Denzel Washington<\/a>\u00a0might be a\u00a0household name, but it turns out many people have\u00a0been mispronouncing his name for decades.<\/p>\n On Tuesday (September 2), the Oscar-winning actor reintroduced himself during his appearance on\u00a0Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em><\/a> At one point during the sit-down, Kimmel pointed out that there were four NFL players with the first name Denzel.<\/p>\n “There weren\u2019t that many before your first Oscar,” Kimmel said. “There were zero in 1987.”<\/p>\n “I know. There\u2019s a lot of Denzels now,” the 70-year-old responded. “And this is how you know they named themselves after me:\u00a0Because my name is not pronounced Den-zelle.\u00a0My name is pronounced Den-zuhl.”<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n He explained that the true pronunciation of his name rhymed with “pencil,” but his mother switched it up to avoid confusion within their home.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m Denzel Jr. My father\u2019s Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. I\u2019m Denzel Hayes Washington Jr,” he said.\u00a0“My mother would say, ‘Denzel,’ and we\u2019d both show up.\u00a0So she said, ‘From now on, you\u2019re Den-zelle.'”<\/p>\n However, this wasn\u2019t a huge revelation\u00a0for die-hard fans.\u00a0The actor, who is currently promoting\u00a0Spike Lee<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Highest 2 Lowest<\/a>,<\/em> shared the tidbit back in 2013 when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n He confirmed that his name was actually pronounced Den-zuhl, but he has gone by Den-zelle throughout his career.<\/p>\n Elsewhere during his chat with Kimmel, Washington detailed his favorite current hip-hop acts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The two-time Academy Award winner was on the late-night talk show to promote his new drama-thriller Highest 2 Lowest<\/em><\/a>, that he stars in opposite ASAP Rocky.<\/a><\/p>\n Washington raved over the “Tailor Swif”\u00a0<\/a>artist, saying: “I get it, Rihanna,” before adding: “He’s very nice. He’s handsome. He’s a good guy.”<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n The actor called Nas<\/a> one of his favorites, as he borrowed the MC’s flow for Highest 2 Lowest<\/em>. “Because I talk a lot. So, he’s a wordsmith,” Washington said.<\/p>\n “I’m up on this now. I was talking about it the other day. This young group…This girl Samara Cyn\u00a0<\/a>and Smino<\/a>,” Washington added, mentioning their collaboration “Brand New Teeth.”<\/p>\n ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25\u201326, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more.\u00a0Get your tickets now<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> Denzel Washington Turned His Wife Pauletta Into a Cardi B Fan<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/a> Denzel Washington Robs ASAP Rocky Mid-Interview: ‘That Watch Is Gone’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/a> Denzel Washington Responds to ASAP Rocky Lookalike Chatter: ‘Mom, Should We Tell Him?’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Sydney Sweeney Stretches in Leotard and Boots for New Jimmy Choo Campaign<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Share TikTok of ‘Blessed’ Newborn<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\nRelated News<\/h3>\n
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