Denzel Washington, star of Gladiator II, has revealed a same-sex kiss was ultimately cut from the film.
“I kissed the man in the film, but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken,” Washington revealed in an interview with Gayety. “Yeah, I kissed the guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It’s Gladiator. The Kiss of Death.”
Denzel’s admission wasn’t the only gay kiss cut from the film – it was reported that a steamy scene between Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal‘s characters also ended up on the cutting room floor.
“There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead,” Mescal revealed.
“I did it in one of the takes, and then we’re getting the radio messages back to Ridley (Scott, the film’s director) and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?’ There was radio silence for a second. HIs radio crackles back and goes ‘I’m afraid I did.'”
Gladiator II, like Ancient Rome itself, is crammed full of homoeroticism. When one Roman politician is revealed to be gay, Washington’s character responds that some days, he prefers men as well.
Gladiator II is in cinemas from November 15.
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