Denzel Washington Reminds Fans They’ve Been Mispronouncing His Name for Decades

Denzel Washington might be a household name, but it turns out many people have been mispronouncing his name for decades.

On Tuesday (September 2), the Oscar-winning actor reintroduced himself during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! At one point during the sit-down, Kimmel pointed out that there were four NFL players with the first name Denzel.

“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 responded. “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.”

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He explained that the true pronunciation of his name rhymed with “pencil,” but his mother switched it up to avoid confusion within their home.

“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.'”

However, this wasn’t a huge revelation for die-hard fans. The actor, who is currently promoting Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, shared the tidbit back in 2013 when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show.

He confirmed that his name was actually pronounced Den-zuhl, but he has gone by Den-zelle throughout his career.

Elsewhere during his chat with Kimmel, Washington detailed his favorite current hip-hop acts.

The two-time Academy Award winner was on the late-night talk show to promote his new drama-thriller Highest 2 Lowest, that he stars in opposite ASAP Rocky.

Washington raved over the “Tailor Swif” artist, saying: “I get it, Rihanna,” before adding: “He’s very nice. He’s handsome. He’s a good guy.”

This led Kimmel to ask for Washington’s “top three greatest rappers of all time” since he’s been known to have an affinity for artists like Moneybagg Yo and Pooh Shiesty.

The actor called Nas one of his favorites, as he borrowed the MC’s flow for Highest 2 Lowest. “Because I talk a lot. So, he’s a wordsmith,” Washington said.

“I’m up on this now. I was talking about it the other day. This young group…This girl Samara Cyn and Smino,” Washington added, mentioning their collaboration “Brand New Teeth.”

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