Denzel Washington recently disclosed that his name has been commonly mispronounced throughout his illustrious five-decade acting career.
The renowned actor, who appeared in “Gladiator 2” earlier in 2023, shared the screen with other acting stalwarts like Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal.
Washington has been a part of numerous iconic films, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in Hollywood.
Most people have likely not questioned the pronunciation of Washington’s name, but it seems we’ve been mistaken for quite some time.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Washington clarified that his mother adjusted the pronunciation of his name since both he and his father had the same first name.
Originally, his name is pronounced ‘Den-zull,’ as opposed to the ‘Den-zelle’ pronunciation that has become widespread.
“This is how you know they named themselves after me because… my name’s not pronounced Denzel. My name’s pronounced Denzel,” Washington shared.
He further elaborated: “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 setting the record straight about his name, Washington also reflected last year on the toll that years of alcohol and drug use had taken on his body.
Fortunately, Washington has improved his lifestyle, but his past indulgences have left their mark.
The actor recounted to Esquire that his struggle with substances began with wine.
“Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden,” Washington explained.
“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 said.
He added: “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.’”