Hollywood legend Denzel Washington has revealed that his famous first name has been pronounced wrongly for most of his career.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, the 70-year-old actor explained that the correct way to say his name is “Den-zull” and not “Den-zell,” which has become widely accepted.
“My name is not actually pronounced Denzel,” he told Kimmel, before stressing, “My name is pronounced Denzel.”
The Oscar winner went on to share how the mispronunciation started at home. Both he and his father share the same name — Denzel Hayes Washington. To avoid confusion, his mother decided to pronounce his name differently.
“My mother would say, ‘Denzel?’ and we’d both show up,” Washington recalled. “So she said, ‘From now on, you’re Denzel.’ That’s how we got it pronounced Denzel.”
Kimmel had brought up the topic while joking about the number of NFL players who also share Washington’s name, including Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.
The actor laughed as he responded, “This is how you know they named themselves after me, because my name’s not pronounced Denzel. My name’s pronounced Denzel.”
The Malcolm X star added, “I’m Denzel Jr. My father is Denzel Hayes Washington Senior. That’s how my mom kept us apart.”
It is not the first time Washington has explained the story behind his name. He first mentioned it in 2013 during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.
Despite the long-running mispronunciation, Washington remains one of the most respected figures in Hollywood. When asked recently if he considered himself a “Hollywood star,” he brushed it off, saying, “I’m from Mt. Vernon, so I’m a Mt. Vernon actor.”
