Actor and producer Will Smith shared a painful yet memorable experience from the set of the 2001 biopic “Ali” on June 5, during an appearance on First We Feast’s “Hot Ones.”
The YouTube talk show features celebrities eating 10 chicken wings, each prepared with a progressively hotter sauce, while answering questions from host Sean Evans. Mr. Smith, who starred as the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, recounted receiving the hardest hit of his acting career from Michael Bentt, who portrayed Ali’s rival Sonny Liston in the film.
He described the moment that Mr. Bentt got in a hit while the actors were training to perfect their boxing stance.
“My trainer was trying to get me to get the angle of my spine forward. And in this second, I just was like, ‘You know what? Commit.’ And I committed and leaned forward,” Mr. Smith said.
“Almost as an instinctual reaction, Michael Bentt threw a right hand. And I saw it coming at the last second and I put my head down. And he caught me with a right hand right on top of my head.”
The impact of the punch sent a jolt of pain down Mr. Smith’s arms.
“Didn’t knock my head back, it compressed my neck down onto my spine. I felt an electrical shock go down the back of both arms to my elbows,” he said.
Mr. Smith also praised director Michael Mann for his dedication to authenticity on set. “When we were shooting Ali, Michael Mann wouldn’t allow music to be played on the set that was made after whatever date we were shooting,” he recalled. “That’s how wild he is about capturing the authenticity of a moment.”
In a lighter moment, Mr. Smith diverged to express his enjoyment of working on blockbuster films like “Bad Boys” and “Aladdin.” When asked about his favorite projects, he said, “If I had to put four of them in a time capsule, it would be ‘Pursuit of Happyness,’ the first ‘Men in Black,’ it would be ‘I Am Legend,’ and probably ‘King Richard.’”
Mr. Smith won the Academy Award for best actor in a leading role in 2022 for his portrayal of Richard Williams in “King Richard.”
Among his favorite films, “Men in Black” and “I Am Legend” stand out, having grossed $589 million and $585 million globally, respectively.
Mr. Smith, a dominant box office presence over the past three decades, also achieved significant success in music. The 55-year-old boasts two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits from the late ’90s: “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Wild Wild West,” the latter featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee.
The veteran actor said making a blockbuster movie today is much tougher than it used to be. Sharing his insights on what makes a hit movie in 2024, and why achieving this success has become more difficult, he remarked: “The definition of a ‘hit’ is still pretty much the same. Essentially, it’s just harder to get one. You used to be able to put some explosions in the trailer and a couple good jokes, and people were there. Television is so good, there are things people aren’t going to leave their house for anymore.”
He further elaborated on how audience expectations have shifted. “There’s definitely a higher demand for a certain type of film for people to leave their homes,” he said.
Mr. Smith’s appearance on “Hot Ones” didn’t lack the show’s trademark chaos. By the end, the “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” actor was in tears from the spicy wings.
“It’s increasing the sting on my eyelids,” Mr. Smith commented, tears streaming down his face. “It’s making my eyes water in a unique way. Wow. That one had a reaction with my tear ducts.”
From The Epoch Times