Meeting members of the British royal family for the first time can be nerve-wracking. You’re never sure if you should bow, shake their hands, or do both. While some are told beforehand what to do, it seems Denzel Washington didn’t get the memo because he fumbled in front of King Charles III during Wednesday’s London premiere of Gladiator II at Leicester Square.
As is customary for royal premieres, the film’s cast lines up on the red carpet to meet the monarch before they head inside the Odeon Luxe cinema. The 69-year-old actor, along with co-stars Paul Mescal, 28, and Pedro Pascal, 49, and film director Ridley Scott, 86, all had the chance to meet Charles.
The 75-year-old briefly chatted with Scott and headed down the line to greet Mescal, who shared that he plays Lucius in the movie. Then Washington came next, who appeared nervous and coyly admitted to Charles that he didn’t how to greet him. He said: “I didn’t know if I was supposed to grab your hand or not.” The King appeared to initiate the handshake much to his relief.
Charles then asked the Equalizer star about his role in Gladiator II and whether he was playing “someone terrible.” Washington, who plays the villain Macrinus, nearly gave his character away when he said, “I’m just an awful” then stopped himself and sarcastically replied: “I’m a lovely man you’ll see. I’m a lovely chap…doing my best.” The King then praised the actor for his successful career saying: “You’ve been in so many films, it’s fantastic” to which he responded with a grin: “Thank you, thank you.”
One netizen over at X wrote that Washington’s encounter with royalty “serves as a reminder of the unique challenges and humorous situations that can arise when different cultural norms intersect at high-profile events.”
Despite the royal fumble, Washington looked happy to have met Britain’s sovereign. Another video from the red carpet taken from a different angle showed him looking very eager to meet Charles. You can also see how he hesitated at first to offer his hand. One fan pointed out: “I love how Denzel can’t actually wait to meet him.”
Another claimed that he had replied, ” I make my own rules” when told that he had to proceed to the theater because Charles was there. Not sure if this is true but the photos below showed his eagerness to talk with the fans gathered outside.
Meanwhile, other stars in the film who were at the London premiere include Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), and Fred Hechinger (Kraven the Hunter). Pascal was accompanied at the glitzy event by his sister Lux. Other celebrities spotted at the red carpet include Kelly Brook, Nadiya Bychkova, Una Healy, and Myleene Klass.
But unlike Washington, lead star Mescal admitted that he wasn’t nervous at all to have met Charles and is more excited for him to see the film. He told Sky News: “I’m actually not as nervous as I thought I was gonna be. I think we’ve seen how the audience has responded to the film, royal or not, and I think we’re just excited for people to see it.”
We’ll have to wait to hear what Charles thinks about the movie. Washington said Gladiator II is the “biggest film” he’s been on and early reviewers already have high hopes that he bags an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.