Denzel Washington says people have been pronouncing his name wrong for years

Denzel Washington has revealed his name was originally pronounced differently, as well as the reason it was changed.

One of the most respected actors in history, the two-time Oscar-winner was a guest on Tuesday’s (September 2) episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. During the chat, the host mentioned that there were four current NFL players named Denzel, compared to none prior to his success.

“And this is how you know they were named after me. My name is not pronounced Den-ZEL,” he replied, pronouncing it as most people say it with the emphasis on the second syllable. He continued: “My name is pronounced DEN-zul”, with the emphasis on the first syllable and the second syllable rhyming with “dull”.

He explained that a family similarity led to the pronunciation being changed. “I’m Denzel Jr.,” the actor continued, pronouncing it the way it had been intended. “My father’s Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. I’m Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. My mother would say, ‘Denzel’, and we’d both show up.”

He explained it was his mother, Lennis, who made the change: “So, she said, ‘From now on, you’re Den-ZEL.’ That’s how it got pronounced Denzel.”

When Kimmel brought up the fact that there were four players in the NFL called Denzel with the better-known pronunciation, the actor joked: “There ought to be some kind of compensation for this, should there not?” In response, the host laughed and suggested the star get a cut of shirt sales.

The 70-year-old is busier than ever, having recently been confirmed as starring in the forthcoming Black Panther 3. In recent interviews, he weighed in on cancel culture, saying: “You can’t be cancelled if you haven’t signed up”; as well as revealing that he is “tired” of movies and doesn’t watch them anymore.