Denzel Washington, known for his roles in Training Day and Malcolm X, has a message for the world: you’ve been mispronouncing his name your whole life.

The 70-year-old actor revealed the surprising detail during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, as the host brought up that there are now four NFL players named Denzel, a name that was virtually unheard of before Washington shot to fame.

But beyond the fun detail, the actor took issue with the way the host said the name.

“This is how you know they named themselves after me,” he quipped. “My name is not pronounced that way.”

Denzel Washington revealed the correct way to pronounce his name, and the curious reason behind the change

Washington explained, at around minute 8 on the episode’s clip, that the mispronunciation didn’t

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