Since that oh-so-dramatic night at the Oscars earlier this year, we have not seen much of Will Smith. Aside from the apology posts he made. If you were living under a rock, we are referencing when Will walked up on stage and slapped Chris Rock in front of the audience, on-screen and off. His fans are still unhappy with his behavior and have chosen not to watch his new movie. So, Will Smith sent them a message of understanding.
Will Smith addresses his fans
After the night of the Oscars, yes, the night where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on live television, Will Smith faced a lot of scrutiny from his fans, family, as well as the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. He was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years for displaying behavior not condoned by the industry.
Since then, he has made a few apologies and has kept to himself to allow the dust to settle. However since then, he has completed production as one of the lead actors in the film, “Emancipation.” In an interview posted to YouTube, Will Smith candidly addressed his fans who still feel sore after the Rock slap. In the video, Will said he is aware many might not be ready to watch one of his films, and he plans on giving them space.
When asked how his fans might react to his new movie, he said: “I completely understand that if someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready. My deepest concern is my team, you know? Antoine [Fuqua] [the director] has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career… The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers.”
Will they see the potential?
Will Smith went on to say that regardless of his bad behavior in the past, he wished for everyone to look past that. He spoke about the talent and effort put towards this production and how everyone involved deserves recognition.
“My deepest concern is my team,” he said. “The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers. And my deepest hope is that my actions don’t penalize my team. So at this point, that’s what I’m working for. That’s what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping that the material, the power of the film, the timeliness of the story — I’m hoping that the good that can be done would open people’s hearts, at a minimum, to see and recognize and support the incredible artists in and around this film.”
Words from the director
The director of “Emancipation” is Antoine Fuqua, with Will Smith playing the lead role. Antoine hopes that people will look past the past and appreciate the great performance by Will and everyone else involved in the making of the film. “The film to me is bigger than that moment. Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment. My hope is that people will see it that way and watch the movie and be swept away with the great performance by Will and all the real hard work that the whole crew did.”
Will Smith’s new movie is about slavery, which he says might bring light to why he slapped Chris Rock in the first place. The story is aggressive, brutal, and tragic, all in one. Antoine thinks that affected Will Smith deeper than we may have realized.
“It’s really hard to release a character who’s been brutalized and called the N-word every day — constantly, every day — and still be the nicest person in the world. That, I know. So, no excuses for anyone or anything, but I can say that he’s a good man and I hope that people can forgive him and that we can move forward. I hope Chris and Will find a way to sit together publicly, privately, whatever, and make amends. I think it would be an incredible statement.”
Keep Reading: Chris Rock rejects Jada Pinkett Smith’s plea to reconcile with Will Smith
Sources:
- “Will Smith addresses fans hesitant to see his new film after the Oscars slap.” NBC News. Randi Richardson. November 28, 2022.
- “Will Smith Acknowledges Fans Might ‘Not Be Ready’ for His Comeback After Chris Rock Oscars Slap: I ‘Allow Them Their Space’.” US Magazine. Michelle McGahan. November 28, 2022.
