Denzel Washington has opened up about his cut same-sex kiss from Gladiator II.
On 22 November, movie enthusiasts will finally be treated to the sequel to Ridley Scott’s critically acclaimed 2000 hit film starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
Ahead of the blockbuster’s release, Washington sat down with Gayety to chat about all things Gladiator II, including his character Macrinus’ same-sex kiss that ended up on the cutting room floor.
“I kissed the man in the film, but they took it out, cut it, I think they got chicken,” he told the news outlet.
“Yeah, I kissed the guy full on the lips, and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It’s Gladiator. The Kiss of Death.”
Washington isn’t the only actor from the film to open up about their same-sex kissing scene not making the final cut.
Back in October, Mescal revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he included a forehead kiss during one of his intense battle scenes with Pedro Pascal.
“There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead,” he explained.
“I did it in one of the takes, then we 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?'”
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Despite Ridley liking the intimate improvisation, Mescal revealed that the shot unfortunately didn’t make the final cut.
Set over two decades after the events of the first film, Gladiator II follows Lucius Verus (Mescal), the son of Maximus (Crowe) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who’s forced to follow in his father’s footsteps of Collessum fighting.
The official synopsis for the film reads: “Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
“With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.”
In addition to Mescal, Pascal, Washington, and Nielsen, the film features Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta, Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla, Lior Raz as Viggo, and Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus.
Check out the latest Gladiator II trailer below.
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