Denzel Washington Admits He Kissed A Man “Full On The Lips”

Denzel Washington says a filmed same-sex kiss was ultimately cut from “Gladiator II,” despite his insistence that it helped define his character’s ruthless nature.

Washington, who portrays the power-seeking Roman Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated sequel to “Gladiator,” revealed in an interview with LGBTQ+ publication Gayety that a scene in which his character kisses another man didn’t survive the final edit.

While the kiss, described by Washington as a brief but significant moment in the film, was meant to reflect Macrinus’ complex sexuality, the actor believes the decision was driven by hesitance from the studio. 

“I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out,” Washington said. “They cut it, I think they got chicken. I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet.” 

He clarified that the kiss wasn’t a romantic gesture; rather, it preceded a brutal end for the other character.

“My character killed him about five minutes later,” the actor joked. “It’s the kiss of death.”

In the film, Washington’s Macrinus is a powerful figure, using his gladiators to ascend through the ranks of Roman society.

His fleeting mention of being attracted to both men and women is meant to add depth to the character’s morally ambiguous nature, but Washington feels the kiss would have nailed down the character’s multifaceted personality.

Denzel Washington stars alongside Irish actor Paul Mescal, who portrays Lucius, a young gladiator seeking to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Maximus.

Mescal also recalled a kiss — though a far more innocent one — that didn’t make the cut.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Mescal explained that during a fight scene, he ad-libbed a kiss on the forehead of his co-star, Pedro Pascal, who plays Roman General Marcus Acacius. “Ridley gave me a sarcastic, ‘I’m afraid I did [like it],’ when I asked,” Mescal said.

“Gladiator II” is the much-anticipated follow-up to Scott’s 2000 Oscar-winning historical drama.