Denzel Washington reveals how mother embarrassed him at the Oscars

The Gladiator 2 star confessed he may have regretted taking his mum as his date to the awards when she started making comments about the other celebrity guests.

Albertina Lloyd
·Contributor
Updated ·3-min read
Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.
Denzel Washington reflected on The One Show on the time he took his mother to the Oscars. (Getty Images)

Denzel Washington has revealed how his late mother embarrassed him at the Oscars by making comments about the other celebrity guests.

The Gladiator II star appeared on the The One Show on Tuesday 12 November along with co-stars Paul Mescal and Connie Nielsen to discuss the new Ridley Scott sequel. Mescal chatted to hosts Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp about his family joining him on the press tour for Gladiator II.

Washington was reminded of the time he took his beloved mother Lennis to the Academy Awards ceremony in 1990.

Denzel Washington with his wife Pauletta and mother Lennis at the Oscars in 1990. (Getty Images)
Denzel Washington with his wife Pauletta and mother Lennis at the Oscars in 1990. (Getty Images)

Normal People star Mescal was asked about bringing his family with him to the Gladiator II premiere in London. He said: "I was like, not just my mum but the only one missing is my brother. It was very much a family affair. We had like all of my aunties and uncles.

"I think it was like, you know, it was an incredibly special thing to be promoting a film of this size but to have your, I don't know about you guys, but it's a huge thing to have your family around you at moments like that."

Washington said: "I remember my mother, one of the Oscars we went to, I took my mother, I don't know if it's when I won or whatever. She was there and she's just commenting on everyone. We're in the front row, she said, 'Oh, I see how it is now. Look at how he's treating her.' I said 'Mom! Shut up!' "

Washington's mother Lennis died at the age of 97 in 2021. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory in 1990. In his acceptance speech he said: "God bless you, my mother. I love you"

Read more: Gladiator II

Paul Mescal with his parents and sister at the premiere of Gladiator 2 in Dublin. (Getty Images)
Paul Mescal with his parents and sister at the premiere of Gladiator 2 in Dublin. (Getty Images)

Mescal confessed how excited he had been to get a call from Ridley Scott to star in the Gladiator sequel. He said: "It was absolutely mind blowing. I think the moment that I found out that I was going to even initially just do a Zoom with him, I thought that was a victory in and of itself. And then he works very, very quickly. And then he decided that I was the guy for him. My parents - they lost their mind. I lost my mind."

The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.

Gladiator II will be released in UK cinemas on Friday, 15 November

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