Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer, in Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott and which will be in theaters this Wednesday, November 13. This feature film, shot between Morocco, Malta and the United Kingdom, is the largest cinematographic project in which the 69-year-old American actor has participated during his rich career. “I’ve never been in a movie that cost hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.
The production of this blockbuster cost no less than 250 million euros, a “big budget”, estimates Denzel Washington, who praised the ingenuity of the Australian director and his team who designed impressive sets. “It was incredible. The team reconstructed Rome […]and not just on a green background. It helps a lot for an actor. You do your job, you put on your costume, and you come into this setting and all you see is Rome.”
Read: The release date of Gladiator 2 filming in Morocco known
In Gladiator II, the American actor plays the role of Macrinus, a “completely crazy” villain, who “wants to kill everyone, sleep with everyone, and above all dominate”. Washington says he had no hesitation in accepting the role. “He (Ridley Scott) called me, he said, ‘Denzel, I want to do Gladiator II and I want you to do it, read the script.’ I told him: ‘Stop right there, when do I start, I’m ready, see you on set!’ “, he said.
Macrinus is a character that the director wanted to highlight. “They brought me a whole bunch of rings, and I started putting them all on,” Washington said, asserting that “everything about this character is excessive.” The interpretation of this role was not easy, admits the American actor who confided that he had to “learn to walk in a dress” and that he “happened to catch my feet in it and stumble. »
