For decades, fans and even Hollywood insiders have been mispronouncing Denzel Washington’s name, and it turns out, his own mother is partly responsible for the mix-up.
The two-time Oscar winner cleared up the confusion during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he explained the real story behind his famous first name.
Denzel Washington explains the true pronunciationMost people pronounce the actor’s name as “DEN-zel.” But according to Washington, that’s not quite right.
“My name is not pronounced Denzel,” the 70-year-old clarified, before saying the correct version on-air. The proper pronunciation is “DEN-zuhl,” with the second syllable clipped shorter.
He went on to explain that the name confusion dates back to his childhood. “My father’s Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. I’m Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. My mother [Lennis Washington] would say ‘Denzel,’ and we’d both show up,” he said.
To solve the problem, his mother decided on a simple distinction. “So she said, ‘From now on, you’re Denzel,’” Washington recalled, referring to the pronunciation the public has used ever since.
How his name inspired NFL playersThe conversation came up as Kimmel pointed out the number of NFL players who share Washington’s first name today.
“There are four players named Denzel in the NFL,” Kimmel said, noting that the spike happened after Washington won his first Academy Award in 1990. “There [were] zero in 1987.”
Washington laughed, agreeing: “I know. There are a lot of Denzels now.”
This isn’t the first time Washington has addressed the mispronunciation. Back in 2013, he discussed the name confusion during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.
At the time, he jokingly repeated his name both ways to tease Norton before finally confirming the correct version.
Still, despite setting the record straight more than once, the actor doesn’t seem too bothered by how people say it.
Washington isn’t the only Hollywood star dealing with a lifetime of name mix-ups. Just last month, actress Kirsten Dunst revealed that nearly everyone says her name wrong too.
The Spider-Man star explained in an interview with Town & Country magazine that her name should actually be pronounced “Keer-sten,” not “Kur-sten.”
“I don’t care,” Dunst, 43, admitted, laughing. “You just give up. I’ll answer to anything.”
Even if the world continues to call him “DEN-zel” instead of “DEN-zuhl,” the acclaimed actor remains one of the most respected names in Hollywood.
And as Kimmel joked during their exchange, Washington’s legacy has clearly lived on, not just in his films, but also in the growing number of children named after him.