Why Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 accent is controversial

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Why Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 accent is controversial

Denzel Washington’s accent in Gladiator II has brought criticism to the actor and Ridley Scott’s sequel, making it a controversial aspect of the 2024 movie. Once Scott found the right story for a Gladiator Sequel, audiences are thrilled to see the collection of stars he can get involved with. It’s especially notable for bringing Denzel Washington on board, marking a reunion between the actor and director over a decade after American gangster. And when the marketing campaign of the film was started, the anticipation to see the performance of the two-time Oscar winner was incredibly high.

The Gladiator 2 Trailers have shown plenty of Denzel Washington’s character Macrinus. He is an arms dealer with a ruthless quality and big ambitions. Between Denzel’s effortless mixture of gravitas, charm and regalness and the impeccable outfits he’s wearing, Macrinus has all the makings of a strong character who could steal the movie. However, one aspect of Denzel’s performance drew some criticism, as his accent work was not what was expected for the movie.

Denzel Washington uses his regular accent to play Macrinus in Gladiator 2

He sounds just like Denzel

The controversial aspect of Denzel Washington Gladiator 2 accent is that he does not use one to play Macrinus. He sounds just like his normal self instead of implementing any vocal changes that might help set his character apart or be more historically accurate. This decision proved controversial as the marketing began, as It puts someone with a modern New York accent in 211 AD Rome. The original Gladiator Movie used a variety of accents, like British and Australian, but a regular American accent is not heard – as it would be even less historically accurate.

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Learn from Denzel Washington’s natural accent rests in Gladiator 2 Brought some strong reactions Online. Many wanted him to have a more period and geographically correct voice, while others liked the idea of ​​him keeping his recognizable way of speaking to make Macrinus an intimidating force. However, it is still puzzling that the movie includes someone with a New York accent in ancient Rome. This is especially the case when Denzel Washington has done accent work in other movies before Gladiator 2.

Denzel Washington’s Macrinus should have an African accent in Gladiator 2

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Macrinus (Denzel Washington) regally dressed and seated in an ornate golden chair in Gladiator 2
Image by Paramount Pictures

By using his natural accent in the movie, Denzel Washington significantly changed Macrinus, which also adds to the controversy. This is because the real-life version of ​​Macrinus was from Africa – Mauritania, now Algeria, to be more specific. If he grew up there in the real world, he surely has an African accent. It would be accurate for Denzel Washington to use an African accent When playing Macrinus in Gladiator 2. By removing the historically accurate accent and using a New York/American accent, there is a difference between reality and the movie.

Which makes the lack of an African accent for Macrinus in Gladiator 2 More surprisingly, Denzel Washington is not against doing accents, including an African accent. He has a South African accent Cry freedom in 1987. He is also slated to play the African general Hannibal in an upcoming movie, but it is unconfirmed if he will use an appropriate accent or not. Meanwhile, Macrinus immediately stands apart from the rest of Gladiator 2s character thanks to his American accent. Although this would still be the case with an African accent, it would at least be a more correct image.

What Denzel Washington had to say about his Gladiator 2 accent choice

He responded to the critics


Denzel Washington in Gladiator 2
Custom image by Yeider Chacon

After the reaction to his accent in Gladiator 2Denzel Washington shared his reasoning for keeping his natural voice. Denzel Washington’s response to accent criticism came in September 2024 and began with him discussing uncertainty about what kind of accent he would use. He suggested that the location, specific accent and how it sounds are all unknown variables. There are no recordings of what Macrinus sounded like or even what African accents seemed like from this point in the Gladiator 2 Timeline. This made it difficult for him to feel comfortable doing an African accent for the movie.

Denzel Washington’s fear appeared to include doing an accent that would come across as a “Bad African accent.” He did not want to commit to making a different voice for Macrinus without knowing it would be appropriate historically and culturally. after all, A bad accent can be much more jarring to audiences Like someone who feels out of place. In one way or another, Macrinus would always sound different from the rest of the film’s characters. The African accent could be more accurate, but Denzel Washington was more comfortable keeping his usual voice Gladiator II.

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