The cast of “Gladiator II” is trying to cut the cord on the alleged gay kiss discord.
After Denzel Washington, whose character Macrinus references having relationships with other men in the film, told Gayety that a same sex kiss was edited out, his co-star Connie Nielsen assured audiences that it was not due to “homophobia” but rather just the editing process.
“My grieving scene didn’t make it into the film either,” Nielsen told Variety while at the Governors Awards. “It’s not homophobia. It’s just there was no room for it.”
Producer Michael Pruss added, “There was so much stuff that was shot that didn’t make it into the film. It was truly a non-event.”
During the “Gladiator II” Los Angeles premiere, Washington also agreed that the so-called controversy is irrelevant. “It really is much ado about nothing,” Washington said. “They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”
Director Ridley Scott even said that it was “bullshit” that a prolonged kiss was even filmed. “They never did [that]. They acted the moment — it didn’t happen,” Scott said.
Washington previously had explained that the production was too “chicken” to include the overtly queer scene. “I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken,” Washington said. “I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later.”
He added, “It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.”
“Gladiator II” is a reunion between Washington and Scott; the duo collaborated together on 2007 film “American Gangster.” To get Washington to agree to play Macrinus in “Gladiator II,” Scott showed the Oscar winner a painting by 19th century artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema as a point of reference for the character.
“[Alma-Tadema’s] work in Roman and Greek circumstance, they are spectacular,” Scott told Deadline. “There was a painting which I think defines the Macrinus: a guy standing there, with huge forearms. He’s African, superlatively powerful, and he’s wearing beautiful silk — orange and sky-blue silk — and he’s got a beard that hits a point. He’s got a hat on the back of his head; it looks a bit like a Dizzy Gillespie hat but woven with beads and whatever else they used back then. Denzel said, ‘What does he do?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s a billionaire.’ He said, ‘Oh, OK, send me the script.’”
“Gladiator II” hits theaters on Friday, November 22.
