Will Smith Candidly Calls Fame a ‘Unique Monster’: ‘I Have Made Tons of Mistakes’

Will Smith talks candidly about fame.

The Oscar winner, 55, was speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, when he opened up about his relationship with fame and his personal missions after the “adversities of the last few years”.

“Fame is a unique monster,” Smith said, according to a clip he shared online Deadline. “I had to be very careful.”

“You can’t get excited when everyone says good things about you, because the more you take when people say good things about you, the more you’ll be hurt when people say bad things about you,” he added. .

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Will Smith attends the premiere of ‘Emancipation’ in Los Angeles. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Will Smith realized he wanted to be in front of the camera while shooting the ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ music video

The Emancipation the actor also said that through previous “adversities” he learned that he had to “be clear about who I am and what I’m trying to do in the world.”

“And I can’t need applause from others to stay focused on my mission. I’ve always wanted to bring good into the world,” Smith added. “I have always wanted to make people smile. I have always been dedicated to the process of joy and inspiration.”

Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty for Red Sea International Film Festival

Still, Smith admitted during the debate that he is “deeply human” with a “virtue” that he “has not yet perfected.”

“I am in the process of perfecting my virtue. I would say the biggest thing that happened is that I was deeply humbled and deeply inspired to perfect my light,” he explained. “And that’s what this next phase of my life is going to be – perfecting and shining my light as brightly as I can, on as many people as possible.”

Will Smith. Neilson Barnard/Getty Will Smith’s three children: All about Jaden, Willow and Trey

Elsewhere during a Q&A at the festival, Smith talked about the ongoing sequel to his 2007 blockbuster. I Am Legendwhich screenwriter Akiva Goldsman teased earlier this year as a film where “the possibilities are endless.”

Smith gave a little more insight into the project, which includes Michael B. Jordan, revealing that he had a “call” with the fellow actor after the March 2022 sequel was first announced. (The pair are reportedly set to co-produce the film.)

“The script just arrived,” Smith said, adding that it might reveal “too much information.”

“In the first one, in the theatrical version, my character died,” Smith said. “And everyone’s like, ‘Wait a minute, how is he going to do part two when his character…’ But on DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived.”

Smith ended up saying that the team behind the next project is “going with the mythology of the DVD version.”

“I can’t tell you any more,” Smith said. “But Michael B. Jordan is here and we’re doing it.”

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Source: HIS Education