Denzel Washington reveals fans have mispronounced his name for decades

EntertainmentLifestyle
5 Sep 2025 • 5:41 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Denzel Washington has revealed that fans have been getting his name wrong for decades.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday (3 September), the award-winning actor said that people have been mispronouncing his name his whole life, with his mother first beginning the confusion.

Kimmel noted that there are currently four players in the NFL with the same name as him, stating “There weren’t that many before your first Oscar [award]. There was zero in 1987.”

The 57-year-old agreed and said: “This is how you know they named themselves after me, because my name is not pronounced Den-zelle, it’s Den-zill.”

He said that he and his father share the same name, and to avoid confusion, his mother told him that his name would now be pronounced “Den-zelle”.

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