Denzel Washington's 'Gladiator II' Press Run Is Truly One for the Ages

I’ve already said it probably a few times by now, but I’m going to say it again: The candor on display in Denzel Washington’s latest press run (thankfully) knows no bounds.

If you’ve been keeping tabs on the expectedly extensive press obligations in service of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, which storms into a theater near you this Friday, Nov. 22, then you’ve no doubt been exposed to at least a couple of Denzel’s unquestionably headlines-ready statements. The comments, ranging from the delightfully matter-of-fact to the deftly serious, have become a motion picture-sized spectacle in their own right, and for good reason.

The universally acclaimed actor, it seems, is looking ahead at a new chapter in his career, a perspective from which absolute barn-burners like “I’m putting this dress on, these rings, and I’m going crazy” are born. To that end, it brings me great pleasure to present a collection of recent bars delivered by the two-time Oscar winner. Worth mentioning is that many have compared Denzel's current batch of interview-improving anecdotes to those once employed by the late music icon Quincy Jones.

The three essentials: this dress, these rings, going crazy

Ah, yes. One of the finest moments of 2024, no doubt. A shining beacon of hope, or something near it, at a time when one can reasonably not expect very much from the world around them.

“When you would walk around, you were in Rome, and it seemed like 10,000 extras and horses,” Washington, who plays Macrinus in Scott’s film, said at a Q&A in October. “It was make believe, it was play, it was fun. Just put the gear on, just put the dress on and go, that’s the way I looked at it. I’m putting this dress on, these rings, and I’m going crazy.”

Gladiator II kiss

Initially, the headlines were headlining about remarks from Denzel suggesting a gay kiss had been cut from the film. Scott, no slouch at all when it comes to unforgettable interview moments of his own, later called “bullshit” on this description of events. Washington also offered some clarity, inadvertently providing another begging-to-be-quoted statement in the process.

“I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck, and I killed him,” he told Marc Malkin.

No LinkedIn, no problem

At the tail end of a Vogue chat with fellow Gladiator II star Paul Mescal, Washington noted that he’s never had an Instagram, a reveal that ultimately led to LinkedIn getting a mention. Mescal jokingly asked for a clarification on whether or not Washington had a LinkedIn page, prompting this playful closing line: “No. I have a Cadillac.”

Moments earlier, Washington spoke with more gravity about social media’s impact at large, saying he’s been praying for those who have lived under it in a way he never has.

“I pray for your generation because we did not have to deal with what you’ve had to deal with,” he said. “And it’s our fault for putting it in your hands.”

He’s not one for rules

Allegedly, Washington told fans at a recent premiere “I make my own rules” in response to a security protocol request regarding the arrival of King Charles. The topic of such rules was later broached during a Jimmy Kimmel interview, with the actor saying he “forgot all of them” when it came time to meet him.

“He said he loved all my movies,” Washington told Kimmel. “Don’t get me in trouble with the king.

He’s "shot dope" in his life but never got "strung out"

When discussing his sobriety, Washington, soon to mark 10 years of being clean, touched on what he called a drinking issue that became a “15-year pattern” in Esquire. He also spoke just as candidly about other substances, as well as revealed that he “went home and drank” after losing the Best Actor Oscar to Kevin Spacey in 2000.

“I never got strung out on heroin,” he said. “Never got strung out on coke. Never got strung out on hard drugs. I shot dope just like they shot dope, but I never got strung out. And I never got strung out on liquor.”