Denzel Washington Says Gay ‘Gladiator II’ Kiss Was Cut: ‘I Think They Got Chicken’

Denzel Washington kissed a guy, and he’d have liked it to stay in “Gladiator II.”

Washington told Gayety in the below video that a kiss between his character Macrinus and another man was cut from the film because “they weren’t ready for that yet.” While Washington did not clarify who “they” were, the feature is directed by Ridley Scott and is being distributed by Paramount, also the film’s studio. Washington’s character Macrinus does reference having relationships with other men onscreen during the film, though.

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

He added, “It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.”

“Gladiator II” is a reunion between Washington and Scott; the duo collaborated together on 2007 film “American Gangster.”

“I call him the governor,” Washington told Deadline of Scott. “The word I hear is ‘evolve’. But the first ‘Gladiator,’ it won Best Picture, and I guess it was a film that directed itself. I would never use the word evolve. He was a great director back then, and he will be for all time.”

Scott said of Washington, “He didn’t show it at the time, but I think he really enjoyed doing ‘American Gangster’ with me. I think the film was honestly terrific, one of my better movies.”

To get Washington to agree to play Macrinus in “Gladiator II,” Scott showed the Oscar winner a painting by 19th-century artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema as a point of reference for the character.

“[Alma-Tadema’s] work in Roman and Greek circumstance, they are spectacular,” Scott said. “There was a painting which I think defines the Macrinus: a guy standing there, with huge forearms. He’s African, superlatively powerful, and he’s wearing beautiful silk — orange and sky-blue silk — and he’s got a beard that hits a point. He’s got a hat on the back of his head; it looks a bit like a Dizzy Gillespie hat but woven with beads and whatever else they used back then. Denzel said, ‘What does he do?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s a billionaire.’ He said, ‘Oh, OK, send me the script.’”

“Gladiator II” may be among Washington’s final handful of roles. The actor is remaking Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” with Spike Lee for Apple and A24, and will also lead Antoine Fuqua’s untitled Hannibal feature for Netflix. Washington confirmed to the Australian “Today” show (via Variety) that he also will appear in Ryan Coogler’s third “Black Panther,” despite the project not formally being announced yet by Marvel. He further will be collaborating with Steve McQueen as well.

Washington will be on Broadway in “Othello” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, and hopes to adapt the production of the legendary Shakespeare play into a film.

“After that, I’m going to do ‘King Lear,'” Washington said of continuing his Shakespeare streak. “After that, I’m going to retire.”

He added, “For me, it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am only interested in working with the best,” Washington said. “I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.”