Gladiator 2: Denzel Washington Hasn’t Auditioned For 40 Years

Denzel Washington is regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. He is widely known for his dramatic roles onstage and onscreen. Washington came to prominence when he appeared in NBC’s medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988, followed by a movie, A Soldier’s Story, in 1984. Since then, he has appeared in various successful movies, including Cry Freedom, The Hurricane, Fences, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and more.

The actor recently appeared in Ridley Scott’s epic historical drama Gladiator II alongside Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and others. He portrays Macrinus, a former slave who plans to control Rome, and mentors Lucius Verus, played by Mescal. The actor has been appreciated for his work in the movie, and in a recent interview, he revealed one specific detail about his career that doesn’t actually come as a surprise.

Gladiator 2 star Denzel Washington reveals he hasn’t auditioned in almost 40 years

Actor Denzel Washington has had a successful career, is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time, and is looked up to by young and aspiring actors.

He recently appeared for an interview with BBC1Xtra, where the host said to him that she’s sure that he’s at a point in his career where he is no longer reading scripts or auditioning for movies. To which he said,

It’s been 40 years for that. I haven’t auditioned for a movie in almost 40 years. I won an Academy Award in 1989, and I’m pretty sure no one has asked me to audition since then.

The host asked him if he missed the auditioning process, to which he said, ‘NO,’ which went on to point out that his talent and hard work were recognized by the filmmakers and the studios. The actor has been lauded for his work in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II as Macrinus, who shared on BBC Radio 1 that the filmmaker’s work should be recognized by the Academy. He said,

Would you tell somebody how this man can not have an Academy Award? How can he…do your job… I mean seriously though…Believe me, and I’m not talking out of turn; he doesn’t give a… He’s got him lined up like planes over Cleveland, and he’s excited about it, and he knows what he’s going to do next.

Washington added that he’d want to be him when he grows up. It has been reported that the actor only said yes to the 2000 Gladiator sequel because Scott was directing the movie. Ridley Scott has been active in the industry for 61 years and has won BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe, and Primetime Emmy awards but not an Academy, which is why Washington is focused on campaigning for him.

Gladiator II has received a positive response from the critics as well as the audience and debuted with a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The actor also went on to reveal during an interview with Gayety that now, for him, the movies are about the filmmakers. He explained that he is now only interested in working with the best since he does not know how many movies he’s going to make before he retires.

Denzel Washington said he’d like to work with filmmakers Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Steven McQueen.

Denzel Washington talks about the current political state of the United States

Washington is one of the most influential people in the world, and he understands that his opinion matters to the audience who watches him on-screen.

During an interview with The Sunday Times, he was asked about his thoughts on the recent 2024 presidential election result in which former president Donald Trump won over Vice President Kamala Harris. To which he said,

You know, it’s so easy to stand outside America and say this and that. Turn around, you know? Pick a country. Anyone. But listen. It’s all the politics. All promises are unkept. And now with the information age the way it is—if anything—left, right, or whatever, had better learn how to use those tools to manipulate people.

The actor recalled a line from his movie Carbon Copy and stated, ‘Power to the people? Yeah, they had it once—it was called the Stone Age.’ He further commented that the people are slaves to the information now. So whatever the public feels about a leader, any leader, they should realize that both sides are manipulating them.

Somewhere else in the interview, he stated that after he starred in 1992’s Malcolm X, he made some real clunkers, but he was earning, and he had responsibilities. He didn’t specify which movies he considers clunkers but noted that they’re all from the 1990s.

Gladiator II is now playing in the cinemas.