Will Smith shared his entertainment world experience during a Red Sea IFF 2023 talk. If it were not for acting, Will would likely become a scientist, as that is how he solves life’s puzzles.
Will Smith is known for being an emotionally accessible actor with whom audiences can connect deeply, so when attending Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival this past December, he took part in an interview with First. At that festival, he discussed his journey within entertainment and those movies that made a positive, impactful difference on him.
Will Smith is known for following his instincts when selecting roles. According to Will, movie characters must be universally recognizably and emotionally meaningful – an essential aspect in connecting people from early concepts, an opportunity to hone acting skills. While it’s easy to forget great actors despite controversies surrounding their careers, Will’s interaction on stage demonstrated it would be best to focus on his art rather than talk about any past scandals or challenges involved with becoming such an incredible craftsman.
Did you realize at any point that you might be acting?
About fifteen years ago, my mom worked on digitizing our entire photo collection and asked if there was anything I noticed about any particular image: no single shot where they weren’t looking directly into the camera’s eye; whenever it would pop up, you always knew to point straight towards it, and you never missed the mark when being photographed! She pointed out this pattern so we would know where every moment in our photos had come from, directly looking towards it when looking into any given frame!
It hit me once I realized this fact: I always loved being on camera! I feed off others’ motivation and enthusiasm as my energy source; the act is an electric source to keep me motivated and move forward in my career goals.
Have you realized that acting is more than a wish; it is the road that awaits?
Rapper’s Delight struck my fancy the first time I heard its song in 1978-79 with their debut album release. Hearing their album made it clear to me what kind of work I wanted to pursue then, even though no money could be earned through rap music then; nevertheless, I knew my desire was there – be it any art form – just performing in public – with this form of entertainment has genuinely captured my passions and interests.
Have you considered exploring another career, such as Lawyer or Scientist?
My strengths lie in mathematics and science, and by early childhood, I became convinced I’d become a scientist. After realizing my mind worked like that of a scientist when measuring connections among things, my interest centered around solving scientific puzzles like they were an endless stream of challenges, eventually leading me to create problems of my own (laughs).
“Life is a mathematical puzzle, and I love finding creative solutions!” In 1986, I released my first record in Philadelphia – small yet professional in appearance!
Let us know your take on Men in Black and your acting career since then!
Attention was lavished upon this project: a collaboration with actor Tommy Lee Jones. Tommy inspired me to develop my acting skills – much more effective than musical performance! My musical career took a significant hit as my acting career flourished – while it became evident that acting was taking precedence over Raspberry for me.
My work has evolved into an exploration of me. This allows me to test various things and discover myself while honing in on who I am as an individual and creating my vision of my future life. Through creating characters who reflect different parts of myself, I learn about who they are while also gathering valuable insight about myself for future service to humanity.
Sometimes, I lack time or energy to explore my creative side, such as between projects. When working 16 days per week, there’s little opportunity for true expression; therefore, I must continue learning – particularly by reading tales that span centuries but ultimately reflect humanity.
What exactly are you looking at while streaming an online movie?
Mental impulses may differ, but when I consider the subject scientifically to determine its meaning in this film, King Richard comes immediately to mind as what you can expect by looking at it. King Richard’s story can be summarized with this quote from King Richard: “Nobody had respect for Richard Williams.” This sentiment stemmed from Richard’s dad believing his world did not show his son any dignity or regard, leading him to ensure they didn’t experience similar treatment in adulthood. Beginning your story with an object that can quickly connect emotionally is vital for creating compelling work, while understanding an idea from its start helps performers grow as performers; later, in my case, the best moments came out later on! At its heart lies suffering; movies teach us to embrace life despite the tragedies surrounding us all.
Discuss The Pursuit of Happiness and how it has altered your life.