Featured Image Credit: Paramount Pictures/Borja B. Hojas/Getty
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, LGBTQ, Denzel Washington
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, LGBTQ, Denzel Washington
Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington can’t really seem to get their story straight on the same-sex kiss that didn’t end up being in the film.
Gladiator 2 has now hit screens and has received generally positive reviews from fans and critics.
Some have said it doesn't exactly live up to the brilliance of the first epic, but is still worth a watch.
But beyond all of this, there seems to be a bit of a debate on a scene that was allegedly cut from the film.
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In Gladiator 2, Washington plays a character named Macrinus, a former slave who becomes a wealthy powerbroker in Rome with his eyes set on the Empire.
Along with being one of Gladiator 2's key players, Washington also revealed in a recent video interview with Gayety that Macrinus is queer, with the film's script noting that he had a few relationships with men in the past.
The actor further disclosed that he filmed a scene where he kissed a man on the lips, but it was ultimately cut out from the sequel's theatrical cut.
He said: “I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken," Washington told the outlet.
"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," the actor added.
"It's Gladiator. It's the kiss of death."
However, Scott has pretty firmly disputed this assertion from Washington, according to a Variety article.
Speaking to the outlet at the premier for the film in Hollywood, Scott said: “No, that’s bulls***.
“They never did. They acted the moment — it didn’t happen.”
Washington, who was obviously at the premier also addressed it and said: “It really is much ado about nothing.
“They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”
Actress Connie Nielsen, who reprised her role as Lucilla in the sequel, has also commented on the same-sex kiss scene.
While at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles over the weekend she said: “My grieving scene didn’t make it into the film either.
“It’s not homophobia. It’s just there was no room for it.”
With the film length coming in at a lengthy 2 hours and 28 minutes, it is likely there were quite a lot of scenes that they couldn’t find time to stick in.