Denzel Washington has responded to criticism regarding his accent in *Gladiator II*. In an interview with Empire Magazine, the actor, who plays Macrinus in the sequel, explained that his character is from North Africa, and he chose to use his own accent for the role.
Washington questioned the practicality of mimicking an accent, stating, “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.”
Discussing his decision to join Ridley Scott’s film, Washington shared, “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in.” He praised Ridley Scott for his enthusiasm and inspiration, noting, “He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration. We should all want to feel like that at 86.”
In addition to Washington, the cast of *Gladiator II* includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger, with Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprising their roles from the original film.
The sequel is set to hit theaters on November 15 in the UK and November 22 in the US.