Denzel Washington Says He Wanted To Avoid A ‘Bad African Accent’ Amid Criticism Of Using His Own Accent In ‘Gladiator II’

Denzel Washington Says He Wanted To Avoid A ‘Bad African Accent’ Amid Criticism Of Using His Own Accent In ‘Gladiator II’

Denzel Washington is standing firm on his accent choice for Gladiator II.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, the 69-year-old actor addressed the decision to use his own accent for his role as Macrinus, a North African character.

He said,

“Well, the thing was, where are we? Whose accent would it be? What does that sound like anyway? You’re going to end up imitating someone and end up with a bad African accent.”

Denzel Washington, collaborating again with director Ridley Scott in this role, emphasized that he aimed to avoid a poor “imitation” and maintain authenticity in his portrayal.

Denzel Washington (Variety)

The sequel’s trailer, arriving 24 years after the original and featuring Paul Mescal as a gladiator and Denzel Washington as a former slave turned power broker, has sparked some fan confusion over Washington’s accent, yet anticipation for the film remains high.

Despite the criticism, Washington’s role in this film stands out as he has recently shifted his focus to meaningful roles and hinted at potentially stepping away from acting soon, stating,

“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.”

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