The director Denzel Washington called a master: “A genius and a visionary”
Great directors want to work with great actors. That would explain why Denzel Washington has worked with some of the finest filmmakers of his generation. Spike Lee gave him the role of a lifetime in Malcolm X, and just one year later, he was directed by Jonathan Demme in Philadelphia. The likes of Edward Zwick, Antoine Fuqua, and Joel Coen all came further down the line, and there’s still plenty of time for the legendary performer to add more names to that list.
In 2024, Washington teamed up with the great Ridley Scott to be the best part of Gladiator II. As the conniving Macrinus, Washington stole the show in every single scene, chewing the scenery to a fine paste in the best way possible. Many people were surprised when he missed out on an Oscar nomination for the role. This wasn’t the first time he’d worked with the Scott family, having appeared in a number of films made by Ridley’s brother Tony. This wasn’t the only time he’d worked with the older Scott brother either, as he’d also appeared in 2007’s American Gangster
When asked by Indulge magazine what it was like to work with Scott again, Washington was forthcoming with his praise. “He is a master at the top of his form and it’s a privilege for me to get the opportunity again to work with him,” he said. “He really put together a wonderful cast. He painted the canvas with different types of people and talents. It seemed like the whole was bigger than any one of us individuals. Ridley is a genius and he is a visionary. What he sees and how he puts it together. I don’t have to think or worry about anything – just put the gear on and do my part.”
Washington was correct in his assessment that Scott had assembled a ‘stellar cast’. He was joined by newcomers Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, and Pedro Pascal, as well as returning stars Connie Nelson and Sir Derek Jacobi. Even with all this competition, Washington revelling in a rare villainous role was still the high point.
Gladiator II was a huge production on a scale similar to the original historical epic that won ‘Best Picture’ at the 2001 Oscars. Elaborate battle scenes and massive shows in the Colosseum – including a very dubious water display – took an insane level of choreography. Malta was the location chosen to stand in for Ancient Rome, which Washington approved of. “There’s a size and a scope that Malta brings, and (the landscape) is a character,” he said. “You can get into character just riding to work.”
Scott lives and breathes films. The longest gap between two of his releases is just four years and there have been three occasions where he’s dropped two features in the same calendar year. Even as he draws closer to 90 years old, he is still working hard to bring his mad visions to life.
Given that Scott and Washington had only collaborated once before Gladiator II, it’s great that they got the chance to spin magic again. At this point, Scott will have made five more films by the time you’ve finished reading this sentence, so there is every chance these two icons could get together again to complete their unofficial trilogy.
