Will Smith Reveals Emancipation Costar Spit on Him
Will Smith Recalls an "Emancipation" Costar Spitting on Him While Filming: "I Was Like, Whoa"
Image Source: Everett Collection
Will Smith's role in his new period drama, "Emancipation," has already garnered award season buzz for the 54-year-old actor (despite his Oscars controversy), but, apparently, he's not the only one who gave a passionate performance in the movie. During the latest episode of "Red Table Talk," which dropped on 14 Dec., Smith shared that his costar, Steven Ogg, once "ad-libbed" in one of their scenes together and spit on him during filming.
"One of the first days on set, there is a scene with one of the actors and he leans down in my face and says, 'You a cold one, ain't you?' and then he ad-libbed," Smith recalled to his three kids — Trey, 30, Jaden, 24, and Willow, 22 — simulating a spitting motion and showing his shocked reaction. "Ahhhhhh, I was like, 'Makeup!' he joked. "No, but . . . I was like, whoa, every actor on this set was taking it really, really seriously."
"Emancipation" is a historical film inspired by the true story of an enslaved man named Peter (Smith) who escaped a plantation during the Civil War, later becoming a living rallying point for the abolitionist cause. Of starring in the powerful flick, Smith explained on "Red Table Talk," "I've gotten more and more locked into these characters for longer periods of time. And it's just the weight of this story, the weight of these experiences — the quality of these actors. It was emotionally, it was physically, it was spiritually taxing."
Throughout the rest of the episode, Smith discussed some of his biggest revelations and how he recovered from the trauma of playing such an intense role. See the full "Red Table Talk" episode ahead.
Will Smith and His Kids Take Over The Red TableFor the first time, Will Smith is taking over the Red Table with his three kids to open up about the most grueling and transformative time of his life - making the movie “Emancipation.” In this deeply intimate and revealing Red Table Talk, Will recounts how for the first time in his career he nearly ‘went too far’ and almost ‘lost himself.’ Will shares the biggest revelations of his life, a horrific moment he experienced while filming and a co-star who refused to speak to him. Trey, Jaden and Willow ask their father questions about how he was able to recover from the trauma of playing such an intense character. Plus emotional surprises from director Antoine Fuqua, co-star Ben Foster and Will’s #1 fan in the world: his mom.
Posted by Red Table Talk on Monday, December 12, 2022
