Hollywood has made some progress with LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream films like Call Me by Your Name (2017), Moonlight (2016), and Carol (2015) that cater to those audiences.
But when it comes to featuring a gay kiss in commercial blockbusters meant for the general mass audience, studios remain skittish and tend to leave such scenes on the cutting room floor.
An alleged kissing scene between two male characters in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II is the latest celluloid casualty, according to one of its stars, Denzel Washington.
He told Gayety’s Caitlynn McDaniel that he filmed a scene where his character gave into his male desire by lip-locking with another man, but it ultimately didn't make the final cut.
In the sequel to 2000s Gladiator, the revered thespian and winner of numerous accolades, including two Oscars, three Golden Globes, and a Tony Award, plays power-hungry Macrinus, a “Roman businessman who has amassed enormous wealth thanks to his acumen and brutal ambition."
He was also described as a character with a "twinkle" of bisexuality.
Wanting to explore more about his character expressing an interest in having relationships with other men, McDaniel asked Washington “how gay” the Roman Empire is.
The 69-year-old Malcolm Xactor said:
“I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken."
Washington added:
"I kissed a guy full on the lips, and I guess they’re not ready for that.”
"I killed him about five minutes later…It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.”
Fans lamented the lost opportunity.
People thought gladiators making out wouldn't have been a stretch back in ancient times.
You can watch a clip of the discussion here.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Another gay kiss was stolen from the same film.
During an intense physical improv scene for Gladiator II, star Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius Verus, kissed the forehead of his co-star Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius.
When Mescal asked director Ridley Scott if he liked his character's gay impulse, Scott tentatively replied, "I'm afraid I did."
While it's unclear who made the final call, the scene was ultimately axed.
The epic historical sequel to Gladiator will hit theaters in the US on November 22.
Perhaps audiences will be able to delight in the deleted homoerotic scenes in future releases of the film, hopefully uncut.
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