Ridley Scott brings brother Tony 'with him' in every film, Denzel Washington says

Watch: Denzel Washington pays tribute to Tony Scott

Denzel Washington has worked with some great directors over the years including the late Tony Scott, and in Gladiator II he reunites with his brother Ridley Scott who, he tells Yahoo UK, brings his brother "with him" on every set.

Tony Scott had a prolific career in Hollywood prior to his death by suicide in 2012, making films like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II and Man on Fire. The director and Washington collaborated on five projects together: The Taking of Pelham 123, Unstoppable, Déjà Vu, Crimson Tide, and the aforementioned Man On Fire.

Reflecting on working with the filmmaker, and his experience making Gladiator II with Ridley Scott this year, Washington says: "[They're] brilliant, [they're] two sides of the same coin. Tony, we did five movies together, he'll always have a special place in my heart as a human being and as a [filmmaker].

"I just get sad when I think about him and the energy that he had, the trust that he had in me, you know? And that's reflected in his brother's [work]. I think Ridley brings Tony with him."

Ridley Scott has often spoken about his brother in public since his death, ending an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November by saying he "miss[es] [his] brother" when asked if he had anything else left to add, for example. He dedicated his 2013 film The Counselor to Tony, and in 2016 paid tribute to his sibling at the Golden Globes when accepting an award for The Martian.

The director has also ramped up his film output significantly in the years since his brother's death, making filming one after another in quick succession — with Gladiator II being the latest.

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Gladiator II is the hotly-anticipated follow up to Scott's 2000 masterpiece, with Washington taking on the role of Macrinus, the slave owner turned politician who helps Lucius (Paul Mescal) enter the arena as a gladiator and thrive.

Washington previously worked with Ridley Scott in his 2007 film American Gangster, which he starred in opposite Gladiator actor Russell Crowe. It may have been almost two decades since they last worked together, but the actor admits not much has changed in terms of their working relationship.

"He has a bazillion cameras and he knows what's going on in every one of them. While we're working, I'm not there to pick his brain, I'm doing my job," Washington says. "There weren't a lot of long days, so there wasn't a lot of sitting around. He gets on with it. So I think about things like that, I'm like, 'OK, when I get back behind the camera let's get on with it'."

Reflecting on the filmmaker and the types of movies that he makes, Washington adds: "They don't make them like this, these kinds of big films, anymore."

Gladiator II premieres on Friday, 15 November in UK cinemas.

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