Denzel Washington may have said that his same-sex kiss in Gladiator II was cut from the movie because the powers that be had it “chicken,” but according to director Ridley Scott, the kiss may not have happened at all.
“No, that’s bullshit,” Scott told me Monday night at the Hollywood premiere of Gladiator II. He later added: “They never did. “They acted in the moment, and it didn’t happen.”
Meanwhile, Washington claimed that what happened was just a “peck” on the lips. “It’s really much ado about nothing,” Washington said at the premiere. “They are making more of him than he was. I kissed him on his hands and kissed him and killed him.”
During a recent interview with Gaiety, Washington revealed, “I kissed a guy in the movie but they took him out and cut him off, and I think they got the chicken. I kissed a chubby guy on the lips and I think he wasn’t ready for that yet. I killed him after about five minutes. He’s “The Gladiator.” “It’s the kiss of death.”
The text of “Gladiator II” mentions that Washington’s character, Macrinus, has had affairs with other men in the past.
At the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Connie Nielsen — who reprises her role as Lucilla in the “Gladiator” sequel — shared her thoughts on the same-sex kiss scene in Washington.
“There’s no sad scene in the movie either,” Nielsen told me. “It’s not homophobia. It’s just that there was no room for it.”
Producer Michael Bruce added: “There were a lot of things that were filmed that didn’t make it into the film. It was a really extraordinary event.
Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington attend the special screening of “Gladiator II” in Paris at Pathé Palace on November 10, 2024 in Paris, France.
Getty Images for Paramount Pictou
Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius (the son of Russell Crowe’s character in the original 2000 film), recently told Attitude magazine that the film will appeal to a diverse audience. “I think this movie is for guys, gays, girls, moms and dads,” he said, adding: “Brothers will love it too, don’t get me wrong.”
Nielsen also spoke about Mescal at the Governors Awards. “He’s a great actor,” she said. “It’s unbelievable how much he’s done in such a short time. He’s really talented, not only as an artist, but also thinking as a human being. The fact that he’s able to handle this kind of pressure at such a young age is commendable and amazing and he’s a beautiful person.
Gladiator II opens in theaters on Friday.
