Denzel Washington may be one of Hollywood’s most iconic names, but it turns out fans have been saying it wrong for years.
During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday (September 2), the Oscar winner cleared things up after Kimmel noted that four NFL players now share his first name.
“There weren’t that many before your first Oscar,” Kimmel said. “There were zero in 1987.”
“I know. There’s a lot of Denzels now,” the 70-year-old replied. “And this is how you know they named themselves after me: Because my name is not pronounced Den-zelle. My name is pronounced Den-zuhl.”
He went on to explain that his name actually rhymes with “pencil,” but his mom decided to tweak the pronunciation at home to avoid mix-ups.
“I’m Denzel Jr. My father’s Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. I’m Denzel Hayes Washington Jr,” he said. “My mother would say, ‘Denzel,’ and we’d both show up. So she said, ‘From now on, you’re Den-zelle.'”
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For longtime fans, this wasn’t exactly breaking news. Back in 2013, while on The Graham Norton Show, Denzel revealed the same detail—his name is actually pronounced Den-zuhl, though he’s gone by Den-zelle for most of his career.
Now, as he promotes Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, the actor is once again reminding the world of the proper way to say his name.
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During his sit-down with Kimmel, Denzel Washington also opened up about his love for hip-hop and shouted out some of his favorite current acts.
The two-time Oscar winner, who stars alongside A$AP Rocky in the new drama-thriller Highest 2 Lowest, praised the Harlem rapper with a playful mix-up. “I get it, Rihanna,” he joked, before adding: “He’s very nice. He’s handsome. He’s a good guy.”
That moment led Kimmel to press him on his “top three greatest rappers of all time,” noting Washington’s taste for artists like Moneybagg Yo and Pooh Shiesty.
Washington quickly named Nas as one of his favorites, explaining how he even borrowed the Queens legend’s flow for Highest 2 Lowest. “Because I talk a lot. So, he’s a wordsmith,” Denzel said.
He also made sure to show love to newer talent: “I’m up on this now. I was talking about it the other day. This young group… This girl Samara Cyn and Smino,” he said, pointing to their collab “Brand New Teeth.”
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