Denzel Washington responds to the Gladiator 2 accent criticism. Directed once again by Ridley Scott, serving as a sequel to his Best Picture-winning film from 2000, Gladiator 2 follows an adult Lucius (Paul Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, who is forced into life as a Gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), during the rule of co-emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). Gladiator 2‘s cast and characters also include Washington as Macrinus, a power broker who keeps a stable of gladiators.
In the most recent issue of Empire magazine, Washington responded to the criticism regarding his accent in Gladiator 2. The two-time Oscar-winning actor chose to use his own accent for Macrinus, despite the character being of unknown North African origin, to avoid potentially imitating a bad African accent. Read his full response below:
Well, the thing was, 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.
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Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Accent Explained
The character of Macrinus is from North Africa, but when the Gladiator 2 trailer dropped earlier this summer, many people pointed out on social media that Washington was simply using his own accent. North Africa was a key location in the original Gladiator, as Russell Crowe’s character, Maximus, is sold into slavery there and fights his way through the local tournaments. The sequel follows a similar story with Lucius living in Numidia, a province on the North African coast, which is invaded by Pascal’s General Marcus Acacius, forcing Lucius into slavery.
Since Macrinus isn’t from Rome, his accent would naturally differ from the Roman characters, though it’s uncertain what a non-Roman accent would have even sounded like during the time that Gladiator 2 is set. There was also the added risk of unintentionally imitating a bad African accent, which would have technically been more historically or geographically accurate, but could also have come off as inauthentic or even offensive. In turn, to avoid these various pitfalls, Washington simply stuck with his own accent.
Over his career, Washington has taken on roles that required the use of accents, though he is much more acclaimed as an actor for his commanding presence than his dialect work. In 1987’s Cry Freedom, Washington played activist Steve Biko, using a South African accent that was generally well-received, though some noted it was not flawless. While Washington’s accents have been competent over his career, his performances are generally celebrated for their gravitas, which should still be the case in Gladiator 2.
Source: Empire