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Denzel Washington Reveals You’ve Been Saying His Name Wrong Throughout His Career

Denzel Washington explained his name's unique pronunciation stems from his mother differentiating him from his father, influencing the rise of the name among NFL players.

  • During the September 2 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Denzel Washington revealed his name is pronounced Den-zil, not Den-zelle, correcting a long-standing misconception.
  • Because he was named after his father, Denzel Hayes Washington Sr., his mother, Lennis Washington, altered the pronunciation to distinguish him from him.
  • The late-night host highlighted that in 1987, no NFL players were named Denzel, but now four carry the name, a shift linked to Denzel Washington's fame.
  • Washington shrugged that he believes many of the Denzels were named after him and joked, "There ought to be some compensation," while Kimmel suggested a cut of each jersey sale.
  • As a two-time Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington's screen career spans over five decades, and he is promoting recent projects like Highest 2 Lowest with Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky.
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There is a right and wrong way to say “Denzel”: the actor himself explains

·Paço de Arcos, Portugal
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Black America Web broke the news in Silver Spring, United States on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
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