Denzel Washington reveals everyone has been mispronouncing his name throughout five-decade career
Topics: Denzel Washington, Hollywood, Film and TV, Celebrity
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live
Topics: Denzel Washington, Hollywood, Film and TV, Celebrity
Denzel Washington has revealed everyone has been mispronouncing his name throughout his acting career that has spanned five decades.
The Hollywood actor, who starred in Gladiator 2 earlier this year, shared a screen with fellow acting legends Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal.
Prior to that, Washington has starred in a ton of classic movies, making him one of the most recognised faces in the whole film industry.
I don't think any of us have thought twice about how to pronounce Washington's name, but apparently we've been saying it wrong all this time.
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Washington explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live that the pronunciation of his name was altered by his mother, as the actor and his father shared the same first name.
The original pronunciation of Washington's name is actually 'Den-zull', instead of 'Den-zelle' - which we've been calling the actor for years.
"This is how you know they named themselves after me because... my name's not pronounced Denzel. My name's pronounced Denzel," Washington explained.
He added: "I'm Denzel Jr. My father's Denzel Hayes Washington Senior. I'm Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. My mother would say 'Denzel!' and we both show up. So she said, 'From now on, you're Denzel'. That's how it got pronounced Denzel."
While he reminds people how to pronounce his name, Washington spoke last year about the damage that had been done to his body after years of alcohol and drug use.
Thankfully, Washington is in a better place now, but his previous habits have certainly taken a toll on his body.
The actor's problem with booze and drugs began with wine, he told Esquire.
"Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden," Washington said.
"I never got strung out on heroin. 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. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very subtle thing. I mean, I drank the best."
He continued: "I learned to drink the best. So I’m gonna drink my ’61s and my ’82s and whatever we had. Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left.
"And then later in those years I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, ‘Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.’"