Nov 14
Denzel Washington's Gay Kiss Cut from 'Gladiator II'
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Denzel Washington says he "kissed a guy full on the lips" in "Gladiator II," but "they got chicken" and the moment ended up on the cutting room floor.
Variety noted that Washington's character, Macrinus – "a wealthy powerbroker in Rome who keeps a stable of gladiators for sport" – is referred to in the film as having had same-sex relationships.
Addressing that in an interview, Washington explained that the film intended to show that part of his character's life.
"I actually kissed a man in the film," Variety quoted Washington saying, "but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken."
Added the "Tragedy of Macbeth" star, "I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren't ready for that yet."
The kiss came with a twist worthy of the treacherous Roman Empire, though.
"I killed him about five minutes later," Washington disclosed. "It's 'Gladiator.' It's the kiss of death."
The film is a followup to Scott's 2000 swords-and-sandals epic, which starred Joaquin Phoenix as Emperor Commodus and Russell Crowe as Maximus. The sequel picks up the story two decades later, with Paul Mescal playing Lucius, the son of Maximus, who is forced into gladiatorial combat for the amusement of Rome's powerful elite.
Watch the trailer for "Gladiator II," which arrives in theaters on Nov. 22, below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
