks up where the first film left off and comes before a string of film roles that Washington is already mapping out.While on Australia’sTodayshowearlier this month, Washington gave insight into some potential future acting gigs, including a teased role inRyan Coogler’sBlack Panther 3.“For me, it’s about the filmmaker. Especially at this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said.“I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done. I played Othello at 22; I’m about to play Othello at 70,” he said, nodding to hisupcoming Broadway run in Shakespeare’sOthello.Gladiator IIis in theaters Nov. 22.

Denzel Washingtonrevealed that a same-sex kiss he filmed forGladiator IIwas cut from the final movie.

Speaking withGayety, the actor, who portrays Macrinus in directorRidley Scott’s sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, said he kissed a male costar for a since-deleted moment. The revelation came after Washington was asked “how gay” the Roman empire was.

“I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out. They cut it,” Washington, 69, said. “I think they got chicken.”

“I kissed a guy full on the lips and they, I guess they weren’t ready for that yet,” he added, before joking that in the sequence he “killed him about five minutes later” in what he called the “kiss of death.”

Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’.Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Gladiator IIalso starsPedro PascalandPaul Mescal, who play the characters Acacius and Lucius, respectively. Mescal revealed in a recent interview withEntertainment Weeklythat their forehead kiss didn’t make the final cut either.

The actor, 28, said he and Pascal were rehearsing a fight scene during filming when he “had an idea” of kissing his costar “on the forehead” toward the end of the combat.

“I did it in one of the takes, and then we’re getting the radio messages back to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?’ There was radio silence for a second,” Mescal said. “His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ‘I’m afraid I did.’ "

“I think Ridley’s one of the funniest men I’ve ever come across,” he added, revealing that the forehead smooch was eventually scrapped.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’.Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures

Gladiator II,arriving over 24 years after its Oscar-winning predecessor,picks up where the first film left off and comes before a string of film roles that Washington is already mapping out.

While on Australia’sTodayshowearlier this month, Washington gave insight into some potential future acting gigs, including a teased role inRyan Coogler’sBlack Panther 3.

“For me, it’s about the filmmaker. Especially at this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said.

“I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done. I played Othello at 22; I’m about to play Othello at 70,” he said, nodding to hisupcoming Broadway run in Shakespeare’sOthello.

Gladiator IIis in theaters Nov. 22.

source: people.com