EXCLUSIVE! Will Smith: 'I grew as an actor from Pursuit of Happyness' | Not a ‘slapgate’ scandal

Will Smith, the deeply human actor who knows how to connect with people was in Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea International Film Festival. In a chat with Firstpost, Will Smith spoke about his journey in the entertainment industry and some movies that changed his life.Smith believes in following his instincts when choosing a role. He thinks that his characters in movies should be something that is universally relatable and something that is emotionally relevant. You have to relate to something from the seed of the idea. That is when you grow as an actor. We easily forget the good of an actor and remember the scandals, but interacting with Will Smith made me understand that it is time we forget his notorious 'slapgate' scandal and talk about his craft and the making of this brilliant craftsman.Edited excerpts from the interview:When did you realise in life that you are going to become an actor?About fifteen years ago my mother was digitizing all the images and he asked me…Do you notice anything? Then she told me, “See there is not a single picture where you are not looking directly at the camera. You always knew where the camera was and when the camera came up you looked straight at the camera.”So, I realised that I always enjoyed being in front of the camera. And I live off the energy and inspiration that people give me. Acting is what I loved my entire life and it is a kind of an energy bulb in me which keeps me going.When did you actually realise that acting is much more than a desire for you and this is what you are going to pursue?From the time I heard Rapper’s Delight. It was in 1978-79, the first record came out. When I heard the rap record, I just knew that this is what I wanted to do. That was a time nobody could even make a living as a rapper. But I knew I wanted to do whatever that art form was and be in front of people and rap music was the first real entertainment that captured my desire.Did you ever think of picking up any other profession like a lawyer or a scientist?I was always good in Math and Science and for some time in my early growing up years and I was absolutely certain that I am going to be a scientist. I knew the way my mind works is a kind of the mind of a physicist in terms of measuring and how things come together. I loved figuring things out scientifically. I loved puzzles. I loved problems. So, I started making my own problems (laughs).Life is a math problem you see! I love the process of figuring out how to make something work. When I heard Rappers Delight, I think that’s when it really shifted for me as to what I want to become in life. It really shifted my thoughts during that time. In 1986, I released my small record. It was a small record in Philadelphia.Tell us about Men in Black and your journey as an actor from there on.There was a lot of buzz around this single project. Working with actor Tommy Lee Jones. He inspired me to elevate my craft as an actor. My music career kind of got smashed when my acting career took off. I realised I was quickly becoming just an actor. But I knew that I could be a better actor than a rapper.My career has become an exploration of myself where you get to try things and you get to experiment too. It’s a beautiful way of getting to know who I am and being able to craft what I actually want. The characters teach me about myself and the characters teach me about life. They help me continue my contribution to humanity.There are times when I feel that there is not much time to hone the creativity. The period between the projects became more creative for me. When you are working sixteen hours a day there is hardly any time for creativity. It is very important for me to continuously learn. I have studied the stories that last for thousands of years and the core of such stories is human sufferings.What do you look at when you are doing a movie?Instincts are one thing and then I look at it scientifically as to what is the point of this movie. Something like King Richard if you take. The central line in the development of King Richard when he says, “Nobody had respect for Richard Williams.” That is the father who believed that the world never gave him any respect, but he is making sure that the world doesn’t treat his children like that. You have to start from something that is universally relatable and something that is emotionally relevant. You have to relate to something from the seed of the idea. That is when you grow as an actor. For me the cool things come much later. The centre of everything is suffering. Movies teach us how not to just survive, but to thrive in the midst of this existential tragedy that we all have been dropped into.Talk about Pursuit of Happyness and how it changed your lifeIn Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner was there with me and he walked me through the streets that he had slept with his son. So, I walked with him through the streets and he took me through the bathroom that he had to spend the night with his son and he said I want you to just have some time in the bathroom by yourself. And I stood in that bathroom and it was a dirty subway bathroom. I just burst into tears standing there.I shot a scene with my son with him lying on my lap. It was a really tough film and I grew as an actor from Pursuit of Happyness.