Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington has been cast to star in “Gladiator II,” the highly anticipated sequel set in ancient Rome and directed by Ridley Scott.
Washington plays Macrinus, a former slave turned power broker with ambitions to control Rome. Despite the historical backdrop, in the flick Washington chose to use his natural accent — a native New Yorker dialect.
This accent received considerable pushback from members of the public who believe he should have adopted a British or Australian accent, as is commonly used in period pieces.
In the “Gladiator II” trailers fans could hear Washington’s character, a ruthless arms dealer, forgoing a traditional European or African accent.
Washington chose to stick with his modern, recognizable voice. This has sparked criticism, with some questioning whether the use of his regular American accent undermines the film’s historical accuracy.
However, the “Mo’ Betta Blues” actor stands by his decision. In a recent interview with “Empire” magazine, he addressed the backlash.
“Where are we? Whose accent would it be? What does that sound like anyway? You’re going to end up imitating someone and end up with a bad African accent,” Washington stated.
He believes that attempting to create an accurate accent would detract from the character’s essence.
Still, some fans were not happy with his artistic decision.
“No one would have ever guessed Denzel playing himself in a Roman Empire movie with a Jay-Z soundtrack,” one YouTube viewer said after watching the trailer.
“If there was EVER a need for a ‘Dislike’ button…it would be now! Nope. I love me some Denzel, but his masterful acting skills cannot erase his vernacular and no amount of adoration can make it fit for a film depicting ancient Rome,” another fan wrote in part.
If there was EVER a need for a “Dislike” button…it would be now!
🤦🏽♀️
Nope.
I love me some Denzel…
But his masterful acting skills, CANNOT erase his vernacular and NO AMOUNT of adoration can make it fit for a film depicting ancient Rome.
So please—stop it.
“…those who… https://t.co/oiL6lA25Ux
— Sophia Johnson (@Pattyfree) July 11, 2024
But Washington’s fans did not care as they clapped back at critics.
A TikTok influencer argued that Romans did not speak with a British accent and argued why would people care about Washington’s accent in this period piece but not be upset that Joaquin Phoenix didn’t use a fake accent in the film 2023 “Napoleon” movie.
He asks, “Are you going to make Denzel Washington do a goofy-a— British accent to seem noble? Or are you going to let him be his noble-a— self?”
One person tweeted, “I am watching Gladiator 2 specifically see Denzel Washington f—k up an empire and if he wants to do it with his accent then I am all for it.”
“It’s kind of hard to ignore Denzel being singled out in the cast this way as anything but poorly disguised racist whining,” someone else said. “Genuinely looking at the most charismatic actor of our era and demanding he put on a funny accent what the f—k is wrong with you get f—d you losers.”
@treythekage Replying to @alienkeyzGladiator II bout to be 🔥 and Denzel bout to be fire 🔥 regardless #greenscreen #gladiator2 #gladiator ♬ original sound – Trey the [anime] Plug
Another fan on the X platform said, “We don’t want a bad African accent. We want Denzel Washington accent. That’s all.”
Seemingly coming to his defense, two others said, “I will also respond to criticism of Denzel Washington’s accent in ‘GLADIATOR 2’: Shut up you nerds. It’s a silly popcorn movie” and “People find the tiniest little things to b—ch about.”
In an interview with NPR, dialect coach Erik Singer explained the challenges of accent expectations in films set in ancient Rome.
“We simply expect to hear characters in a film set in ancient Rome speaking in RP — Received Pronunciation — that sort of Queen’s or King’s English accent. It’s just a convention,” Singer said.
He continued, “Roman Empire, British Empire — there’s something there that sort of makes sense. But there’s no one way to handle a story set in ancient Rome. You can have everybody speak RP, or use a variety of accents and try to match them to class, but often there’s no plan at all.”
Denzel Washington has shown his ability to adapt accents before, notably in his portrayal of South African activist Steve Biko in “Cry Freedom” in 1987.
However, the “Gladiator II” film is facing scrutiny after Some critics accused director Ridley Scott of “Blackwashing” history by casting Washington, as Marcus Macrinus, the character the NAACP Award winner plays, was a real Roman emperor of Berber origin from April 217 to June 218 AD. He was also the first one to lead the empire without having become a senator.
Despite the controversy, Washington’s portrayal of Macrinus is expected to be a standout performance in “Gladiator II,” which debuts in theaters on Nov. 22.
