Roland Emmerich's 1996 movie Independence Day is a truly iconic movie and is arguably one of the best sci-fi movies from the '90s. That film (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) is regularly re-watched to this day, particularly during the Fourth of July season. I recently did just that over the Holiday Weekend, and was shocked when my Gen Z sister-in-law was not only not a fan... but actively made fun of the movie throughout our watch.

Independence Day just turned 30, and remains a vital part of the pop culture landscape despite how many years have passed. So when it rained one morning during the Fourth of July weekend at a friend's lake house, I made the suggestion that we put on the beloved blockbuster. And while the millennials and Gen X-ers in the room loved re-watching that acclaimed movie, my Zoomer sister-in-law did not have the same reaction.

I Was Shocked My Sister-In-Law Made Fun Of Independence Day

While I unironically decided to re-watch Independence Day, my sister-in-law started poking fun at it pretty immediately. She picked apart some of the movie's logic, such as the way Vivica A. Fox's Jasmine was able to save herself (and her son and dog) by hiding in a tunnel inspection alcove as Los Angeles was destroyed. She also laughed at how many cars were shown flying through the air as a result of the UFO's destructive beams.

I got defensive when she started making fun of Bill Pullman's performance as President Thomas J. Whitmore. He's typically a fan favorite character, with Whitmore's titular speech being one of the most iconic moments in the entire movie. But she thought he kept mogging throughout his scenes, whether or not he was actually the focus. It's not the actor's fault that he was so handsome during the movie! I mean, I could say the same for Jeff Goldblum, who looks truly incredible as David Levinson.

While I could understand some of my sister-in-law's points, I also found myself defending Emmerich's movie throughout the re-watch on Hulu. The title was universally acclaimed upon its release, and I maintain that it holds up well all these years later. What's more, BTS information about Independence Day is still trickling out to this day.

Now if she wanted to poke holes in the sequel Resurgence, that would have been a different story entirely. The long-awaited Independence Day sequel's reviews were poor upon its release, mostly because it failed to reach the same level as its predecessor. Although clearly the 1996 original isn't for everyone. Regardless, I can't stop, won't stop defending its quality.

Both Independence Day and Resurgence are streaming now on Hulu. We'll just have to wait and see if more Zoomers feel similarly when it's annually rewatched next year.

The Michael Jackson biopic recreates several iconic moments from the late pop star’s run in the ’70s and ’80s, so fans are already experiencing déjà vu as they watch it unfold on the 2026 movie calendar. That feeling wasn’t just coming from what’s on screen, but also what happened behind the scenes. Director Antoine Fuqua found himself dealing with a different kind of whiplash, the kind that had nothing to do with choreography or recreating "Thriller". As he explains, directing Michael came at a very unfortunate time, as it was practically a repeat of what he faced after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock ahead of his last film, Emancipation.

In a recent interview with Deadline, Fuqua opened up about one of the toughest moments during production on Michael and how it mirrors what he went through while finishing his previous film, Emancipation, starring Smith. As he tells it, when he found out there would be legal ramifications if they got into the 1993 allegations against Jackson, it was the "exact same situation" he'd been in before.

The fallout from the 2022 Academy Awards slap incident dominated headlines for weeks, inevitably overshadowing Emancipation, available to stream with an Apple TV subscription. The historical drama arrived under a cloud it didn’t create, and the conversation around it shifted almost overnight. So to find himself in a nearly identical moment while finishing Michael? Yeah, you can see why he calls it a gut punch.

This time around, the issue wasn’t a viral moment on live television, but a major behind-the-scenes complication. The film had to undergo significant reshoots after it was discovered that certain real-life allegations tied to Michael Jackson couldn’t legally be depicted, forcing the production to rethink where it wrapped in the timeline and shell out for extensive reshoots. The movie ultimately ended with a "story continues" card, leaving the door open for more to be told, maybe, one day.

That kind of last-minute pivot would throw any production off balance, and for a while, it did. Fuqua continued:

Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, Fuqua and his team refocused the film around the core of the story: Michael Jackson himself. The performer and the person. It’s a shift that, in hindsight, sounds obvious, but in the middle of a production scramble, it’s not always that easy. Especially when you’re dealing with a figure as complex and polarizing as Jackson.

The film ultimately moved forward with that approach, leaning into the earlier parts of his life and career while setting up the more controversial chapters for potential future installments. Despite the turbulence, it paid off. Michael went on to post a massive opening weekend, proving there’s still a huge audience for the King of Pop’s story.

Twice now, Fuqua has found himself at the exact same stage of the filmmaking process, handing in a director’s cut, only to have something completely outside of what he made threaten to reshape how the project is received. Most directors deal with production headaches, but not all of them have to deal with déjà vu like that.

Michael is currently in theaters as part of the April 2026 release schedule.

Shia LaBeouf has been in the public eye for some time now, as he started his career as a child actor before transitioning into more serious roles as an adult. As a result of that, there’s a whole generation of viewers who’ve watched LaBeouf grow up in front of the camera. Of course, the former Disney Channel star is far from the only performer who’s in that position, and he’s certainly aware of it. LaBeouf actually mentioned Will Smith, during a recent interview, while explaining how people feel a closeness to both of them in some sense.

Even Stevens essentially served as the vehicle that kicked off LaBeouf’s career in earnest and, even today, the classic sitcom (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription) remains well loved. LaBeouf referenced the series – which ran for three seasons from 2000 to 2003 – during his viral interview on Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan. Aside from discussing his recent legal matter, the Constantine alum reflected on his professional beginnings and painted a picture of how he sees his relationship with his fans:

Like so many members of the general public, LaBeouf himself was also seemingly enamored with some major stars. He illustrated his point during the interview (which was posted to YouTube) by mentioning his own admiration for Will Smith, who he worked with on the 2004 film I, Robot:

While Smith wasn’t literally a kid when he started acting, he was young when he began headlining NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990. The Philadelphia native gained considerable notoriety due to his run on that beloved show (which Hulu subscription holders can stream). From there, like LaBeouf, the rapper-turned-actor made the jump to film and, today, Smith has a large filmography. Speaking more to his own situation, LaBeouf also told Callaghan:

Of course, that level of visibility also means fans will see a star’s lows as well as their highs. Shia LaBeouf has made headlines over the years for different legal issues and was most recently arrested in New Orleans and charged with counts of simple battery. The Transformers alum is also at the center of a new lawsuit involving his ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs. Although Smith hasn’t experienced those kinds of legal situations, he notably received blowback in 2022 after he slapped Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards. That led to Smith being banned from Academy events for 10 years.

Yet, at this point, both of the aforementioned actors have already permeated pop culture in such a way that the familiarity Shia LaBeouf laid out remains strong. So, as LaBeouf seems to convey, as time goes on, fans may still feel a connection to him due to his various roles. And, simultaneously, LaBeouf himself is still holding onto that same level of affection for Will Smith.

Those who watched the winners get handed out at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 will not soon forget the sight of Will Smith storming the stage and slapping presenter Chris Rock. It was a shocking and upsetting turn of events that resulted in widespread industry chatter and consequences: Smith was forced to resign his membership to the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, and he was banned from attending the Oscars or any other Academy event for a decade. In the aftermath, Wanda Sykes (one of the three co-hosts that night) was one of the most outspoken critics of the moment, and in recent reflection on what happened, she explained that it wasn't just the slap that upset her but also the immediate reaction to it at the ceremony.

Sykes recently appeared as a guest on an episode of The Breakfast Club, and the subject of Chris Rock came up in conversation with co-host Charlamagne Tha God because of the significant role that he had in her career: one of her first big breaks in the industry was writing for The Chris Rock Show in the late 1990s.

The two comedians remain close. So, when asked about her reaction to the notorious Oscar slap, she explained that she was "sickened" to see to first see the assault and then watch everyone pretend that things were normal. Said Sykes,

As noted by Sykes, Will Smith ultimately went back to his seat after slapping Chris Rock, and the incident was very shortly followed by Smith winning the Academy Award for Best Actor. There was no real interruption to the proceedings, and it wasn't until after the show that consequences were handed down.

In the aftermath, Wanda Sykes did get a call from Will Smith, but she was sick at the time and he left a message. She responded with a text thanking him for reaching out.

Sykes has since said that she would never host the Academy Awards again, but she is doing just fine otherwise: in addition to regular acting work in film and television (both live-action and animation), she is a hugely popular standup, some of her recent work including the 2023 Netflix special Wanda Sykes: I'm an Entertainer.

At this point, Katt Williams is well known for dishing out alleged information about celebrities. The comedian most notably made headlines in early 2024 for sharing claims regarding a plethora of notable stars during an interview on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay. That conversation (which has even been parodied by SNL) came up again during another recent interview Williams had. It was also during that chat that Williams implied he had some dirt on Hollywood mega stars Will Smith and Eddie Murphy.

Williams’ tendency to discuss other celebrities came up during his chat with BigBoyTV. When asked if he assumed ahead of time that his interview with Sharpe would become a viral hit amassing more than 90 million views, the First Sunday alum admitted to being confident in that being the case. Williams said he aimed to “make the most out of the opportunity.” The comic’s plan was to “do the maximum amount of damage possible.”

Despite that, Williams also added that “the knockout punches were taken out just leaving the jabs so that whoever I talked about I didn’t completely blow their spot up”. Comments Williams shared later in this latest conversation (which is on YouTube), though, suggest he had more he could’ve said about at least two more A-listers. When summing up the notion of having inside knowledge on stars, Williams explained:

Of course, because Katt Williams didn’t get into specifics, it’s far from clear what he might be referring to when it comes to Murphy and Smith. Both of the two aforementioned stars have found themselves at the center of the rumor mill for one reason or another over the years. Certain pieces of speculation swirled around Smith’s marriage to wife Jada Pinkett Smith (who he’s now separated from). More recently, insiders claimed Murphy kept notable elements of his life out of his eponymous documentary, Eddie, which is now streamable with a Netflix subscription.

While Murphy and Smith didn’t become major topics of discussion during that Club Shay Shay interview, a plethora of other stars did. Katt Williams referred to Kevin Hart as an “industry plant,” while he accused Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey of plagiarizing the work of their peers. Although Williams said he was “not scared” to speak out, he also acknowledged that some people felt hurt. He specifically recalled a conversation he had with Dave Chappelle involving illiteracy claims he made about fellow comedian Earthquake:

Williams discussed a myriad of topics during this interview, even recalling what it was like seeing people leave the notorious Diddy parties during the early aughts. It doesn’t feel like Williams is going to stop dropping claims as time goes on and, with that, it’s hard not to wonder whether he’ll end up saying anything specific about Smith, Murphy or others down the line.

Famed rapper/actor Will Smith has now taken his talents to the travel documentary world with his new 2026 TV series, Pole to Pole with Will Smith (which you can watch with a Disney+ subscription), which sees the Oscar winner take on some wild and adventurous challenges. While the time he spent working on the intense series is admirable, he funnily admitted that he thinks fellow Oscar winner Denzel Washington is to “blame” for him taking on the dangerous show.

Why Does Will Smith “Blame” Denzel Washington For Him Doing Dangerous Challenges On Pole To Pole?

Even though Will Smith is known for action-heavy blockbusters like the Bad Boys franchise, Independence Day, the Men in Black movies, and Suicide Squad, he’s never seemed like much of a real life daredevil (which Bad Boys for Life proved to him). So, why would the actor decide to star in a show like Pole to Pole, which sees him literally do things like scuba diving underneath the ice in the Arctic (which led to a horrifying but hilarious near-death experience) and enduring other dangerous trials? As he recently said when appearing on The Tonight Show, he thinks it’s Denzel Washington’s fault. He explained:

Look, I love the idea of being in my “Fuck It 50s” (per Washington’s instructions) as I’m sure many people in mid-life would, but that doesn’t automatically mean that we’re all going to go out and milk tarantulas or climb ice mountains in blizzards, which are both things that the Hitch star did for his new show. But, Smith continued:

Smith (who’s also given his own keen advice to up-and-comers in the past like Tyrese Gibson) also noted in the interview that he had noticed that some things about his life weren’t working, as Washington said. He’d worked hard enough and been lucky enough to have financial and material concerns taken care of, and came to the realization that feeling fulfilled in the next chapter of his life would only come if he worked through his “deepest fears.” Apparently, these physical tests he underwent for Pole to Pole are part of what’s helping him achieve that.

And, you know what? I love that for Will. But, I totally plan to keep my Fuck It 50s on dry, flat, tarantula-free land as much as possible for the foreseeable future.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s marriage has been a major topic of discussion in recent years. The celebrity couple made headlines back in 2020 when Jada (now 54) confirmed that she engaged in an affair or “an entanglement” with rapper August Alsina. By 2023, the Smiths also confirmed that they’d been separated for years. More recently, the couple haven’t been seen together in public, though they recently stepped out in honor of their son, Jaden. With that, an insider dropped claims about how the occasion went.

Earlier this month, Jaden Smith (27) celebrated a major professional milestone as the actor, singer and designer made his debut as the first men’s creative director for Christian Louboutin. That happened during Paris Fashion Week, and plenty of people were seemingly in attendance. Among those present were Jaden’s parents, as Will (57) and Jada were photographed during the festivities. Sometime later, a source spoke with People about the vibe the pair gave off:

The last time the Smiths were seen out in public together was back in September 2025. It was at that time that the couple was spotted in Malibu, where they were grabbing something to eat at Nobu. (Interestingly enough, Nobu was also the same place Will and Jada were spotted for the first time in months after the former’s Oscar debacle in March 2022.) Based on the claims above, the couple’s latest joint outing was filled with positive energy, as they basked in the glow of their son’s success.

In recent years, the Smith kids have been carving out lanes for themselves within the entertainment landscapes. Jaden has acted more sparsely as of late, but he’s continued to put a lot of focus on his business endeavors. Meanwhile, his sister, Willow (25) is still making music, and she released her sixth studio album, Empathogen, in 2024. As the young adults continue to find their way and reckon with the notion of being considered “nepo babies,” questions continue to swirl around the state of their parents’ relationship.

Jada Pinkett and Will Smith tied the knot in the former’s hometown of Baltimore, Maryland in December 1997. Throughout the years, the two have been open about their relationship, with Pinkett Smith being particularly candid on her since-concluded show, Red Table Talk. It was during an episode of that show that the Matrix alum addressed her “entanglement.” It was also Jada who revealed in 2023 that she and Will had been separated since 2016.

Since that confirmation was shared, insiders have dropped claims about what the dynamics are amongst the Smiths. In late 2023, Jada Pinkett herself declared that she and her husband were “staying together forever” despite their separation. An insider shared alleged details about the Smiths’ marriage in 2025, saying that they were “living their own lives” but hadn’t “completely severed ties.”

That last point still seems to ring true, as the pair Jada and Will Smith have still supported each other on different occasions. Amid the separation, Jada also supported the I Am Legend star after the Oscar slap, for which she also received blame. So, given how the two stars have apparently maintained a positive relationship, it tracks that they would reportedly have no problem getting together to celebrate Jaden at his fashion show.

Will Smith has accomplished a lot in his life. From starring in his hit eponymous TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to making big screen blockbusters, and giving fans hit music, he’s been a part of pop culture for nearly 40 years. In fact, he’s now starring in a new documentary series that recently hit the 2026 TV schedule, Pole to Pole with Will Smith, which sees him literally have adventures from the North to South Pole. One of those outings led to him nearly dying while scuba diving in the Arctic, and his story about the wild experience has made me laugh almost as much as it’s absolutely terrified me.

What Happened When Will Smith Almost Died While Scuba Diving In The Arctic?

Sometimes, the combination of hard work and a lot of luck will lead to people’s wildest dreams coming true, and for Will Smith that’s meant everything from winning the first Grammy for Best Rap Performance (with DJ Jazzy Jeff for “Parents Just Don’t Understand”), leading some of the best ‘90s movies like Men in Black, and giving fans amazing performances in films such as Independence Day, Bad Boys, Ali, I Am Legend, and King Richard, which won him an Oscar.

As the star noted recently when speaking about Pole to Pole (which you can watch with a Disney+ subscription) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he’d gotten to the point in life where he’d made his money and “achieved his dreams” and needed something else, which he “knew” would be found by going through some of his “deepest fears.” This led to Smith taking on the challenge of the new series, but part of his time at the North Pole led to a truly terrifying incident while scuba diving. As he said:

Already he’s in territory where I would be deep into several things I really DO NOT LIKE. Being in the ocean, being under a large chunk of ice, having a breathing apparatus that covers most of my face, wearing a full-body wetsuit, doing all of that while suddenly being in a life-threatening situation…I could go on, but instead I’ll let the “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It” rapper hilariously explain what happened when this nightmare went from bad to much worse:

Preach! Look, I think it’s probable that everyone who’s stepped out so far from their comfort zone and accidentally found danger has had prayers like this, Smith’s just happened to focus on only doing “Black stuff” going forward if he got out of this scary situation. For you, this might mean sticking with “teacher stuff” or “Midwestern behavior,” but the meaning is still the same. It’s a stress-induced promise to stick with what you know, so that you, hopefully, never go through something like the bad spot you find yourself in, again.

I’ve said several of these prayers myself, and will likely laugh now every time I find myself in dubious circumstances and start making deals with God to stick with “Black stuff” next time I get an adventurous urge. Luckily, things turned out alright:

I don’t even know what to say, really, except that it might be good news for Smith that no one can tell if you’ve peed on yourself once you’ve been in the ocean.

Will Smith has spent much of his career reinventing himself, particularly in the years following the Oscar slap controversy and the ongoing public scrutiny surrounding his personal life. But according to Tyrese Gibson, one of the most impactful lessons he ever received from the Academy Award-winning actor had nothing to do with acting or Hollywood strategy. Instead, it was deeply personal.

During his recent appearance on the NXT Chapter Podcast, the Transformers star reflected on advice he once received from Will Smith that fundamentally changed how he viewed both his life and his career. Gibson explained that the Fresh Prince performer framed success and stagnation as direct reflections of the people you keep closest to you. As the R&B singer-turned-actor recalled, Smith put it this way:

That's pretty solid advice, and as NXT Chapter host T.D. Jakes pointed out, it's probably worth “writing down.” It’s advice that’s clearly stuck with Gibson, as he didn’t present it as a throwaway motivational quote, but as a hard truth that forced him to take inventory of his surroundings.

For Smith, this philosophy aligns with how he’s navigated decades in Hollywood. He went from a hip-hop artist to a sitcom star, and finally to an award-winning dramatic actor. He’s famously been intentional about mentorship, collaboration and protecting his mindset.

The Independence Day star's advice hits a little differently when you look at where Gibson is in his personal life. Just a couple of months ago, he was back in the headlines after police in Atlanta issued an arrest warrant tied to the death of a neighbor’s dog, with the incident involving Gibson’s four cane corsos. The action-movie regular has said he wasn’t home when it happened and has denied any wrongdoing, but the situation still put him under an unwanted spotlight yet again.

Over the years, Tyrese Gibson has been open about his emotional outbursts, legal issues, and personal life, which have often played out in public. That includes past child support disputes that led to an arrest in 2024. More recently, Gibson has also spoken about his mental health, describing it as “fragile,” and pointing to the strain of his divorce and ongoing financial stress as significant factors in said fragility.

When you view all of that through the lens of Will Smith’s advice, it’s not just about bad headlines piling up, but the environment around them. If the people closest to you aren’t helping you stay grounded, problems can arise, and for Hollywood A-listers, those problems tend to surface in very public ways. The “Sweet Lady” performer has reinvented his career more than once, so bouncing back isn’t new territory for him. But staying on solid footing in Hollywood often means cutting down on distractions as much as chasing the next big role.

With the 2026 movie slate starting to come into focus, there’s reason to hope Tyrese Gibson can settle into a steadier rhythm and keep the right people around him. He’s currently lined up to return to the big screen with Oscar Shaw in 2026, along with the still-in-production sequel to Fast X, giving the longtime franchise mainstay a clear path back into familiar territory.

The Men in Black film series has had a sporadic release schedule, to say the least. Men in Black 2 followed five years after its predecessor’s release in 1997, Men in Black 3 came 10 years later, and then Men in Black: International hit theaters in 2019. The franchise has remained in limbo ever since that last movie, which starred Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, bombed critically and commercially. Today, however, brings work that a new Men in Black movie is in the works, though it comes with a big question surrounding Will Smith, one of the franchise’s original two leads.

As reported by Deadline, Sony Pictures is looking to bring Men in Black back by having Bad Boys for Life writer Chris Bremner pen the next movie. Although no onscreen talent is attached to what I’ll call Men in Black 5 for now, the publication has heard from insiders that once Bremner has finished writing the script, Will Smith will read through it. The plan for now is, at least in this first draft, for Smith to reprise Agent J, though it’s unclear if this will be in a leading or supporting capacity. Other sources stressed that Smith is not officially attached to Men in Black 5 right now and won’t commit to anything until he’s read Bremner’s script.

Like I mention, Will Smith has previously collaborated with Chris Bremner on the aforementioned 2020 Bad Boys movie and its follow-up, last year’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. So it should be no issue for Smith to look at Bremner’s first go at Men in Black 5, but then what happens from there? Does the Agent J actor merely give any notes that come to mind, but ultimately sign on to the project? Or is it possible that Smith won’t vibe with whatever story Bremner has written and decide not to return to the Men in Black franchise after all?

This reminds me of how two scripts for Independence Day 2 were developed last decade: one with Will Smith reprising Steven Hiller, and the other without. In the end, the latter became 2016’s Independence Day: Resurgence, which didn’t come anywhere close to achieving the same critical and commercial success that the 1996 original did. Director Roland Emmerich even admitted that version of the sequel should never have been made once Smith bowed out to play Deadshot in Suicide Squad. 

Now I’m not going to say with 100% that the same thing will happen in Men in Black 5 moves forward without Will Smith. Still, taking into account both Independence Day: Resurgence and that Men in Black: International failed to interest audiences with two new leads, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Will Smith likes Chris Bremner’s script and agrees to join Men in Black 5 if Sony Pictures greenlights it. That brings me to another question: would we also see Tommy Lee Jones reprise Agent K?

I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole right now, but needless to say that we’ll keep you apprised about if Men in Black 5 moves forward or if it ends up suffering the same fate as that crossover movie with the Jump Street franchise. None of Will Smith’s Men in Black movies are currently streaming, but you can watch him in Bad Boys: Ride or Die with your Netflix subscription.

If you mention the 94th Academy Awards to someone who watched the ceremony back in 2022, chances are the first thing that will come to mind isn’t one of the wins, but rather Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage. This unexpected violent moment quickly grabbed attention from everything else that happened that night, including Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall and Amy Schumer hosting as a trio. In the aftermath, though, Smith did reach out to Sykes to apologize for what happened… eventually.

The comedian mentioned the Men in Black star contacting her while speaking with Variety about her current standup tour, “Please & Thank You.” After interviewer Selome Hailu mentioned that her hosting work got “overshadowed” by the slapping incident, Sykes had this to say about whether she still celebrates that night as an “achievement” or if the “memory is soured”:

This whole thing started when Chris Rock, who was presenting the Best Documentary Feature category, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, being in a sequel to G.I. Jane. This was in reference to her shaved head, which she’d done in response to being diagnosed with alopecia. Moments later, Will Smith walked onstage, slapped Rock, went back to his seat and told the Madagascar actor to keep his wife’s name out of his “fucking mouth.”

Will Smith later won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard and apologized for what happened earlier, and while he didn’t reference Chris Rock during the speech, he did apologize to him the next day. Though Wanda Sykes had once said Smith never apologized to her about the moment that “traumatized” her, she shared during the interview that he did eventually reach out, saying:

It’s unclear if Will Smith and Wanda Sykes ever had a full conversation on the subject after she got better, but at least he made the effort to apologize. Sykes also had a more personal tie to the incident given her friendship with Chris Rock, stretching back to when she opened for him in the mid ‘90s, then later both wrote for and appeared in The Chris Rock Show. Smith was ultimately expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and banned from attending the Oscars or any Academy-related event for 10 years.

You can see Wanda Sykes in “Please & Thank You” until the tour concludes in March 2026, and Will Smith’s production company, Westbrook, recently signed a multi-picture deal with Paramount. The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2026, with Conan O’Brien hosting again.

It’s interesting to think about Will Smith’s career both pre “the slap,” and post-the slap. Pre-the slap, a movie like Hancock seemed a little odd and against type for the actor. Will Smith as a reckless, maligned superhero? That’s not the Will Smith I know. The farthest I could give you for a profane Will Smith was the Bad Boys movies.

However, post-the slap, Hancock feels a lot different now. And, in many ways, better. Because that was the thing about Hancock – it didn’t quite feel right when it debuted back in 2008. Smith had a much cleaner image back then, and it almost felt like it didn’t fit him as an actor. Now, it almost feels on-brand.

But, there’s more to it than just that, and a number of reasons why I think Hancock is a lot better than people give it credit for. Here are those reasons.

First Off, I Think Will Smith Handles The Character Well

There’s something off about Hancock the very first time you meet him. He can fly, but he swerves because he’s drunk. He can save the day, but that’s only if he wants to. In every way, Hancock is not the kind of hero that you’d want living in your city, and most of the Los Angeles denizens just want him to go away. So, in every way, he’s shunned.

Flash forward to 2022, and we very much see a Will Smith who people are also shunning (for obvious reasons). In fact, in a scene where Hancock literally destroys a train, everybody around him is yelling at him, telling him what he should have done rather than what he did do. Sound familiar?

I’d be lying if Hancock didn’t feel like a totally different movie now in 2025, but it does. And, the thing is, even back in 2008, Will Smith was still really good in the role. Hancock is an amnesiac, and a tortured one at that. He feigns that he doesn’t care that everybody hates him, but you can tell that he wears sunglasses not just because the light hurts his eyes from an all-night bender, but because he doesn’t want people to see how pained he is.

And, this becomes evident once Hancock decides to use his powers for good. Because Hancock is a tale of two Wills–one who does bad, and one who wants to do better. Again, it does kind of feel like this movie was quite prescient in regards to his later career.

The Big Twist Isn't Terrible If You Know It's Coming

Okay, so here’s the thing. A lot of people will tell you that Hancock was a good movie…until the twist. And, yes, I will agree with you. The movie definitely felt a lot stronger upon my first viewing when I didn’t know that twist was going to happen.

That twist, of course, being that Hancock’s new friend’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron) is actually Hancock’s ex-wife, and that she has superpowers, too. Not only that, but the closer they are together, the weaker they become, which means that they could die if they were to pair up again. And, yeah…that is kind of weird. That said, it’s not so bad when you actually know it’s coming.

Now look, I’m not going to say that this is one of the best plot twists I’ve ever seen. Nor will I say it’s one of the worst (though some might disagree). That said, when you know it’s coming, you can brace for it, and it really isn’t the worst in the world. What I will say is that it does drastically change the movie from something that was pretty cool, to something that is…different.

However, when you’re ready for that twist to come, and you know where the movie’s heading, I actually think the film is a lot better than you might have remembered it, which I’ll get into in my next point.

In Fact, The Action After The Twist Is Actually Pretty Cool

Now, as I mentioned earlier, Hancock, before the reveal, and after the reveal are two completely different movies. Before the reveal, Hancock is overpowered, and you almost get a sense that this is a movie about a bored god living amongst men. However, after we find out that there is another superpowered being, it turns into a more conventional superhero film, one with arch enemies and everything.

At first, I was not a fan of this. I was really digging the character development, as early on, Hancock feels more like Dr. Manhattan than the Man of Steel, what with his nihilistic viewpoints on existence. But once we learn that Mary is also superpowered, the battles become pretty cool.

Characters are thrown through walls, knocked onto roads, and lightning and tornadoes become a part of the fights. And, I understand why some people hate this. The tonal shift is really abrupt, and if you only watched the movie once, then you’ll likely only remember it for that screeching halt of the plot and the pivot into a totally different direction.

Even so, now that I know it’s coming, I kind of relish the big action set pieces and the way the story flows. Honestly, if you think of the film as two separate halves, it’s actually pretty interesting. Watch it again if you don’t believe me.

Jason Bateman's Everyman Character Really Works For This Film

Depending on your age, you probably came across Jason Bateman at different times in his career. If you’re old (like me), then you might have first seen him on the show Silver Spoons, or perhaps in the movie Teen Wolf Too. If you’re a bit younger, your introduction to him might have been Arrested Development or Horrible Bosses.

Or, maybe you’re just getting to know him as “Bateman” in the State Farm commercials. Whatever your introduction to Bateman is (Unless it’s Ozark), you most likely see him as a kind, down-to-earth man who is sometimes a little absent-minded. Which is why he’s so good in Hancock.

That’s because nobody plays the everyman like Bateman. And, as the man who tries to clean up Hancock’s image, pushing him toward heroism, he often steals the film.

Because as much as we want Hancock to succeed, we really want Bateman’s character, Ray Embry, to succeed. He’s a PR consultant, and he never seems to get down or upset in the film. He also makes everything seem to make sense in the plot, even when superpowered beings are duking it out in the middle of the city. Honestly, if not for Bateman, I think a lot of this film would fall apart, as he’s the connective glue that holds it all together. And, he does it all with a smile.

Overall, Hancock Is A Pretty Cool Superhero Movie That's Better Upon A Rewatch

So, is Hancock a great movie? No. I never said that. However, is Hancock a bad movie? Not at all. And, like I’ve said before, it’s much better a second or third time when you watch it and you’re expecting that twist.

It’s also a great superhero film. I know Smith would later go on to play Deadshot in Suicide Squad, and of course Agent J in three out of the four Men in Black movies, but Hancock definitely feels like the Will Smith superhero film, which is strange, given how you’d think he would have done a lot more in his lengthy career.

Even so, Hancock is pretty cool, and I implore you to watch it again. You’ll probably like it this time around.

For nearly 30 years, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-stars Will Smith and Janet Hubert remained on the outs due to their behind-the-scenes conflicts on the hit sitcom. Hubert and Smith finally broke the ice, though, in 2020 when they chatted amid the Fresh Prince reunion special. Since then, it’s appeared that the relationship between the two actors has remained copacetic. On that note, Hubert just took the time to share an update on where she stands with her on-screen nephew and to sing his praises for a lovely gesture he recently made.

Janet Hubert – originated the role of Vivian Banks on Fresh Prince – recently had something of a full-circle moment just recently when she visited the Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103. It was on that very radio station that Will Smith made comments about Hubert decades earlier that essentially initiated their beef. Those feelings have changed now, as when asked about her relationship with Smith, Hubert referred to it as being “so good.” She also shared how Smith helped prop up one of her latest endeavors:

For context, JG and the BC Kids is an independent animated film that Janet Hubert produced and starred in, which is also being released via Amazon Prime Video. To hear that Will was so supportive of the production by providing digital resources for his former co-star is so heartwarming. Apparently, that’s not the only way in which Smith managed to be there for Hubert. As the General Hospital alum explained during her interview, which is on YouTube, Smith also appeared at a Miami-based event for the Embrace Girls Foundation, which she’s been working with for over 20 years.

It goes without saying that the dynamic between these two Fresh Prince stars has certainly shifted in a major way. Before the actors made amends in 2020, they hadn’t spoken since Hubert left the show in 1993 over creative differences. In 2017, Hubert was also critical of a photo showing a reunion of the surviving stars of the show. Smith has since been honest about the part he played in his co-star’s exit, admitting that he “horribly underestimated” her value to the show.

Will Smith and Janet Hubert have since shown up for each other on other occasions as well. In 2024, Smith attended Hubert’s event in promotion of the book JC and the BC Kids, on which the new animated production is based. Several years back, Hubert also defended Smith after he received backlash for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

As a longtime fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it really does my heart well to see Janet Hubert and Will Smith on great terms again. I’d personally love to see the two act alongside each other again at some point. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, I’ll just remain grateful that these previously estranged stars have not only reforged their bond but remain supportive of each other.

Stream episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now using a Hulu subscription.

It’s almost time to return to the ballroom, as the cast for Dancing with the Stars Season 34 has been revealed ahead of the show’s return on the 2025 TV schedule. The cast is certainly stacked this season, between fan-favorite Olympians, actors, reality stars and more, but there are still so many others who would make for perfect competitors. Co-host and former Mirrorball champ Alfonso Ribeiro is still pushing for Fresh Prince co-star Will Smith to compete, but I'm more focused on the A+ actress he also mentioned.

Whenever a new season of ABC's long-running dance competition show comes around, the speculation about who will compete on DWTS that time around is always a big topic. While some fans have correctly predict some of the contestants each season, it’s always fun seeing the full cast. In my opinion, though, it's never to early to start thinking about casts for future seasons, though. Ribeiro spoke about his dream contestants while chatting with TV Insider, which is when he mentioned his on-screen cousin:

Most of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast members still remain close decades after the series ended, including almost birthday twins Smith and Ribeiro. Even though Ribeiro has admitted to initially not wanting to help Smith learn his iconic Carlton dance, he wants more than ever for Smith to compete on DWTS. Since Ribeiro even went viral for performing The Carlton on the show, it would be fun to bring another piece of Fresh Prince to the ballroom. Whether or not it will actually happen is unknown, but I hope it does.

That being said, Smith isn't the only dream celebrity contestant for Ribeiro. He also mentioned a certain actress who is not only part of the ABC family but is quite the scream queen and a fan of DWTS, and I would love nothing more than to see her join the series:

It might be a bit hard getting JLH on the show, considering she’s busy starring on 9-1-1. After all, the first responder drama is still going strong, even following that major death earlier this year. However, considering both shows are on ABC, maybe the network would work out the logistics so that Jennifer Love Hewitt could be on the show. I'm confident that Hewitt would crush it, though, especially considering that she's a star of many talents.

And on that topic, Ribeiro also threw out an NFL Hall of Famer who would be perfect, since athletes have also performed will on the show:

As of now, it's unclear just how long Dancing with the Stars, but I'm hopeful that it'll be on the air long enough for Will Smith, Jennifer Love Hewitt and any other A+ stars to join in the competition. For right now, though, let's look towards the season that's nearly upon us. DWTS Season 34 premieres on Tuesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be streamable with a Disney+ subscription as well.

Over the course of his career, Will Smith has headlined some massive movies, from Independence Day and Men in Black to Bad Boys and I Am Legend. Smith has taken part in that many blockbusters during the past few years, but it seems that’s about to change. The Oscar winner just inked a massive deal that could ensure that he remains a fixture in cinemas for the foreseeable future. It’s an exciting development, and it makes me even more hopeful that a sequel Smith previously teased might actually come to fruition.

Will Smith Is Teaming Up With Paramount Pictures For A Big Deal

The star formerly known as the Fresh Prince is reportedly in business with Paramount. According to Deadline, Paramount and Will Smith’s production banner, Westbrook, have agreed to a multi-film deal centered around four-quadrant productions meant for theatrical release. What’s even more exciting is that this agreement will include both original properties as well as established IPs. When it comes to potential franchise-starting flicks, Smith is set to headline Rabbit Hole and the previously reported thriller Sugar Bandits.

All of this news comes on the heels of Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media, which marks a new chapter for the entertainment conglomerate. So far, the company has been making some serious moves in the hopes of signing top-tier talent. Back in August, it was announced that the corporation reached an agreement with Stranger Things’ Matt and Ross Duffer, who are leaving Netflix in favor of their new deal.

When it comes to Will Smith, up until this point, he’s had a few projects cooking. He’s also been circling the adaptation of the sci-fi book Resistor, and he’s been working on the Netflix film Fast & Loose, which nearly reunited him with Michael Bay. However, it was reported earlier this summer that Bay exited the film due to creative differences.

That setback aside, this latest deal represents a major move for the King Richard star and his production company. In short, the creative possibilities feel somewhat infinite, which is why I’m hoping this means the star will finally be able to get a certain sequel off the ground.

I’m Hoping One Of Will Smith’s Films From The 2000s Receives A Follow-Up

Will Smith has a number of movies under his belt that could warrant a sequel, and Hancock is one of them. The 2008 superhero film sees Smith play John Hancock, a drunken, super-powered being who recklessly tries to protect the city of Los Angeles (at his leisure). Admittedly, it may not be the finest feature in Smith’s filmography, but it’s a lot of fun – and I’ve long hoped for a sequel. Making the film could be difficult now, given that the OG flick is a Sony/Columbia Pictures production. But who knows, maybe Smith and co. can work out an agreement that brings the property over to Paramount or allows it to co-produce with Sony.

Plus, it seems Smith already has an idea for a Hancock sequel. Earlier this year, the leading man teased the concept he has in mind and, if he gets his way, the film will see him star alongside Zendaya. Smith didn’t go into further detail than that, but I can’t help but get even more excited about the potential project, especially given this new Paramount deal.

As it stands, Will Smith is juggling multiple sequels right now, as he’s still working on I Am Legend 2 as well. Not only that, but the star isn’t opposed to reteaming with Martin Lawrence for a fifth Bad Boys movie (should the story be right). In any case, now that Smith’s Westbrook brand and Paramount are now working together, fans are seemingly in for plenty of Smith-led flicks. Let’s just hope one of those productions marks the return of John Hancock.

If you think of 2004’s I, Robot, Will Smith is likely the first person who comes to mind, and rightly so. It was definitely one of the bigger features the actor starred in during the 2000s, and some might even call it one of the best Will Smith movies. But I, Robot was also a big deal for Firefly’s Alan Tudyk, as he voiced and performed the friendly robot Sonny through motion capture. And yet, it was apparently because of his amazing performance as a robot that Tudyk barely got any attention when I, Robot was making the press rounds.

Tudyk divulged this information while speaking with the title host of the Toon’d In with Jim Cummings podcast. Although he’s known for a variety of movies and TV shows, including, but not limited to, Frozen, Zootopia, Rogue One, Resident Alien, Creature Commandos and the 2025 movie release Superman, Tudyk told Cummings that he still runs into people who aren’t aware he was in I, Robot. That’s not simply because we don’t see his face during the movie, with the actor sharing:

That is seriously wild. Alan Tudyk did his best job playing Sonny, the NS-5 robot created by James Cromwell’s Dr. Alfred Lanning who was capable of feeling emotions and a key component in the mystery of Lanning’s death that Will Smith’s Detective Del Spooner was brought in to solve. And yet, when the time came to promote I, Robot, Tudyk was told that the fact he was testing higher than Smith during these early screenings was enough to push him out of the press tour and not have his name brought up.

It’s unclear if 20th Century Fox was behind this decision or if it originated from Will Smith or someone on his team, but either way, Alan Tudyk was understandably disappointed to be told this. He continued:

Motion capture performing was still in its relative infancy when Alan Tudyk was playing Sonny in I, Robot, with other notable examples from around that time including Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Mentioning Alan Tudyk, if not having him participate in the press tour, would have helped get this kind of unique performing on more people’s radars. Not to mention, Tudyk was an integral part of the cast just like Will Smith, James Cromwell, Bridget Moynahan and Bruce Greenwood, among others.

Obviously Alan Tudyk isn’t hurting for work these days, but the man deserves the recognition for all that effort he poured into bringing Sonny to life in I, Robot. The best we can do over two decades after its release is make sure those who are streaming I, Robot with a Hulu subscription or watching it some other way for the first time are aware of his contributions.

Will Smith and Michael Bay go way back, as the latter made his filmmaking debut directing the former in Bad Boys, which helped propel Smith to worldwide fame as he was doing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Three decades after that collaboration, the two men were gearing up to reunite for an upcoming Netflix subscription-exclusive movie. Unfortunately, I have some disappointing news for those of you who were looking forward to this bout of Bayhem, as the director of this duo has departed the project.

Michael Bay is no longer attached to Fast & Loose, which will see Will Smith playing a man who wakes up in Tijuana with no memories and eventually discovers he’s been living two lives: one as a crime kingpin and the other as an undercover CIA operative. According to Deadline, Bay’s departure stems from creative differences with Smith. The outlet notes that Fast & Loose has both action and comedic moments, but Bay reportedly wanted more of the former, while Smith wanted the latter to be emphasized.

So now the search for a new director is underway, as Netflix is looking to get Fast & Loose’s principal photography underway by October. No potential contenders are mentioned in the article, but fingers crossed that Smith and the other producers can find someone soon, otherwise filming will likely need to be pushed into 2026. Fast & Loose is written by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Chris Bremner and Eric Pearson, and Kelly McCormick and David Leitch from 87West are also attached to produce.

While Fast & Loose didn’t work out for Michael Bay, he has other cinematic irons in the fire. In April, it was reported that he’s going to team up with Sydney Sweeney for the upcoming video game adaptation OutRun. Then in June, word came in that he’s supposedly developing a new Transformers movie for Paramount Pictures that he wants to direct. Alas, reports of Bay working on a Skibidi Toilet movie have been greatly exaggerated, as he amusingly made clear in a video.

As for Will Smith, he was last seen on the big screen teaming back up with Martin Lawrence and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah for Bad Boys: Ride or Die. While the prospects of Bad Boys 5 happening reportedly aren’t looking good right now, Smith is set to return to another one of his past properties with I Am Legend 2, where he’ll co-star alongside Michael B. Jordan. He was also lined up for a Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake with Kevin Hart back in 2022, but it’s unclear if that project is still happening.

For now, it’s looking like Fast & Loose will be the next movie we see Will Smith in, so continue visiting CinemaBlend for updates on its progress. Don’t forget to also look over the 2025 Netflix release dates to see what’s headed to the streamer for the rest of the year.

It's no secret that creative visions can inspire bitter battles in Hollywood. The movie industry is a business, and executives don't want to make blockbusters that are going to repel audiences... but sometimes repellent material is necessary in storytelling, and filmmakers will often go to the mat defending hardcore elements in their work. That being said, I've never heard a behind-the-scenes story quite like what happened when Will Smith and writer/producer Akiva Goldsman pitched what is arguably the most devastating moment in the 2007 sci-fi thriller I Am Legend.

Those who have seen the film will remember that Will Smith's Neville has a canine companion named Sam for most of the movie, but their story together ends tragically when Sam is bitten and infected with the virus that effectively killed the world. As recounted in an interview in The Hollywood Reporter, Smith and Goldsman needed to get the green light from then-Warner Bros. President Alan Horn to include a scene where Neville euthanizes Sam, and it was a scene so painful that it's comical in retrospect. Smith remembers:

That, folks, is some expert level "throwing under the bus" right there. It's so rough that you almost have to applaud Akiva Goldsman for the audacity of the maneuver.

You're going to be shocked by this part: Alan Horn didn't have the best response to the pitch. According to Will Smith, he began weeping while holding one of the photos of his deceased pet. All seemed lost, as Horn didn't think mass audiences would accept a sequence in a sci-fi/horror blockbuster where one of the biggest stars in the world kills a dog. The actor was evidently at a loss in terms of a comeback, but following the whole "throwing under the bus" thing, Goldsman stepped in to save the day:

Ultimately, I Am Legend got a mixed/positive response from critics, with the scene of Neville saying goodbye to Sam being one of the film's most powerful moments – and it can be said that it most definitely didn't put off/scare away audiences. It was not an inexpensive movie to make, with a pre-marketing/publicity price tag of $150 million per Box Office Mojo, but it made $585 million by the end of its theatrical run around the world.

The film was so successful that talks about an I Am Legend 2 have persisted for years – with the most recent update having come this past April when Will Smith confirmed the involvement of Michael B. Jordan as part of the cast and explained his role in the film's plot – denying rumors that he was going to play a younger version of Neville in a prequel. I Am Legend 2 will be making a bold move with its narrative, as while the theatrical version of I Am Legend ended with Neville dying, the sequel will recognize the blockbuster's alternate ending as canon.

Will the sequel include an emotionally bold scene as powerful as the death of Sam that will require Will Smith and Akiva Goldsman to make a special pitch to David Zaslav? Time will tell.

Here’s what I knew about Independence Day before watching it for the first time: Bill Pullman gave an iconic speech as the president and the story involved aliens. That’s it; that’s all I knew. So, you better believe that when I watched this movie with my Hulu subscription for the 4th of July, I was shell-shocked. Now, while I loved that epic presidential speech I’d heard so much about, there’s another moment that really made the movie for me that I need to talk about.

All I Knew About Independence Day Was Bill Pullman Gave A Great Speech, And He Did

Now, before we dive into the scene I want to focus on, I need to give flowers where flowers are due. Bill Pullman’s Thomas J. Whitmore is an excellent disaster movie president, and he was exceptional throughout the film which was, apparently, almost called Doomsday. But his speech was the most remarkable moment.

Seeing the fighter pilot-turned-president hop up in the back of that truck with a megaphone and give such a rousing speech was applause-worthy. I mean, I was ready to stand, salute, and go into battle when Pullman’s president said:

And then, this guy hopped off that truck and into a plane to go fight off the aliens. Talk about a hero.

However, there are a lot of heroes involved in this story, and while that speech left a mark, the moment I keep thinking about involves Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith’s trip to space.

It's Will Smith And Jeff Goldblum Flying That Alien Spaceship That Really Got Me

Now, Bill Pullman’s speech was rousing and great motivation to go into battle. However, the real action came from Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum as their characters flew an alien spaceship into the bigger ship that was trying to destroy them.

Throughout the movie, we see Smith’s Captain Steve Hiller (who Ethan Hawke could have played) prove how good he is at his job, and then he takes on the ultimate mission to fly into space. Meanwhile, Goldblum’s scientist, David Levinson, is sent to assist him. They’re an odd couple pairing, however, they worked together so well as they executed an equal parts hilarious and badass alien-destroying sequence.

So, as we’ll discuss in more detail, the moment where these two blow up the enemy is the scene from Independence Day that I can’t stop thinking about.

They're The Ones Who Really Defeated The Big Bad In One Big, Giant, Action-Packed And Funny Sequence

While all the pilots work together to ultimately take down the alien spaceship, the entire reason it’s possible comes down to Steven and David’s actions. They’re the ones who are sent to infect the big ship and fly a literal alien spaceship.

It feels like the most impossible mission; however, they hang on to whatever courage they have and execute the plan. And it works! After hitting the alien, they manage to fly out and effectively blow up the bigger spacecraft that was trying to kill all the humans.

The moment was so victorious that I was clapping on my couch, and I honestly wanted to scream along with Will Smith as he flew that ship out of the bigger ship before it exploded. Plus, the acting going on in the ship mixed with the, honestly, impressive special and practical effects used for the aliens and the explosion left my jaw on the floor.

However, it wasn’t just the epic nature of the moment that made this so memorable; it was also the immaculate comedic chemistry between Smith and Goldblum.

Will Smith And Jeff Goldblum Are The Dynamic Duo I Never Knew I Needed

I’ve seen many of Jeff Goldblum’s best movies, and I’ve also witnessed some of Will Smith’s finest performances, so I’m not sure why I didn’t realize how iconic their work in Independence Day is.

Throughout the film, their individual storylines had me on the edge of my seat and laughing. I mean, Smith dragging that alien through the desert was A+ stuff. However, the real magic started happening when they came together.

Their nervously talking about the “checkmate” and lighting those cigars was a nice vulnerable moment that served as the calm before the big storm. Seeing them share the scene was heartwarming, and I appreciated how they banded together to accomplish this. Then, things got funny.

After Goldblum’s David activated the infection, I got such a kick out of seeing the two through the windshield as they quipped:

• David: Hey, alright, look at us, take a look at the Earthlings. Goodbye!
• Steve: Y’all take care, all right. Nothing but love for you.

Throughout the movie, they both showed off their sense of humor on many occasions; however, there is no better example of it than the way they bicker while getting out of the ship. From quibbling over whether the fat lady has sung, to Goldblum’s backseat driving, to Elvis quotes and impressions, I couldn’t stop giggling while also being in awe of the action.

It was the most entertaining part of the movie, and it served as a major climax that brought everything together. For a lot of the film, the main characters were separate and moving toward each other. To see them all come together to fight off the aliens, and specifically to watch Goldblum and Smith be the ones to really get them in such an epic and funny way, was so satisfying.

Well, all this considered, I know I’ll be rewatching Independence Day next year when the 4th of July rolls around. It’s such a well-done disaster flick that’s full of memorable moments and brilliant performances. However, when I think about what will stick with me the most, it will be this bicker-filled, funny and heroic scene between Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum.

Will Smith certainly has fun ways of celebrating the anniversaries of his best work. He commemorated The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s 33rd anniversary with a selfie standing outside the iconic mansion, and he marked Independence Day’s 25th birthday with fun photos and a fireworks show. While Wild Wild West wasn’t the best-received blockbuster of Smith’s career, the talented actor still displayed a throwback pic on its anniversary, and I’m sure you can guess which moment he chose.

Based on the classic TV series, Wild Wild West had Will Smith and Kevin Kline play two 19th-century Secret Service agents who worked together to protect President Ulysses S. Grant from threats. In May, the Oscar winner celebrated his “Wild Wild West” song’s anniversary with a throwback photo of himself as Captain “Jim” West and a promise to perform his 26-year-old song at his “Based On a True Story Tour.” Now, in order to commemorate the steampunk Western, the King Richard actor posted the below throwback photo of himself from the movie:

It's no surprise that a comedic moment like that has lived in Will Smith’s mind rent-free. That image came from the scene when “Jim” West and Belle are hooking up in the town’s water tower, only for it to collapse and have him fall stark naked in front of the criminals he was spying on from there. With only a cowboy hat to cover down below, the Secret Service agent still kicked ass against the criminals all while showing it.

You have to hand it to Will Smith for having the courage to throwback a photo of himself wearing nothing but a cowboy hat. There’s clearly only one explanation for why the I Am Legend actor chose this photo and his Instagram caption says it all:

With his playful wit, Will Smith’s photo was a cheeky (ignore the pun) nod to one of the movie’s most unforgettable scenes. It’s easy to understand why the “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” rapper will never forget it, as it’s not every day you’re up against criminals while covering your nether regions in the process.

It’s big of Will Smith to even acknowledge the anniversary of Wild Wild West since he’s jokingly called it “a thorn in my side.” He famously passed on The Matrix and joined the 1999 flick instead. He explained that his feelings on the movie were that he signed up in hopes it would be a global success. Unfortunately, it proved to be a commercial failure in grossing $222.1 million on a budget of $170 million. On the bright side, the Golden Raspberry Worst Picture winner didn’t ruin Smith’s chances of success, and he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Wild Wild West may not have been Will Smith’s best movie, but it’s nice to know the actor looks back at that Razzie winner with humor and a bare-naked photo to show it. It's a clever reminder that the funniest and most memorable moments can come from the most unexpected places. In this case, sometimes it's a bit exposed.

You can probably use one hand to count the blockbuster movie franchises which have the same stars all the way through and continue to thrill audiences decades in. We thought that one such big-screen action series, Bad Boys, was going to be a given to continue, even though the 2025 movie schedule isn’t set to bring us another entry. However, it sounds like a hiccup in the real relationship between stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith might be putting a crimp in possible plans for Bad Boys 5.

What’s Being Said About Bad Boys 5 And The BTS Relationship Of Martin Lawrence And Will Smith?

There’s no denying that the Bad Boys franchise is one of our most-beloved, and one of the reasons for that is the chemistry between Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as the titular leads, Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. The men who portray the Miami police detectives have always seemed to have a close friendship in real life, with Lawrence being the one to convince Smith to sign on to the 1995 hit without a script.

A new report from Radar Online, though, is suggesting that we actually might not get the expected sequel to 2024’s mega-hit, Bad Boys: Ride or Die because the comedian and the rapper have very different lifestyles now. As an insider told the outlet:

While I don’t necessarily know if any of their fans did think that the duo were “best friends” in real life, it has certainly seemed that they at least enjoyed working together and got along well enough to like spending downtime together during the long hours on set. Plus, from the actors admitting they “blew” the title of Bad Boys 3, to the Oscar winner giving Lawrence a sweet tribute and having previously shouted out their decades of friendship, it certainly didn’t appear that either of them were denying that there was a bit of a bromance going on.

As we know, though, people change and so do their lives, and you can be friends with someone and eventually have a lifestyle that doesn’t really jive with theirs. Allegedly, this is where the Big Momma’s House talent and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star are right now. The insider continued:

Alright, this isn’t exactly a positive potential update, but it’s also not the death knell of the franchise, either. Even if this rumor is accurate, it would take some time to get Bad Boys 5 off the ground, seeing as how the actors hadn’t had any conversations about the story for the possible sequel by the time the 30th anniversary of the franchise rolled around this April.

There were four years between the third and fourth entries, so Lawrence could, theoretically, hang out without his on-screen partner for three-ish years then gear up to rejoin him. Hopefully, if there is trouble in Bad Boys paradise, that will be enough time for them to find “a reason” for the sequel and continue to give fans what we want.

While we all go through life dealing with some incredibly generalized expectations of what is and isn’t attractive or even good when it comes to our appearance, everyone really knows that (deep down) all people have their own personal taste when it comes to looks and what they find appealing. It’s fair to say that during his 30+ years as a famous person, Oscar winner Will Smith has been on millions of people’s list of good looking guys. One reason for that is likely his choice of facial hair. But, his preferred mustache/goatee combo recently came under fire, and now that the Bad Boys franchise star has trolled the woman who dissed the look, I honestly can’t get enough of it!

What Happened When Will Smith Saw Someone Diss The Look Of A Mustache And Goatee?

If you’ve been around on this planet long enough you will know that at least one thing is true: all trends come and go in cycles. This includes trends in fashion/grooming, and while we see it very clearly in hairstyles, it also happens with the facial hair that dudes can sport from time to time. Rapper/actor Will Smith was clean shaven for a time in the late ‘90s, then moved on to a mustachioed look, but his bread and butter style is the marriage of mustache and goatee.

The potential star of Bad Boys 5 was recently looking around online and noticed this bold proclamation from someone on social media:

I have sooooo many thoughts and questions about this opinion, but Smith made his own known by simply taking to Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the person’s strongly-worded message and then (after noting in his caption that he was “Just gonna leave this here for you”) kindly offered himself as a subject for the defense of the supposedly dreaded “goatee and mustache combo.”

Though only two of the photos of himself truly showed him beardless but with the ‘stache and ‘tee, I’m happy to hop into my own way-back machine and give you some evidence to support his argument. Observe now, the Men In Black movies star at the 1997 premiere of that original massive hit movie:

I just don’t get it. How can anyone look at Smith in this photo (which was taken in the midst of his ascendancy to complete movie stardom and saw him holding his oldest son, Trey) and make a legitimate claim for the man we see here being “ugly as fuck”?

It really makes me wonder what the woman who made that sweeping statement is looking for. ‘Stache only? Goatee and nothing else? Does a Black man need a full beard to get some positive attention from this individual? Or, should they be clean shaven 24/7? Also, why does this only apply to males with African heritage? It’s all so perplexing to me.

Even though the man who’s given us some amazing performances in great movies only used himself to counter this opinion, he’s not wrong. Just look at him at the 33rd American Music Awards in 2005:

See?! He even added a hat at a jaunty angle here, and he still looks pretty good. And, as a hat fan myself, I can tell you that they can be difficult to pull off for some (slightly) lesser (and unfortunate) forms of humanity. There are probably some who share the thought that a ‘stache and ‘tee look doesn’t work for Black guys, but I hope they’re now rethinking that position.

If you know my work, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I actually like Will Smith’s Wild Wild West. While I’m not a deep cut fan of the original TV series it was based off of, the infamous 1999 summer release was something that still remains quite a fun watch. However, I think we can all agree that the tie-in single for the film is an absolute banger, and if you agree on that front, Smith’s latest news outside of the 2025 movie schedule is sure to make you smile.

No, we’re not getting a Practical Magic style legacy-quel, and I highly doubt that’ll be in the works any time soon. But rather, the King Richard Academy Award winner is promising that he’s working the hit theme song into his upcoming tour’s set list. And that pledge came through this vintage look at West, Jim West - Desperado:

I’m sorry for that, dear readers. That song’s power is so strong, I was about to literally type out the entire lyrics to Will Smith’s collaboration with Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee. I mean, it’s kind of hard to stop it; and you’re probably singing along too. Which is more than likely why the “Based on a True Story Tour” is going to include this classic showstopper in the first place.

Mixing up the old with the new seems to be the extended theme of Will Smith’s latest album. Headlines centered around song-based commentary on Smith and Chris Rock’s Oscar slap certainly cropped up, and Smith’s story on turning down The Matrix for Wild Wild West has also factored into the marketing of “Based on a True Story.”

At the same time, including that title track seems to signify that while the actor would reverse his decision if given another chance, he’s come to terms with the project that resulted. Which leaves me the perfect opportunity to include the music video you’ve probably been waiting for:

While it may not be a totally autobiographical record, Will Smith has been working on himself through personal and creative endeavors. So going on a new tour should scratch that creative itch for our multi-hyphenate, while we await the arrival of things like fresh I Am Legend 2 details. Or perhaps Bad Boys 5 will finally be able to take off after this tour. I'd say there's no wrong answers, but after remembering that Matrix story, I know better.

In the meantime, if you have tickets for the “Based on a True Story Tour,” don’t forget to factor in local weather before you bust out your best steampunk western looks. Seeing as this showdown kicks off with international dates in June, that advice will be super important to not being wild wild wiped out by potential weather conditions.

Will Smith is known for being an Oscar-winning movie star today, but one can never forget that his acting career began with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. By working on the beloved NBC sitcom (which can be streamed with a Max subscription), Smith was really able to get his feet wet when it came to the craft. He was apparently a bit green in the beginning, and one of the series’ showrunners could see that. With that in mind, the producer sought to fix that by doing something Smith supposedly disliked.

Gary H. Miller joined Fresh Prince as showrunner for Season 4, which began in the fall of 1993. Changes had to be made at the time (especially since OG Aunt Viv actress Janet Hubert left the year prior and had to be recast). Miller ultimately remained with the show through its fifth season and apparently forged a complex relationship with its lead actor. Miller recently admitted that he could see right away that Will Smith would be a star, but he also noticed that he’d picked up a few less-than-desirable habits for his work:

Based on what’s been said over the years, Will Smith did have to overcome something of a learning curve after he was tapped for the beloved NBC sitcom. It’s been said that he actually used to mess up his co-stars during tapings, because he would mouth their lines to them in an attempt to memorize his own. (That’s still one of Smith’s habits today, according to Bad Boys co-star John Salley.) As for Smith’s other peccadillo, Gary H. Miller sought to smoothen out the star’s skills with some vintage TV:

One of the few TV shows to change its name following the pilot, You’ll Never Get Rich or The Phil Silvers Show is widely considered to be one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. It may seem dated to some people now, but Silvers was indeed a comedic genius, who was more than capable of keeping up the energy during an episode. I can completely understand why Gary H. Miller had Will Smith watch those classic reruns.

Based on the final few seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I’d say that the eventual Oscar winner picked up some great tips, as his performances are pitch-perfect. He also had some great co-stars to learn from as well, including the late, great James Avery, who played Uncle Phil. Just recently, Will Smith also talked about observing co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who famously portrayed the quirky Carlton Banks. It certainly takes a skilled ensemble to make a sitcom work, and I’m glad the cast and crew helped the star find his footing.

There are a number of franchises that run out of gas after a few years, but the love for Bad Boys has seemed to only grow with time. It was a full three decades ago this month that the original directed by Michael Bay arrived in theaters, and last year's Bad Boys: Ride Or Die successfully crossed $400 million at the worldwide box office. There is clearly still a hunger for more adventures featuring Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, and star Martin Lawrence feels that as long as there is demand, there should be consistent supply.

Currently promoting the new animated comedy Sneaks (which is now in theaters), Lawrence spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the current status of the Bad Boys franchise. He has a great passion for the legacy of the franchise, which really began when he asked Will Smith to sign on for the first film without seeing the script, and he is as impressed as anyone by the love expressed by movie-goers. Said the actor,

Bad Boys can be counted as a landmark film in the history of action cinema, as it launched Michael Bay's career making blockbusters, brought Martin Lawrence's career to a whole new level, and turned Will Smith into a bona fide movie star. There was a long 17 year stretch between 2003's Bad Boys II and 2020's Bad Boys For Life, but Bad Boys: Ride Or Die cut that gap down to four years, and ticket sales suggest that the studio shouldn't waste any time making a fifth chapter.

As for that fourth sequel, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith apparently haven't had any kind of sit down to talk about story ideas or new developments for their characters, but he does confirm that the decision-makers as Sony Pictures are actively discussing Bad Boys 5. Said Lawrence,

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is a film that digs into the canon of the franchise in development of the plot, as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are put in a position of clearing their names after being accused of corruption, and it feels like it could have been used as a conclusion for the franchise – but it seems there is too much love for the movies to let the series end. Will Smith expressed interest in making more sequels almost immediately after the release of Bad Boys 4, so Bad Boys 5 definitely feels like it's inevitable.

Obviously we don't know at this present time when we will actually get to see the next Bad Boys movie, but stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news about the future of the franchise.

Throughout the history of TV, there have been great sitcom duos, like Sanford and Son’s Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson and Laverne & Shirley’s Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stars Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro deserve their flowers as well for their contributions. The show marked Smith’s first major acting gig, and he had to pick up quite a bit of skills on the job. As he recently revealed, he learned a lot from Ribeiro as well, and there’s a specific lesson that, as a fan, I’m truly glad he took to heart.

It’s not uncommon for Will Smith to warmly reflect on his tenure on one of the best Black sitcoms of the ‘90s. Smith did so yet again when he appeared on the Drink Champs podcast (which is available on YouTube). When Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks, came up during the discussion, Smith lauded his co-star and longtime friend’s commitment. He also recalled the keen way that his good buddy would work with the Fresh Prince writers:

That’s a smart way for an actor to approach their work. By giving it his all no matter the quality of the joke, the Silver Spoons alum was able to give the writers a clear indication as to whether something worked or didn’t work. It makes me wonder just how many of Carlton’s best jokes were formed due to the actor’s commitment. Will Smith went on to sing his co-star’s praises for his A+ “Carlton dance” and more:

Even today, Alfonso Ribeiro’s performance as Carlton is well remembered and still enjoyed by fans. It’s hard to imagine the star not landing the role in the first place, even though Ribeiro dislikes his audition due to the fact that he wore clothes that didn’t match Carlton’s personality. Of all the notable moments from his time filming the show, Ribeiro now says his favorite is from the Season 5 episode “Will’s Misery. It’s at the end of the installment that Ribeiro, in an unscripted move, runs around the set.

It wasn’t always easy for the child star to play the preppy Carlton, though, as the character arguably became a bit too popular, leading him to become synonymous with Banks. It’s for that reason that the Love Wrecked alum came to resent Carlton, especially amid a slew of post-Fresh Prince career struggles. Thankfully, TV personality Tom Bergeron helped him turn his career around, and he now hosts America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars.

Alfonso Ribeiro now seems to have made peace with his performance as Carlton, and I’m glad, given that he, along with Will Smith, produced comedic gold. It’s great that Ribeiro’s dedication to the craft rubbed off on Smith the way that it did, as I’m not sure the show would’ve become what it did otherwise. You can stream all six seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the 2020 reunion special using a Max subscription.

Last summer, Bad Boys fans celebrated the 30th anniversary of the original film in the series going into production, and the principal reason why the series has lasted as long as it has is because of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The duo's chemistry has been the key ingredient that has let scores of people fall in love with the four movies – and anyone who has seen any of them will not be shocked to learn that the stars are close friends in real life.

Case in point: the new Instagram post from Smith celebrating Lawrence's birthday. Today, the actor arguably best known for playing Detective Marcus Burnett is 60 years old, but his pal has poked fun at him with a behind-the-scenes photo and a caption mocking his friend's milestone age. You can check it out below.

Will Smith is younger than his Bad Boys co-star... but his proximity in age to Martin Lawrence arguably sets up some "glass houses" commentary here. It's true that Smith hasn't hit the big 6-0 yet, but he will be 57 in December – which means he'll be celebrating his sixth decade of existence the same calendar year that we see the release of Sam Mendes' recently announced four-film Beatles epic.

As for the origins of the photo that Will Smith posted, there are suggestions in the comments section that Martin Lawrence's costume – replete with robes and a long beard – is from a deleted scene from Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (though I can't find any evidence of that personally).

The origin story of the Bad Boys stars first coming together began with Martin Lawrence signing on to the action movie first, and he was put in the unenviable position of trying to get Will Smith to sign on without reading the screenplay first. Smith, who was multiple seasons into his hit series Fresh Prince From Bel Air at that point, was dubious initially, but he let his confidence in Lawrence's talents overwhelm his doubts. The film was a box office smash that has since produced three sequels, it launched Michael Bay's career as a feature film director, and it turned Smith into a big screen star (paving the way for follow-up hits Independence Day and Men In Black).

As for the future of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence being back together as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, a Bad Boys 5 has not been announced – but it would hardly be a surprise if we got news about it relatively soon (the stars aren't getting any younger!). The two actors went on the record last year prior to the release of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die saying that they have one more movie in them, and Sony Pictures doesn't want to stop the money train. Both 2020's Bad Boys For Life and Bad Bad Boys: Ride Or Die managed to make over $400 million during their big screen box office runs, demonstrating plenty of enthusiasm.

Let's also not forget that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence just have a lot of fun when they work together.

While we wait for news about more Bad Boys movies, fans can enjoy streaming both Bad Boys and Bad Boys 2 by signing up for Peacock, Bad Boys For Life with a Hulu account, and Bad Boys: Ride Or Die with a subscription to Netflix.

Over three years after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, their televised encounter remains a topic of discussion. It actually just came up yet again, and it was Smith who brought it back into the public consciousness. The rapper-turned-actor referenced the incident on his latest album, Based on a True Story. Rock’s brother, Tony, is aware of this, and he didn’t hold back when talking about Smith’s album as well as the less-than-positive reception it’s received thus far.

Tony Rock has been highly protective of his older brother since the situation at the 94th Academy Awards. Not only has he spoken out against the man formerly known as the Fresh Prince, but he’s also promoted Chris’ comedy work in the interim as well. When it comes to this new album from the Oscar winner, Tony ripped into the music, which he admitted to not having heard himself. While speaking with TMZ, the comic also addressed what he seems to view as the irony in being told not to discuss the slap:

The slap comes up in two tracks on the King Richard star’s album, according to Variety. One of the songs, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” features a smattering of voices making comments and sharing opinions about Smith’s actions. The song even kicks off with someone making the declaration that “Will Smith is canceled.” More mentions of the slap are featured in “You Lookin’ for Me?,” as it includes the verses, “Took a lot, I’m back on top/ Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated/ Won’t stop, my shit still hot/ Even though I won’t get nominated.”

Based on a True Story marks the multihyphenate’s first album release in nearly 20 years and, thus far, critics have reacted to it negatively compared to the star’s past work. During his interview, Tony Rock went on to explain that much of what he’d heard about the new music had to do with the references to the rapper’s exchange with his brother. While Rock believes that to be a poor selling point for a record, he also did give the “Gettin' Jiggy wit It” some credit in one respect:

Will Smith formally apologized to Chris Rock via an Instagram post shared shortly after the 2022 Oscars, and he provided an even longer apology in a video shared to social media that summer. In it, Smith acknowledged the damage that had been done and admitted that his relationship with Tony would be "irreparable." (Tony and Smith worked together on the UPN sitcom All of Us.) Chris bluntly addressed the clip during a stand-up comedy show, where he referred to it as a “hostage video.” In his stand-up special, Selective Outrage, Chris further critiqued Smith as well as his wife.

Since the slap occurred, there have been varied reports in regard to whether or not some kind of Rock/Smith reconciliation can happen. Tony Rock was asked that very question, and he provided an answer that sounded quite definitive:

Anything is possible, of course, as something could theoretically bring Will Smith and Chris Rock back together. However, given that Tony Rock refuses to even listen to Smith’s music, at the very least, it seems that there’s no love lost here.

When it was first announced in 2022 that Will Smith would co-star with A-lister Michael B. Jordan for I Am Legend 2, I couldn’t help but wonder what the Friday Night Lights actor’s role would be. There are many theories for how Jordan’s addition could work. Could he be playing the younger version of Smith’s character, or maybe the leader of Hemocytes? But after the American actor/rapper revealed more details of how his new co-star would fit into the I Am Legend sequel, I’m getting hype for the upcoming movie now!

Michael B. Jordan has become a real standout in each of his film projects, from Fruitvale Station to the 2025 movie release of Sinners. With one of Jordan’s upcoming projects being the long-awaited sequel to I Am Legend, Will Smith revealed to Revolt TV how the young actor would fit into all of this, and now I’m intrigued:

So, Michael B. Jordan will not be the younger version of Dr. Robert Neville, his son, or the leader of the Hemocytes. Instead, it appears he’ll be the leader of a new settlement. After seeing Jordan commandeer the screen leading the Creed movies, I’m confident he’ll bring the right mix of intensity and emotional depth like Will Smith did in the original.

As we discovered at the theatrical ending of I Am Legend, there’s a colony of survivors among those infected by the Krippin Virus. Unlike Dr. Neville, who was the last man in New York, it looks like Jordan’s character will contrast in being surrounded by people, all while living in an apocalyptic world.

The first time Will Smith announced he would star in an I Am Legend sequel, it just left me feeling… confused. Even his pal DJ Jazzy Jeff seemed a little surprised by that casting choice. After all, the explosive, theatrical ending of the post-apocalyptic movie had Dr. Robert Neville kill himself and the attacking Darkseekers to save Anna and her son, who held onto the cure for the virus. Because of that, director Francis Lawrence felt there was no need for a sequel since Dr. Neville didn’t survive, and a prequel would have been too similar to the medical disaster flick Contagion. However, it looks like the sequel will retcon the original and go with the alternative ending of Dr. Neville surviving.

I Am Legend may still be in the development stages, but I'm still hyped to see Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan share the screen together. The Black Panther actor sent his praises to his co-star, saying he’s “excited” to work with someone he’s “looked up to for a really long time.” As the two will be producing the new sequel together, Smith appears to feel the same way about Jordan, feeling they have a “solid” collaboration. The I, Robot actor further clarified The Wire actor’s role in their new movie:

With Michael B. Jordan’s character taking on a leadership role in the new location of Connecticut, I can already imagine power dynamics occurring between him and Dr. Neville. In the drastically different alternative ending the sequel is apparently going with, the virologist discovered that the Darkseekers weren’t as evil as they seemed, as the violence of their leader came from Dr. Neville kidnapping the female Darkseeker test subject. Dr. Neville decided to return the female Darkseeker to her mate, and they all walked away peacefully.

Maybe a possible plot for the sequel could be that Dr. Neville sees humanity in the Darkseekers that Jordan’s character doesn’t. It’ll be interesting to see if the dynamic between the two characters will be hostile or collaborative.

Will Smith’s reveal of Michael B. Jordan’s character heading a settlement in I Am Legend 2 is really hyping me up. With the new addition to the sequel leading a new generation of survivors, we’ll get to see humanity rebuilt from the ashes that Dr. Robert Neville first sought out to achieve.

It’s been three years since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, but that’s a scene that’s far from forgotten for those who were involved and for those who witnessed the moment. Even as Smith moves on with plenty of movies in the works, he released an album, Based on a True Story, that makes several nods to the scandal. The actor got candid about what these post-slap years have been like as he worked on himself.

Will Smith sat down with the Drink Champs podcast, where he really opened up about having to confront a part of himself that he hadn’t acknowledged or wanted to show people before. While fans knew him for light-hearted roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Men in Black, Smith has realized that public persona was a mask that he wore, and he’s taken time to look at what that means. In his words:

On March 27, 2022, though, Will Smith was very upset. While presenting the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head (the actress has alopecia), prompting Smith to walk up on stage and slap the comedian on live television.

That certainly wasn’t representative of the person Will Smith usually allowed the public to see, and to that point, he said:

Will Smith has said that the most painful part of dealing with the slap aftermath was coming to terms with the fact that he responded to hate with more hate. He’s realized since then that everybody’s going through pain, and he told N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN that there’s power to be found in confronting that pain within yourself. Smith said:

Will Smith went on to say he’s found poetry, power, patience, certainty and many other positive qualities since learning to accept the entirety of his humanity.

Chris Rock, meanwhile, has been dealing with it in his own way, including through his comedy. He addressed the Oscars slap on his comedy special Selective Outrage (available to stream with a Netflix subscription), where he had a lot to say about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Ultimately, though, Chris Rock said he lives in forgiveness, and interestingly he didn’t shut down the possibility of hosting the Oscars again someday. However, he agreed with the general consensus that Conan O’Brien deserves to do it again after he crushed this year’s ceremony.

Even three years later, there’s no question that “the slap” remains as relevant as ever, and it seems Will Smith has really learned a lot about himself in that time.

The Matrix remains a groundbreaking movie, with CGI slo-mo action that lives and dodges bullets in our heads rent-free decades later. Not only was the action movie a standout for being one of the best films of the ‘90s, but it gave audiences one of Keanu Reeves’ best performances of that decade. If you can believe it, Will Smith was almost cast as Neo in The Matrix, and his recent anecdote explaining why he turned it down actually made his decision more understandable to me.

It’s hard to believe why anyone would turn down the chance to join The Matrix, at least with the hindsight of having seen it. Getting to take part in kickass fight scenes in a digital world of unlimited possibilities sounds too good to pass up. However, Will Smith ended up turning down The Matrix back in the ‘90s after the Wachowskis tried to pitch it to him, and he got real with Sway’s Universe with a logical motivation behind turning it down.

That hilarious explanation really does make a lot of sense. The Wachowskis probably felt that glorifying the special effects and stunts and preaching their unique vision would have sold their movie to a star who helped turn other sci-fi movies like Independence Day and Men in Black into mega-blockbusters. However, their attempts fell flat on Smith's ears.

Of course The Matrix does have a complicated plot of aliens inserting a realistic, digital world into the minds of unsuspecting humans, all while using them as an energy source. And that technically has nothing to do with the bullet-time cinematography. So maybe if there was fear of the plot going over the heads of prospective choices, the special effects could win them over. Keep in mind that in the ‘90s, CGI was still developing and not common to have a whole movie be so computer-generated heavy like today.

I can understand Wild Wild West being an easy choice for Will Smith to make compared to The Matrix. He’d be reuniting with his Men in Black director, Barry Sonnefeld, and not have to worry about CGI action sequences in a gun-slinging flick. However, the former sitcom actor’s honest take on the box office flop Western was choosing that flick in hopes of becoming “the biggest movie star” compared to believing in the project. Fortunately, the King Richard actor has plenty of excellent performances in his career that make any commercial failures insignificant.

It’s hard to visualize a special effects heavy movie without seeing the finished production. After Will Smith got the chance to see The Matrix, he admitted he finally understood The Wachowskis’ pitch from years ago:

Back in 2022, Will Smith said that if he were to time travel to his time in Wild Wild West, he’d tell his younger self he shouldn’t have turned down The Matrix. At the same time, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor also came to the realization that everything was meant to be the way it played out. As it was originally going to be him as Neo and Val Kilmer as Morpheus, Smith acknowledged that it would have been a different movie and that “it’s good the way it is.”

It looks like The Matrix was the big movie that got away from Will Smith. But with a mind-rattling pitch that makes it hard to picture yourself in the sci-fi flick, who could blame him? But, at least Smith would eventually star in I, Robot five years later, which was another unnerving movie about the future of A.I. So, everything really is meant to be.

When it comes to box office stars of the 1990s, few names come close to the reach and power of Will Smith. With hit after hit, one culturally impactful movie after another, and an unmatched energy, the “Fresh Prince” reached heights not experienced since Eddie Murphy a decade earlier. And Smith, as well as the rest of us, have the all-time great SNL alum and foul-mouthed comedian to thank for that.

In the new two-part documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet, which recently became available for anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription, the leading man from some of the best ‘90s movies opened up about the time he told his team he wanted to be “Eddie Murphy in Star Wars” and how it impacted his career. Here’s the story about Smith’s motivation and how it led to two of the best sci-fi movies of all time.

What Will Smith Said About Eddie Murphy In Number One On The Call Sheet

Number One on the Call Sheet is a tremendous Apple TV+ original documentary exploring the lives, careers, and legacies of some of Hollywood’s biggest Black actors and actresses of all time. With engaging interviews with the likes of Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, and Laurence Fishburne, the first part – "Black Leading Men in Hollywood," directed by Reginald Hudlin – is full of great stories, insights, and personal philosophies on life and the industry. But one story I keep coming back to is Will Smith talking about being a young and hungry actor and wanting to be like his hero:

In the brief section, Smith, who would go on to play several of the most iconic ‘90s movie characters and create his own legacy of success, couldn’t stop gushing about the man who had the biggest impact on him. And if you look at Smith’s career, with his mix of comedic roles and dramatic parts, it’s easy to see how his “Eddie Murphy in Star Wars” comment went beyond just great ‘90s sci-fi flicks.

How Will Smith's Admiration For Eddie Murphy Led To Two Of His Biggest Blockbusters

Though Will Smith has had more memorable roles than just about any of his contemporaries, he will always be attached to Independence Day and Men in Black, which are still two of his most successful, and culturally significant, movies to this day. According to The Numbers, Independence Day, one of the best performers of 1996 brought in $817.4 million worldwide, while Men in Black, released the following summer, had $587.8 million in box office receipts. Though neither is technically Star Wars, this one desire to replicate Eddie Murphy’s success in the sci-fi game turned out to be incredibly profitable for Smith and the industry as a whole.

Smith would have certainly found success – he was already a big star with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Bad Boys before making Independence Day – but it’s hard to say one way or another if he would have reached the same heights without Murphy inspiring him to go bigger and bolder with his roles.

Both parts of Number One of the Call Sheet (the second focuses on Black actresses in Hollywood) are streaming on Apple TV+. If you want hilarious and insightful stories from some of the best in the game, this doc will do the trick.

It’s been nearly 29 years since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired on TV, but some things never change. For Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in the hit family comedy, it’s the sibling-like bond she still has with Will Smith to this day. To prove that point, the two recently reunited for a viral TikTok trend, reminding Ali of the greatest advice her on-screen cousin has ever given her.

The Viral Fresh Prince Trend Is Taking Over TikTok

If there’s anything TikTok loves more than a viral dance trend, it’s one born out of a pop culture moment. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was one of the best Black sitcoms of the ‘90s, is chock-full of them. And no, this time it’s not the Carlton, but I’m sure Alfonso Ribeiro’s memorable moves will have their resurgence (again) in due time.

The scene being recreated by millions of users is actually from very early on in the series, when Will walks in on Ashley dancing around her room. Since she has headphones on, she doesn’t hear him enter, and he starts mimicking her moves. She eventually turns around to see Will totally vibing on his own, to music he can’t hear. Watch the hilarious encounter here:

It became a trend on TikTok recently, with Doechii’s “Anxiety” becoming so big that Ali told For Women First the Grammy winner’s team reached out to her and Smith. The result was an epic collaboration from the trio, posted to TikTok:

In a separate TikTok video posted to Ali’s page, she and the Bad Boys star address the ad-libbed origins of that scene, and how a lot of people on the viral video app didn’t know the trend was inspired by their show. It’s safe to say they do now, as the Fresh Prince stars’ video with Doechii currently has almost 300 million views.

Clearly though, Smith and the Christmas Everlasting actress picked up right where they left off, and despite his cancellation a few years ago, she has always held love for her brotherly mentor.

The Best Advice Will Smith Ever Gave Ali

The Fresh Prince himself entered Hollywood at a young age, and, therefore, is a great mentor for his two kids, Willow and Jaden Smith, who also grew up in the entertainment industry. But before he had kids, there was his on-screen sibling, Tatyana Ali. Ali started filming Fresh Prince at only 11 years old, with her whole career ahead of her. One thing the Suicide Squad actor told her has stuck with her all these years too, and it was instrumental in her success, as she explained to the outlet:

One of those possibilities was returning to her roots. Ali joined the cast of Bel Air, Peacock’s dramatic reimagined reboot of the iconic original sitcom, in Season 2 in a recurring role as Ashley Banks’ English teacher. The Love That Girl actress said her emotional scenes with her former character were a full circle moment.

I have to say that it must have been quite surreal, and I imagine it was a similar experience for the other OG Fresh Prince cast members who appeared in Season 1. Perhaps with the upcoming fourth and final season set on the 2025 TV Schedule, Will Smith will add a Bel Air cameo to his list of upcoming projects. I would love to see him and Ali reunite on screen again after this iconic dance moment.

Remember when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars and the internet exploded? Of course you do, it was one of the most shocking live TV moments in recent memory. Smith just released his first full-length rap album in 20 years, and he decided to address the elephant in the room regarding his career, not once, but multiple times throughout the album.

Will Smith’s fifth studio album, Based On A True Story, just dropped on Friday, and now that we’ve given it a listen, we can confirm the rapper didn’t shy away from referencing the big moment at the Oscars with his latest bars. The album even begins with the words “Will Smith is cancelled” in a song called “Int. Barbershop Day,” where a bunch of voices go back and forth discussing him post-slap. You can check out the song on YouTube below:

Will Smith has previously shared that after the slap happened, he “kooked out” for a couple of years, but suddenly “music started coming out” of him again and he began working on this album. Perhaps that’s why he starts Based On A True Story this way? Some especially notable lyrics in the song are “I heard he won the Oscar but he had to give it back/And you know they only made him do that shit because he’s Black” or this one: “Him and Jada both crazy girl, what you talkin’ bout?/ You better keep his wife’s name out of your mouth.”

To be clear, no, Will Smith didn’t have to give his Oscar back, but after the Chris Rock slap, he was banned from the Academy Awards for a decade and he resigned from the Academy as well. In the second track directly after the introduction, the song “You Lookin’ For Me” Smith also gets into the controversy with the words: “Took a lot, I’m back on top, Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated, Won’t stop, my shit still hot, Even though I won’t get nominated.”

In the same song, he also references his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith with the lines: “Personal life with my wife, mind your business, it's complicated.” While that does it for direct references to the incident, Will Smith’s new album does offer some insight into his personal struggles and positive mantras with catchy hooks like “I’m bulletproof” and “I make it look easy.”

Since Will Smith’s viral Oscar moment, the actor has released two movies: Apple TV+’s Emancipation and last year’s summer box office hit Bad Boys: Ride Or Die. There are a bunch of upcoming Will Smith movies on the way, like the sequel to I Am Legend and a Plane, Trains And Automobiles movie with Kevin Hart. You can stream Based On A True Story on Spotify or wherever you listen to music now.

The next time you watch a comedy movie, see if you can picture the star engaging in fisticuffs with a criminal and taking down their henchpeople in a shootout. You never know: they could be Hollywood’s next great action hero.

It may seem unlikely until you realize that many of the best action movies and TV shows of all time have been led by or featured pivotal roles played by stand-up comedians or actors who broke through in funny flicks or even classic TV sitcoms. See for yourself by taking a look at some comedically talented actors who beat the odds by becoming action stars.

Will Smith

After initially coming to prominence as a rap artist, Academy Award winner Will Smith proved he had a charismatic onscreen presence as the star of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was cast in director Michael Bay's buddy cop movie, Bad Boys, and, the following year, led Roland Emmerich's action-packed alien invasion flick, Independence Day. There would soon be so much more where those came from.

Cheech Marin

Along with his partner, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin essentially became the face of stoner comedy, especially after co-leading the classic '70s movie, Up in Smoke. His career would take a turn when he appeared in 1995's Desperado, leading him to become a staple of Robert Rodriguez's movies, and, eventually, began portraying a type of character his roles from the Cheech & Chong movies would try to avoid alongside Don Johnson in the hit cop show, Nash Bridges.

Chris Pratt

By channeling much of the same comedic energy from his scene-stealing breakout role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt helped make 2014's sci-fi odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, a light breath of fresh air into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His fun, heartfelt performance as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill also convinced Hollywood he was leading man material, opening the door for him to star in the Jurassic World movies and Amazon Prime's The Terminal List, to name a few.

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd made his major motion picture debut in the hilarious high school movie classic Clueless before later hit comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up made him one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the genre. He found the perfect role to become inducted into the MCU in the form of Ant-Man, playing the shrinking superhero with the same everyman quality that made him an A-lister.

Michael Keaton

Because Michael Keaton got his start in stand-up comedy and had been best known for movies like Night Shift and Mr. Mom at the time, comic book fans were up in arms over Tim Burton's decision to cast him in his live-action Batman movies, Batman and Batman Returns. The Oscar nominee has since been regarded as one of the best actors to play the Dark Knight (if not the best) and would even return to superhero movies as one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Nicolas Cage

It is easy to forget that Nicolas Cage started out in comedies like Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married before blowing us away in high-octane thrillers like Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds. Then again, it is also easy to tell that the Oscar winner has a comedy background from some of his action movie credits, including the three listed above and his even Cagier roles, like from Mandy and Willy's Wonderland.

Damon Wayans

You may have forgotten he was on Saturday Night Live, but you should surely remember Damon Wayans from his days on the In Living Color cast and from sitcoms like My Wife and Kids. Hopefully, you did not also forget about his roles in '90s crime thrillers The Last Boy Scout (opposite Bruce Willis) and Bulletproof (opposite Adam Sandler) or when he took over as Roger Murtaugh for Fox's series adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Robert Downey Jr.

After lasting one season on Saturday Night Live, appearing in several '80s teen comedies like Weird Science, and earning his first Oscar nod for playing Charlie Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr.'s career would hit a snag in the early 2000s. Luckily, he would make an inspiring comeback after leading the 2005 noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the title role of Iron Man and playing Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Eddie Murphy

Many credit Eddie Murphy with single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, right before making his feature debut alongside Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy crime thriller, 48 Hrs. Just two years later, the comedian led his own acclaimed action-comedy movie called Beverly Hills Cop, which made him Hollywood's biggest star.

Bruce Willis

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Bruce Willis was best known for playing David Addison on Moonlighting, starring opposite Kim Basinger in Blind Date, and appearing in commercials for Seagram, which is why audiences initially laughed when they saw him as John McClane in the trailer for Die Hard. However, the 1988 action classic would immediately skyrocket the actor to stardom and turn him into a top Hollywood action star, later known for leading thrillers like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and Sin City.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's stand-up career led him to join the In Living Color cast and lead his own self-titled sitcom before his Oscar-winning performance in the 2004 music biopic, Ray, and Oscar-nominated performance in Collateral the same year opened wider doors for him. He went on to star in more thrillers like Jarhead, The Kingdom, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Electro, and White House Down.

Alan Ritchson

One of Alan Ritchson's first major acting credits was playing doltish college football player Thad Castle on the uproarious sitcom Blue Mountain State before landing a small role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, doing performance capture for the 2014 and 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and playing Hank "Hawk" Hall on Titans. The 6'3" actor's defining, star-making turn came when he was cast in the title role of the hit Amazon Prime TV show, Reacher, leading to his casting in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu landed her breakthrough role on the hit workplace dramedy Ally McBeal as Ling Woo. Soon after, she achieved cinematic stardom in 2000's Charlie's Angels, teamed up with Antonio Banderas in the 2002 spy thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and was cast as ruthless assassin O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live for years in the 1980s before co-leading his own acclaimed sketch comedy series with David Cross called Mr. Show, which was his main claim to fame for years. However, he stumbled onto a new career path when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Saul Goodman, who earned his own prequel spin-off called Better Call Saul, before leading his own action flick called Nobody.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence led a successful stand-up career that turned into a successful TV career with his hit sitcom, Martin, in between starring in movies like Do the Right Thing and Boomerang. In 1995, he played Det. Marcus Burnett, for the first of multiple times in Bad Boys and even went on to play a cop in a few more overt comedies, namely Blue Streak and Big Momma's House.

Ryan Reynolds

For years, even after starring in more earnest thrillers like Smokin' Aces and Safe House, it seemed like Ryan Reynolds' defining performance would forever be the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, which paved the way for him to star in more raunchy comedies like Waiting... or Just Friends. However, that would change in 2016 when he led Deadpool, which is still very much on the side of silly but is also as action-packed as any other comic book movie.

Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson quickly became a favorite in the comedy landscape for his hilarious performances in shows like I Think You Should Leave, Veep, and Ted Lasso. He would later go on to impress audiences in Amazon Prime's action-packed time travel movie The Tomorrow War opposite Chris Pratt, as the lead of the 2021 horror-comedy movie Werewolves Within, and in Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31.

Keanu Reeves

As the star of franchises like the John Wick movies and the Matrix films, in addition to favorites like Speed and Point Break, Keanu Reeves is one of the most prolific action stars in cinema history. Thus, it is sometimes hard to believe that he is the same actor who, excellently, played one-half of the titular duo from the Bill & Ted movies.

John Goodman

John Goodman began rising to prominence on the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne as Dan Conner (whom he would reprise in the revival series The Conners). However, he has managed to cover just about every genre you can think of throughout his career, including action films like Kong: Skull Island and Atomic Blonde.

Emily Blunt

It might seem like a stretch to call Emily Blunt a comedy star, but she did find her breakthrough film role with a hilarious scene-stealing performance in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. She would later prove she could play someone with a rougher exterior when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the thrilling time loop movie, Edge of Tomorrow, and in Denis Villeneuve's stunning Sicario.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is one of the most treasured comedic actors of his time, from his days at SCTV starring alongside Dave Thomas as the McKenzie Brothers (who led their own 1983 movie, Strange Brew), to appearing in films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In the middle of those comedy classics was a role in Walter Hill's dystopian "Rock 'n Roll fable," Streets of Fire.

Bill Burr

Bill Burr used to mock the Star Wars movies in some of his stand-up bits, which gave The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau a funny idea to bring him into the galaxy far, far away. He cast the Massachusetts-born comedian on the series as a mercenary named Migs Mayfield, which Burr has since recognized as one of the highlights of his career.

John Leguizamo

Despite getting his start as a stand-up comedian, many of John Leguizamo's earliest acting roles have actually been in action movies, including Die Hard 2 and Executive Decision. In addition to more humorous credits, like To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and the Ice Age movies, more thrillers would come his way, such as the John Wick movies and Violent Night.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson may be closely associated with comedies like Bottle Rocket, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander, but the actor has diversified his talents over various styles. He has even tried his hand at the action genre a few times, most notably in Behind Enemy Lines, No Escape, and Disney+'s MCU-canon series, Loki

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' first major show business breakthrough was a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, which led to roles in comedy films like Bachelor Party and Turner & Hooch. It was his Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump that opened the door for him to star in intense dramas like the acclaimed war movie Saving Private Ryan and the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas.

Val Kilmer

Some of Val Kilmer's most iconic roles include Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holliday in the Western movie classic Tombstone, and the title role of Batman Forever. However, his breakthrough films were the ridiculous spy parody, Top Secret!, and the college comedy, Real Genius, in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis rose to fame as Jackie Burkhart in the That '70s Show cast and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy before acquiring A-list fame. Her action movie credits, namely the video game movie adaptation Max Payne and the Wachowski's ambitious sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending, have not been her most esteemed efforts, but we will still count them.

Randall Park

Randall Park is best known for leading the sitcom Fresh off the Boat, his hilarious cameo on The Office as "Asian Jim Halpert," and for hit comedy movies like The Interview and Neighbors. He has also become a staple of the comic book movie genre with his role in the MCU as Agent Jimmy Woo and as Dr. Shin in the Aquaman movies.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf started making a name for himself when he was a teen as Louis on the Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. He went on to make a Hollywood breakthrough in the Transformers movies, which led to his roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, eventually, David Ayer's 2014 war drama, Fury.

Malin Akerman

Before she became the first actor to play Silk Spectre II in live-action in 2009's Watchmen, Malin Akerman rose to fame in comedy movies like 2007's The Heartbreak Kid and shows like Children's Hospital.

Jim Belushi

Just like his late older brother, John, Jim Belushi broke out on Saturday Night Live. Unlike John, Jim achieved a brief career in action movies, such as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Principal, and Oliver Stone's Salvador.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine was already an Oscar-winning movie star when he was cast as the lead of the hit sitcom, McHale's Navy. Eventually, he would appear in more earnest action-oriented titles, such as a made-for-TV adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, John Carpenter's Escape from New York, and 2010's RED.

Will Smith is still a pretty big movie star today, but there was a time in the late ‘90s that he was quite possibly the biggest movie star in the world. This was, at least in part, because becoming a movie star was exactly Smith’s goal, and it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who taught him how to do it.

In a clip from the documentary film, Number One on the Call Sheet, available this week with an Apple TV+ subscription, that has been posted to Instagram, Smith tells a story which he’s mentioned before about attending a Planet Hollywood opening in the early 1990s. He had a chance to talk to three movie star shareholders, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Sylvester Stallone. Smith said…

It may seem like an obvious statement, that being a big movie star means being a star outside of the U.S., but there are plenty of stars that are loved domestically that aren’t nearly as big elsewhere in the world. A star at the level of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise or yes, Will Smith, is something of a rarity.

But there’s also a more practical reason that being a big star all over the world is important. Being so acclaimed in other countries means a better chance for box office success globally. This means movies can still be a hit even if they don’t become smash hits in North America. Smith continued…

It’s not too difficult to see exactly this idea in action in Will Smith’s own career. While all the Men in Black movies are among the highest-grossing films of the actor’s career, it’s worth noting that each film made less money than the preceding one at the domestic box office. However, the sequels did much better overseas. Men in Black 3 was the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise domestically, but the highest-grossing internationally, making it actually the highest-grossing movie in the series worldwide.

Whether or not Will Smith ever returns to the heights of his previous stardom, the man clearly understands how to be a movie star.

Alfonso Ribeiro may have come to fame decades ago on TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but these days he’s likely known more for his dancing. Of course we’re all aware of the Carlton Dance, but Ribeiro proved he was more than his nerdy character when he won Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars and went on to become the competition’s co-host. He got to show off those moves recently, donning a pink suit for a moment that even got Will Smith’s attention.

There’s been no official word on when DWTS Season 34 will hit the 2025 TV schedule, but Alfonso Ribeiro had no intention of waiting to bust a move when he visited The Jennifer Hudson Show. Take a look at his walk to the stage:

Now, if you are unfamiliar with Jennifer Hudson’s spirit tunnels — where her crew lines the hallway outside of the guests’ dressing room, chanting, singing and dancing to pump them up as they take the stage — I implore you to stop now and go down that rabbit hole. It’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve lost hours watching videos.

Alfonso Ribeiro certainly looked to be embracing the “happy place,” as he hit them with some footwork, strutting down the hall with a big smile as he ultimately did a spin move that earned cheers from the hype team.

The viral video also earned props from his former TV cousin, Will Smith, who showed up in the comments to say:

I love this support from Will Smith three decades after the two actors starred together on one of the best TV sitcoms of all time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Men in Black actor knows all about Alfonso Ribeiro’s talents, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who recalls that Ribeiro was a child actor with a big personality whose career actually started on Broadway in 1983 when he played the titular character in The Tap Dance Kid.

Will Smith, of course, has been known to “get jiggy wit it” himself, and this isn’t the first time he’s shouted out “Alf.” A couple of years ago Alfonso Ribeiro reunited with his Dancing with the Stars partner, Witney Carson, for a viral dance to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song, prompting Smith to comment:

I think my favorite part about The Jennifer Hudson Show video, though, is that Alfonso Ribeiro didn’t feel pressured to do the Carlon Dance, even though he knows he’ll break the Internet (like he did on DWTS) if he does do it. Ribeiro has opened up about strangers constantly asking him to do the dance for them, which must be so exhausting. I love that he got the chance to show some different moves in the spirit tunnel.

If you want to relive Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro’s olden days, there are plenty of Carlton-centric episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that are available to stream with a Max subscription.

The 2025 Academy Awards had its share of surprises, but certainly nothing on par with the 2022 ceremony, which included one of the most famous unscripted moments in Oscars history when Will Smith came on stage to slap Chris Rock in the face.

Rock wasn’t hosting the Oscars that night, but he has hosted in the past. Certainly any decision to host again would involve revisiting the scene of the moment, which would have people talking about it again... something Rock might not want. But when speaking with E! After last night’s ceremony, the comedian didn’t shut the door on the possibility of returning to host, saying…

It certainly sounds like Chris Rock is willing to move on from the Oscar slap moment, and if that’s the case, then seeing him return to the Oscars stage, as either a presenter or as a host, is at least possible. It's a bit of a change from him. Back in 2019 Rock said he had no interest in hosting again.

That being said, for the next few years if Rock did return it wouldn’t require him to interact with Will Smith in any way. Smith was banned for a decade from attending the ceremony, and so there are still several years left on that punishment.

Still, it doesn’t sound like Chris Rock is necessarily considering a future gig as Oscars host, at least not after last night. When asked what he thought of Conan O’Brien’s performance, Rock could not have been more complimentary, saying it was so good they hope he’s asked back every year. Rock said…

Rock’s comments seem to be on par with many who thought O’Brien’s first outing as Oscar host was solid if not fantastic. Considering there have been years when it has been seemingly difficult for the Oscars to find a host if O’Brien wants to do it again, it seems a strong possibility it could happen.

There have been some great hosts over the years who have done such a good job that they were asked to host multiple times. Johnny Carson hosted five times, Billy Crystal hosted nine times and the iconic Bob Hope did it 19 times. Perhaps, if O’Brien does become a frequent host going forward, he could find his own name on that list. He’ll only need to host a couple more times to have done it more than Chris Rock.

Will Smith is still one of the busiest stars in Hollywood and, as such, he has a number of projects percolating. And, just recently, the actor gifted fans with a few updates on some of the big-screen ventures he has in the works. He dished on Hancock 2, which he wants to serve as a vehicle for himself and fellow A-lister Zendaya. As a fan of the original 2008 movie, I’m certainly excited about the prospect of seeing such a film come to fruition. But I’m also pumped that Smith shared an update on the long-awaited I Am Legend sequel as well.

The Oscar winner recently joined Twitch user xQc’s livestream, during which he discussed various topics. Eventually, he was broached about the follow-up to his 2007 post-apocalyptic thriller film, which is also set to star Michael B. Jordan. Fans can rest assured that the film is still happening, though, based on the comments from Smith, which are available to hear on YouTube:

I Am Legend 2 was first reported to be in development in early 2022, at which point it was said that both leading men were officially attached to the project as stars and producers At the same time, it was also said that screenwriter Akiva Goldsman would return to pen the script and produce the film. The original movie centers around scientist Robert Neville (Will Smith), who seeks to find a cure after a virus wipes out much of humanity. At the end of the film’s theatrical cut, Neville perishes after finding a cure.

However, in the alternate ending released on home media, Neville survives, and it’s since been revealed that the sequel will retcon the OG ending by picking up from that conclusion. It sounds like the man formally known as the Fresh Prince is excited to reprise his role as Neville. On top of that, he also seems to be pumped about working with Michael B. Jordan, and I’m also interested in seeing the two share the screen. The rapper-turned-actor shared some serious praise for Jordan, sharing his take on why he’s truly a movie star:

It sounds like game recognizes game. Will Smith teased his collaboration with Michael B. Jordan, saying that they have some “solid” ideas for the film. Jordan also hyped up Smith when talking about the film last year. Based on his comments, I get the impression that Smith finds pleasure in working with younger stars who understand the intricacies of the work. That could certainly apply to Zendaya as well, and I can certainly understand why Smith would want to work with her on the proposed Hancock sequel.

Quite frankly, it’s hard to tell when fans might receive more details on these two upcoming follow-ups. It’s still early days for both of them, and I’m just trying to remain hopeful that they actually happen. (The same feeling also rings true for a theoretical Bad Boys 5.) Keep your fingers crossed that Will Smith’s superhero and sci-fi flicks get off the ground.

The last time we saw Will Smith playing a superhero was back when he decided to do DC’s Suicide Squad in 2016. But before that, Smith played an unconventional superhero in the high-grossing 2000s movie Hancock. 17 years after the superhero flick’s release, the Oscar winner announces an idea for the long-awaited sequel that involves approaching Zendaya for a role and I’m sold!

It looks like a lot of Will Smith’s best movies are getting the long-awaited sequel treatment like last year’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, I Am Legend 2, and a Hitch sequel. After Smith joined a Twitch stream (via ComicBook) where he talked about future planned projects, fans needed to know if a Hancock 2 was happening. Fortunately for fans of the 2008 movie, the King Richard actor revealed to have a “really cool” idea for a Hancock sequel and it involves Zendaya:

Will Smith clearly knows acting talent when he sees it eyeing Zendaya for a role. I already have so many questions about Smith’s genius casting decision. It was revealed at the end of Hancock that the superhuman title character was immortal with him and his ex-wife Mary being the last of their kind. But does that mean that the two had an immortal daughter some time ago? Or maybe Hancock was with another woman before Mary as he’s existed for thousands of years. Another theory could be maybe Zendaya’s character has no relation to Hancock and could be another immortal being no one knew about living on Earth. Whoever she is, I would love to see the Challengers actress take on a superhero role instead of just being known as Peter Parker’s girlfriend in the genre.

While I love the idea of Zendaya sharing the screen with Will Smith in Hancock 2, I just don’t know how realistic it would be. After all, the Emmy-winning actress has been very busy these days. She’ll be returning for Euphoria’s third season with filming starting back in January and shooting her role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey which started this month. With so much on Zendaya’s plate, I don’t know how she’ll fit a Hancock sequel. But as this proposed sequel is in the talking stages, maybe everything can come into play in a year or two for Zendaya to be on board.

The character of Hancock coming back to the big screen after so many years is an idea I’m all over. While a sequel was thought to happen in 2009 with Will Smith and Charlize Theron wanting to return, nothing came to fruition.

When Hancock first came out, this was before the big buzz of the MCU and DC. Sure, we had the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and the X-Men movies, but Hancock introduced a superhero flick that wasn’t based on a comic book. Compared to well-respected heroes like Spider-Man and Iron Man, Will Smith introduced audiences to a different kind of hero portraying Hancock as an alcoholic superhuman who didn’t always know what he was doing, leaving him under public scrutiny. He’s not even someone who wants to be a hero. He just happens to have superpowers and struggles to find his purpose. A sequel would do a great job showing how the reluctant hero has adjusted after all of these years and if he’s finally embraced his responsibilities.

While there's no word yet on whether Zendaya has agreed to take on Hancock 2, I would love to see that happening. It would be the perfect opportunity to expand the world of immortal superheroes by casting the Dune actress as a super-powered being, showing Hancock and Mary aren’t the only ones of their kind. But with Zendaya having a busy schedule, it’s hard to know if she’ll be able to board the long-awaited sequel. Until then, look at our 2025 movie releases so you don’t miss the latest flicks coming to theaters and streaming.

Every year, I try to honor Black History by writing about something important that has occurred in the entertainment industry. And, I can’t think of any greater honor than winning the Academy Award.

Yes, there have been achievements in many different categories, including directing, writing, producing, scoring, etc, but today, my focus is going to be on Black actors.

Split amongst the Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor categories, there have been a total of 23 Oscars doled out to Black performers. So, here are all 23 of them, chronologically ordered.

Hattie McDaniel - Gone With The Wind (1939)

The very first Black winner for an acting Academy Award, Hattie McDaniel won it for Best Supporting Actress with her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind.

And, even though it's a racial stereotype role, McDaniel's character was often the most sensible and attention-grabbing character on the screen. It's a landmark victory for Black people in cinema.

Sidney Poitier - Lilies Of The Field (1963)

One of Sidney Poitier’s best movies, Lilies of the Field, which is about a handyman who helps a group of nuns build a chapel, was actually Poitier’s second nomination for Best Lead Actor.

His first was for 1958’s The Defiant Ones, which was a movie that he mostly shared with Tony Curtis. Lilies of the Field, however, was a leading role purely for Poitier, and he ended up becoming the first Black Actor to ever win the award. Great stuff!

Louis Gossett Jr. - An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

In this romantic drama that also stars Richard Gere, Louis Gossett Jr. plays a hard-nosed drill instructor who really challenges his cadets.

Before there was R. Lee Ermey in one of my favorite Kubrick films, Full Metal Jacket, there was Louis Gossett Jr. berating his troops. He was the first Black man to win a Best Supporting Acting trophy, and it was justly awarded. He’s really good in this.

Denzel Washington - Glory (1989)

Denzel Washington’s first Academy Award was a supporting one for his role as a private in the Civil War drama, Glory.

As both a leader to the men in his regiment, but also a soldier who must follow orders, Washington’s character shows the duality of a Black man in uniform. Him deciding to hold up the flag for the charge is one of the most iconic scenes in late ‘80s cinema.

Whoopi Goldberg - Ghost (1990)

An EGOT recipient (though, not the only one on this list), Whoopi Goldberg received a Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as the medium, Oda Mae Brown, in the hit Ghost.

The romance between Swayze and Moore’s character is what defines this film, but it wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without Goldberg’s humor, and seriousness when the moment calls for it.

Cuba Gooding Jr. - Jerry Maguire (1996)

For this sports comedy-drama, Cuba Gooding Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor award for his role as a cocky but steadfast wide receiver who wants to be shown the money.

Gooding Jr.’s performance is full of energy, and it makes this romantic comedy feel even sweeter when his and Tom Cruise’s characters share more than just a player and client relationship and actually become good friends.

Halle Berry - Monster's Ball (2001)

The only Black woman who has ever won Best Lead Actress, Halle Berry, took home the trophy for her role as a conflicted woman who takes on a relationship with the man who helped execute her husband.

Berry’s character is highly vulnerable, and the events of the movie are stressful beyond belief. Still, her character, as flawed as she is (everybody’s flawed in this film) weathered the storm, and earned Berry a Best Actress statue for her troubles.

Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)

Washington’s second trophy came as the Best Lead Actor, for playing a cop in Training Day who definitely didn’t follow the rules.

Washington’s character was both charming and terrifying, often in the same scene. Say it with me, people: King Kong ain't got nothing on him!

Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Morgan Freeman actually had a supporting role in two of Clint Eastwood’s best movies, those being Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby. And, both films won Best Picture.

However, it was in the latter film where Freeman picked up the Best Supporting Actor statue, for playing a grizzled former boxer and gym assistant. It’s a mostly quiet role, but a memorable one.

Jamie Foxx - Ray (2004)

In one of the best music movies of all time, Jamie Foxx scored a much deserved Best Lead Actor award for his role as the famous blind musician, Ray Charles.

Foxx even had his eyes glued shut for the sake of authenticity. Anything for the craft, right?

Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls (2006)

Another EGOT recipient on this list, Jennifer Hudson, scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy in her VERY FIRST ACTING GIG!

It’s little wonder why though. Hudson’s portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls is powerful. Going from lead singer to starting all over again, Hudson did a “Supreme” job (Do you see what I did there?) in her very first role.

Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker’s best performance is by far his role as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

In a role that netted him a Best Lead Actor award, Whitaker is utterly terrifying, but also somewhat funny, in the way that only Whitaker can be.

Mo'Nique - Precious (2009)

After watching Mo’Nique as the abusive mother in Precious, it’s hard to watch her again in one of the best Black TV shows, The Parkers. It just seems like such a smoke screen.

Anyway, Mo’Nique was awarded a Best Supporting Actress trophy for this performance, and I haven’t looked at her the same way since.

Octavia Spencer - The Help (2011)

Though The Help hasn’t aged well, Octavia Spencer’s role as a maid who was fired for using a guest bathroom is still one of her best performances.

Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for a role where she got to take a dump in somebody’s pie. It’s a feel good film.

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave (2013)

In her career-defining role in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o plays a violently abused slave.

It is one of the most brutal (and likely most realistic) portrayals of slavery ever put to screen, and Nyong'o won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance.

Viola Davis - Fences (2016)

In this adaptation of a play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, Viola Davis plays a wronged but loyal wife.

The third EGOT recipient on this list, Davis should have several Oscars, but this is her sole win, and it’s in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Mahershala Ali - Moonlight (2016)

Though only in Moonlight for one act, Mahershala Ali’s performance as a caring drug dealer was so powerful that he won the Best Supporting Actor trophy.

It would be his first of two Academy Awards so far.

Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

In If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King plays the mother of a young woman whose boyfriend has been convicted of rape, and she tries to convince the victim that it wasn’t him.

King won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her quiet, but searing performance.

Mahershala Ali - Green Book (2018)

In Ali’s second Best Supporting Actor win, the skilled performer played real-life pianist Don Shirley in this Best Picture winner.

Ali’s character in this film is completely different from that in Moonlight, but that sense of vulnerability still persists, which was worthy of the award.

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas And The Black Messiah (2020)

Playing the “Black Messiah,” Daniel Kaluuya portrayed the inspirational Fred Hampton in this riveting biopic.

He won Best Supporting Actor, beating out the “Judas” (Bill O’Neal) in this picture, played excellently by LaKeith Stanfield, who was also nominated.

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story (2021)

In this second adaptation of the famed musical West Side Story, Ariana DeBose won Best Supporting Actress playing Anita, who was portrayed by Rita Moreno in the first theatrical adaptation.

DeBose is absolutely magnetic in the role, firmly earning her win.

Will Smith - King Richard (2021)

Though the unfortunate slap is likely what many people remember most about this ceremony and Will Smith's award, his Best Lead Actor-winning turn really does deserve a second look.

Playing the tenacious father to Venus and Serena Williams, Smith definitely deserved the award for his work in the lauded film.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers (2023)

And finally, the most recent winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a quietly grieving mother in The Holdovers.

This film speaks to me as a teacher, yes, but also as a parent. I can thankfully only imagine the pain that her character Is going through.

That’s all of them! We’ll see if Zoe Saldaña, Colman Domingo, or Cynthia Erivo pick up a trophy at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Will Smith has a list of memorable performances, whether it’s fighting aliens in the Men in Black films, his Oscar-winning role as Venus and Serena Williams’ dad in the cast of King Richard, or a down-on-his-luck salesman in The Pursuit of Happyness. But we can’t forget about the time he played a “date doctor” in one of the top box office films of 2005, Hitch. As the rom-com just hit its 20th anniversary, there’s a fascinating story behind one scene of the movie Smith had to be “begged” to film.

Hitch is truly an example of a laugh-out-loud comedy with so many hilarious scenes. Ones that come to mind include when Hitch is trying to teach his client, Albert, how to kiss, and when Albert is showing Hitch his not-so-smooth dance moves. However, one of my favorite scenes from the New York-set rom-com was when Hitch goes on his first date with Sara Melas to Ellis Island and it goes horribly wrong. If you can believe it, Business Insider’s interview with Hitch director Andy Tennant revealed Will Smith was “begged” to shoot this one iconic scene, and here’s why:

It looks like Will Smith learned a little something about history through his experiences filming Hitch. While it’s a widely held belief that Black Americans did not pass through Ellis Island or play a role in the immigration waves of the 20th century, African-American filmmaker James Lassiter proves that’s a historical misunderstanding if his own family came through Ellis Island.

You could argue an Ellis Island first date is an original idea for Hitch attempting to give Sara an emotional and personal experience specifically about her family’s origins. Andy Tennant admits that what was originally written as a sweet date scene actually got reworked into the comedy fiasco we saw in the final cut:

That’s actually brilliant to have Hitch and Sara’s first date be a disaster since the overly-confident “date doctor” seems to think he has enough game to charm women. Giving Sara a head injury when accidentally kicking her off her jet ski, and then making her re-live a tragic family legacy with “The Butcher of Cádiz” was classic! All of these elements definitely helped make the Ellis Island scene more memorable compared to a typical romantic date.

My favorite part of the Ellis Island scene was the twist of Eva Mendes exploding into angry tears after Hitch points out her grandfather as one of the listed immigrants who came through, only to find out from her he was a murderer. As for Andy Tennant, he has his own favorite part that he’s watched “a thousand times:”

Eva Mendes really did show excellent comedic timing in that scene. Her pausing mid-air definitely helped convey the unexpected shock and surprise of literally getting kicked off of her jet ski by Hitch. I wonder if that pause was written in the script like that. It's a good thing there were those life vests.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Hitch tickets were selling fast on Valentine’s Day mid-week. Talk about feeling old here! Will Smith made sure to commemorate the occasion on his Instagram post filled with your favorite scenes from the movie, behind-the-scenes videos and photos from the premiere:

It’s a good thing that the creative team behind Hitch “begged” Will Smith to shoot the Ellis Island scene or we would have missed out on one of the funniest moments of the movie. With Andy Tennant revealing the Oscar-winning actor is developing a sequel, I’m curious what other romantic hijinks the smooth-talking consultant will take on. Until then, you can watch Hitch with your Peacock subscription.

Celebrity couples have a habit of fascinating the public, from Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift to Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. While combined starpower can be a powerful tool in the industry, it also makes any private drama into a very public matter. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith likely know this all too well, as they've made countless headlines over the years related to their relationship. And fans might be wondering what's going on with the pair two year after Jada's viral entanglement comments.

While Will Smith slapping Chris Rock has remained synonymous with the celebrity couple, there is also plenty of discourse about the marriage itself. Some fans connected The Slap with Jada Pinkett Smith's affair with August Alsina, which is why there are so many continued question about the Smiths. An anonymous insider close to the pair spoke to People, and claimed that they were "living independently" but staying in each other's lives. They said:

There you have it. It sounds like the Smiths are at least semi-separated, apparently continuing to live independently of each other. While they're presumably still co-parenting and staying in each other's lives, they aren't behaving as a "traditional" married couple. Then again, the pair of celebrities have always made their own rules related to their relationship.

Jada Pinkett Smith has explained why being separated from Will Smith was necessary, but that doesn't stop the public from being curious about what's going on behind closed doors. Some might be rooting for a reconciliations, while others think the drama might be too much.

Aside from his personal life, Will Smith has been on a comeback journey since The Slap stopped his career in its tracks. The same insider close to the couple offered an update on how he's doing, offering:

While his comeback was originally slow going, Will Smith has managed to shoot and release a number of projects since the Oscars drama went down. Bad Boys: Ride or Die crushed at the box office, so it's clear that the public's support of the 56 year-old Oscar winner hasn't waned. He's currently attached to a number of upcoming projects, including the remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles as well as I Am Legend 2.

As for Jada Pinkett Smith, she's got some exciting creative ventures coming down the line, including the long-awaited Girls Trip sequel. Hopefully we get some more information about that comedy sooner rather than later. Although we probably shouldn't expect to see it on the 2025 movie release dates. But what's clear is that the Smiths are continuing to thrive despite their unique marriage.

The Academy Award for Best Actor has been handed out every year since 1929 — fun fact, it was awarded to German actor Emil Jannings for not one but two acclaimed roles, in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 86 actors. But while taking home that coveted statuette is definitely a career highlight for any performer, the honor does add a little extra pressure on the actor's next project. Will it be as beloved and acclaimed as the role that won them the gold? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actors did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Cillian Murphy

After the enormity of portraying famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar blockbuster Oppenheimer, and taking home the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the process, Cillian Murphy went small for his next film — literally. In the 2024 adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, Murphy returned to his native Ireland to play Bill, a quiet coal merchant and father of five internally struggling with the harsh realities of the infamous Magdalene Laundries. While Murphy didn't replicate the awards dominance of Oppenheimer with SMTLT, his internal and affecting performance was widely praised by critics.

Joaquin Phoenix

After four nominations throughout his decades-spanning career, Joaquin Phoenix finally took home that Best Actor statue in 2020 for his engrossing portrayal of the nihilistic clown Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker. Following that iconic role, Phoenix next appeared in the 2021 Mike Mills dramedy C'mon C'mon, an improv-heavy performance that saw the actor play a middle-aged radio journalist tasked with babysitting his nephew (Woody Norman) while on the road for work. Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Awards, and the film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Independent Films of the year.

Will Smith

Will Smith had quite an, um, eventful evening when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for King Richard after two prior nominations (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness). Winning an Oscar means that a spotlight is already bright on an actor, but the added publicity from the ceremony means his post-slap comeback would be even more scrutinized than usual. His follow-up was 2022's Emancipation, in which he played a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. Though the drama received mixed reviews overall, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.

Anthony Hopkins

Though he's garnered six Oscar nominations across his illustrious acting career — with his most recent win being for 2021's The Father — Anthony Hopkins' first Academy Award was for that scene-stealing villain, psychiatrist turned serial killer Hannibal Lector in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. Following up such an iconic performance is no small task and unfortunately, Hopkins' next film, 1992's Freejack opposite Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was a sci-fi dud, bombing both with critics and audiences. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Hopkins himself called the film "terrible."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio had a bit of "always the bridesmaid" syndrome where the Academy Awards were concerned, until he finally took home the Best Actor Oscar for his emotionally raw and physically punishing performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 2019 Western epic The Revenant. His next big-screen role was, graciously, a bit less cold and blustery, trading the frosty American Midwest for starry Los Angeles in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The latter received 10 Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including a nod for DiCaprio's individual work.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had already taken home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a Civil War soldier in the 1989 war drama Glory, but he got his first big Best Actor win for portraying corrupt LAPD officer Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. His next performance was another memorable Denzel role: as the title character in the 2002 Nick Cassavetes-directed drama John Q, which saw Washington play a desperate father who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Alas, despite some praise for Denzel's performance, the film itself boasts only a 26% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert De Niro

Six years after taking home the Best Supporting Actor statue for The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro got his Best Actor win for his iconic and intense work as boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. A year later, De Niro put away the boxing gloves and picked up the Bible to play a Roman Catholic monsignor in 1981's True Confessions, opposite fellow The Godfather great Robert Duvall. Though reviews for the neo-noir were largely positive, the National Review's William F. Buckley, Jr. panned it: "Robert De Niro is badly miscast. He is never entirely convincing."

Matthew McConaughey

After acclaimed turns in 2011's Lincoln Lawyer and 2012's Magic Mike, the so-called "McConaissance" was officially solidified a year later with Matthew McConaughey's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Despite not having nearly as much screentime, the actor's next performance was just as memorable: a chest-thumping, meme-inducing extended cameo as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

Tom Hanks

Beyond being one of the most beloved actors of all time, Tom Hanks also holds a piece of cinema history: he's one of only two actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards for acting. Yes, that means after taking home the Best Actor Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in 1994's Philadelphia, Hanks struck Oscar gold yet again with his very next performance, as the titular lead of 1995's Forrest Gump.

Rami Malek

Rami Malek belted his way to an Oscar as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the glossy 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. His first post-award performance also revolved around his voice — voice acting, that is, as Malek portrayed a mountain gorilla named Chee-Chee in the 2020 fantasy-adventure film Dolittle, with his future Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doc. The family-friendly flick received abysmal reviews from critics, with Courtney Howard of Variety writing: "What should have been an awe-filled adventure quickly curdles into an awful one, thanks to a pedestrian formula and the filmmakers' fixation on fart jokes."

Adrien Brody

In 2003, Adrien Brody made Oscar history when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29 for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist, becoming the youngest actor ever to win in that category. Later that year, he followed up his historic win with the musical crime comedy The Singing Detective, about a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations. The film scored a 39% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx had one hell of a 2004, serving up not one but two award-worthy performances: He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as soul great Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray and also received a Best Supporting Actor nod that same year for his work in the crime film Collateral. It would be near-impossible for any performer to hit that kind of stratospheric high again, especially with Foxx's follow-up Stealth — the 2005 military action flick co-starring Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel was dubbed a "stink-bomb" by Roger Ebert.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis deservedly holds the record for the most Best Actor awards ever, with three wins out of six nominations, but his first was for playing Christy Brown, a writer-artist born with cerebral palsy, in the 1989 drama My Left Foot. And though he would later follow that iconic role up by playing famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bill the Butcher, his immediate next performance was as an Irish-American dentist traveling around Argentina in the forgettable 1989 dramedy Eversmile, New Jersey.

Jack Nicholson

The first of three Academy Awards for the legendary movie star, Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest performance as Randle McMurphy nabbed him the Oscar in 1976. Later that year, he would star as cattle rustler Tom Logan opposite Marlon Brandon in the Arthur Penn-helmed Western The Missouri Breaks. Coming hot on the heels of not only his own Oscar win but also Brando's for The Godfather, the film was highly anticipated — however, it failed to live up to those expectations and became a notorious critical and commercial flop.

Marlon Brando

One of the most iconic cinema stars of all time, Marlon Brando was nominated for eight Oscars across his decades-spanning career. He won two, the first being for his electrifying role as prizefighter turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, widely considered one of the greatest acting performances of all time. His next role as Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical romance Désirée didn't win him any awards, but Variety reportedly called his performance "a masterful exhibition of thesping" at the time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman had already solidified himself as a vibrant and vital supporting actor with films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Magnolia and 25th Hour, but his Oscar-winning portrayal of author Truman Capote in 2005's Capote officially upped him to leading man status. He would receive another three Oscar nominations in the years to follow, but his very next role was more of a crowd-pleaser than an awards grab: as arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Russell Crowe

Audiences and critics alike were very much entertained by Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 Rome-set epic Gladiator, which earned the New Zealand-born star the Best Actor Oscar at the 73rd Academy Awards. Crowe would go up for the same award only a year later, for his portrayal of American mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, but he lost to Training Day lead Denzel Washington.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin rose to international fame with his performance as George Valentin in the 2011 silent movie The Artist — his Oscar win was a historic one, as he was the first French performer to ever take home the Best Actor statue. Despite his newfound Hollywood status, however, the actor-comedian returned to his native France for his next film credit: The Players, a 2012 comedy anthology co-starring Gilles Lellouche, with each man also directing and writing a segment.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage's filmography is a wild ride, from critically acclaimed fare like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Adaptation to straight-to-video shlock. Thankfully, his 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas falls into the former category, winning Cage the Best Actor Oscar for his role as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson. (Funnily enough, it's not one of Nic Cage's favorite Nic Cage movies.) His next movie was the 1996 action thriller The Rock, which also won Cage an award: the Best On-Screen Duo statue at the MTV Movie Awards alongside co-star Sean Connery.

Eddie Redmayne

British star Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything. But that career high was immediately followed by a career-low: a Golden Raspberry Award — a parody award honoring cinematic failures — for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in the galactically goofy 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending. Even he admitted his performance was bad!

Sidney Poitier

A movie icon through and through, Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier made history in 1964 as the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. A year later, he moved on from that seminal role with the 1965 Cold War thriller The Bedford Incident, as a civilian photojournalist aboard a U.S. Navy ship that gets into some messy business with a Soviet submarine. Though Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility," other critics clearly disagreed — the movie has an 86% Certified Fresh rating.

Sean Penn

After a trio of Best Actor nominations, Sean Penn's haunting performance as a grieving, vengeful father of a murdered Boston girl in the Clint Eastwood-directed neo-noir Mystic River finally got him the Academy Award in 2004. Later that year, Penn starred in yet another crime thriller, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, based on the story of the POTUS's would-be assassin Samuel Byck in the mid-1970s. The latter film didn't share the award-worthy gravitas of Mystic River, though, per Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus said: "A fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations."

Roberto Benigni

Few Oscar wins were as memorable as Roberto Benigni's, what with presenter Sofia Loren's passionate declaration of "Roberto!" to Benigni's literal victory lap up to the stage. The Italian actor-director took the Best Actor trophy in 1998 for the Holocaust tragicomedy Life is Beautiful, making him the first honoree for a non-English language performance. A year later, he would appear in a very different movie: French-Italian-German comedy adventure flick Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar opposite Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, which was a box office success.

Al Pacino

One of the most influential actors in modern cinema, Al Pacino was nominated for eight Academy Awards — including for The Godfather films, Serpico and the crime drama classic Dog Day Afternoon — before finally taking home the Best Actor statue for playing Frank Slade in 1992's Scent of a Woman. That Oscar win gave viewers an extra critical eye on his next role, as Nuyorican criminal Carlito Brigante in the De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way, however, reviews were largely positive.

Ben Kingsley

It's a daunting thing playing any famous figure in movies based on true stories, especially when the subject is so famous, that they need only one name. Case in point: Gandhi, the 1982 bio epic about the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and performed by English actor Sir Ben Kingsley. Luckily for them, the film won Best Picture and Kingsley took home the Best Actor award. Though his next project, the 1983 film adaptation of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal, didn't get Oscar acclaim, it was well-received by critics.

Humphrey Bogart

It seems surprising that Humphrey Bogart didn't win the Oscar for a role as iconic as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca. No, it would actually be another eight years until ol' Bogie won Best Actor for The African Queen, starring as Canadian mechanic Charlie Allnut opposite Katharine Hepburn's Methodist missionary Rose Sayer. His post-Oscar follow-up was the 1952 noir Deadline – U.S.A.: Variety said "Bogart gives a convincing performance all the way" as a big-city newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's crimes.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was ferocious and formidable as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland, one of his best performances that got the performer a Best Actor Oscar in '07. Later that year, the actor appeared in the ensemble crime drama The Air I Breathe alongside Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Brendan Fraser. Though reviews for the film were overwhelmingly negative, several singled out Whitaker's performance. Annabelle Robertson at Crosswalk wrote: "Whitaker, in particular, is extremely sympathetic in his role—a feat that is all the more outstanding after his turn as the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland."

Dustin Hoffman

After three Best Actor nods, New Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman received his first Academy Award for playing half of a couple going through a devastating divorce (alongside an equally great Meryl Streep) in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. His next movie role is just as much of a classic: as Michael Dorsey-slash-Dorothy Michaels in the beloved 1982 comedy Tootsie, which nabbed the star yet another Best Actor nomination.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman was nearly unrecognizable in his prosthetics-heavy performance as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 historical drama Darkest Hour. The Academy Awards honored the quintessential Oldman role with a Best Actor award, his second nomination after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His next role was just as transformative, if not nearly as acclaimed: Oldman voiced an artificial intelligence in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Tau, which holds a woeful critical rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Laurence Olivier

One of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in film history, cinema icon Laurence Olivier starred in and directed adaptations of three of the Bard's best-known words, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and earned a Best Actor Oscar for playing the Prince of Denmark. After portraying one of the most famous characters of all time, Olivier switched it up by cameoing as a no-name policeman in the 1951 drama The Magic Box, a "distinguished" bit of stunt casting that The New York Times praised as a delightful "extravagance."

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck's devastating performance as a father grieving the loss of his three children in Kenneth Lonergan's gut-wrenching Manchester by the Sea clearly broke the collective hearts of the Academy, which voted to give the Boston-bred performer the Best Actor award in 2017. That year, he would tackle another exploration of love and loss with the supernatural drama A Ghost Story, which was a hit with critics — Richard Brody of The New Yorker included the title on his list of the decade's best films.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser experienced quite the career comeback when he took the Best Actor Oscar for his acclaimed performance as a morbidly obese, housebound English teacher in the 2022 Darren Aronofsky-directed melodrama The Whale. He kept those high-profile projects going with his next film credit, as attorney W. S. Hamilton in Martin Scorsese's stunning American crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

While Will Smith doesn’t currently have a project set for the 2025 movie schedule, that doesn’t mean the man’s not busy. Between his Netflix reunion movie with Michael Bay and the long-gestating I Am Legend 2, things we never thought would happen have become realities on the Academy Award winner’s plate. That pattern is particularly interesting to keep in mind today, as Smith’s social media presence has shared a video related to one of his most infamous passes: the 1999 classic The Matrix.

Oh, we definitely need to talk about what’s going on here, because I’m sure you have the same pressing question I have at the moment: what does this mean? Let's talk it out.

Will Smith’s Matrix Tease Is Mysterious, To Say The Least

By now, a number of cinephiles may be aware of that time Will Smith turned down The Matrix. The King Richard star shared that very story when he posted a cryptic video on social media that seems to be asking, and potentially answering one of the biggest “what if” questions movie fans have asked for decades. Take a look at the full video below, and brace yourself for a little bit of nostalgia:

So we’re supposedly going to see what it would have looked like if Mr. Smith fought Agent Smith in The Matrix. Considering The Matrix 5’s 2024 announcement has us all expecting the first entry in the series not written or directed by Lana and/or Lilly Wachowski, the continuation of one of the best action franchises of all time feels like it’d be ripe for a new lead actor.

However, there’s already some suggestions and evidence that seems to suggest we shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet. In fact, Will Smith’s “What If…” might not even be a cinematic venture at all. So let’s talk more about a plausible scenario that’s entered the conversation, and why we shouldn’t be expecting any IMAX teasers with Will Smith pulling bullet time moves just yet.

What Will Smith’s Cryptic Matrix Post Reportedly Means

So, with The Matrix 5 on Hollywood’s radar, could we see Will Smith playing his variant of Neo? It honestly doesn’t look like it, and I’m not terribly surprised. Perhaps the major refutation that sank this ship of dreams came from THR’s film editor Aaron Crouch, as he must have done some digging of his own to be able to share this simple rebuttal on X:

Well, given this report, I guess I can just file these hopes along with all those previous rumors of low altitude helicopter chases, and various eras of history shown in parallel Matrix worlds. Though I am grateful that this rumor has been dispelled much quicker than all of those other concepts I remember hearing about during the original trilogy’s production.

Kicking Matrix 5 to the metaphorical curb initially could've opened up the more likely scenario of Will Smith possibly doing a Super Bowl ad that centers around his alternate version of Neo. However, according to Deadline, it would seem that this tease is reportedly related to new music that the Fresh Prince icon is releasing.

The trade doesn't provide any specific details on Will Smith's upcoming project. In recent years, the acclaimed entertainer has been steadily working his way back into the music scene, even releasing his first single in two decades, "You Can Make It." His last studio album, Lost and Found, was released in 2005.

I don’t know what exactly we should expect from these new tunes but, considering the Hancock star's talent, I'd say fans could be in for something fresh. For now, we’re going to have to sit tight for more information on what Mr. Smith is putting into the world here. But with the timing seeming to map up, and a Matrix 5 appearance supposedly off the table, fans can now only dream about what Smith's Neo might've been like.

So, to anyone who's ready to follow wherever this Rabbit Hole goes, keep your eyes open for updates. In the meantime, keep yourself entertained by checking out some of Will Smith's best performances.

As busy as Dwayne Johnson has been in previous years, the man also known as “The Rock” has only one picture on the 2025 movie schedule. That’s probably because of his demanding schedule seeing him return to the world of Moana, both through its 2024 sequel and the upcoming live-action Disney movie remaking the original. The man truly doesn’t know the meaning of the word rest, and after learning why he fired his agents early on in his acting career, you can totally see why.

With GQ making the Red One star one of its 2024 Men of the Year, an accompanying profile has chronicled Johnson’s rise to fame from his days as a villain in The Mummy Returns. And apparently, Will Smith and George Clooney were the pop culture idols The Rock wanted to exceed right from the start. Basically, if you weren’t smelling what Dwayne Johnson was cooking in his career, you got the boot - and a new agent would take your place.

One can still see that sort of momentum still at work in the man’s career, as well as view the benefits that have been reaped in the meantime. Red One’s mammoth 2024 streaming success is just the most recent sign of Johnson’s continued strength in the world of entertainment. Even when mixed in with some not so rosy stories of the recent past, like the debacle that was WB’s Black Adam, the hustle of this WWE icon cannot be denied.

2025 might see a new variant of blood, sweat, and tears enter into The Rock’s corner, as everything we know about The Smashing Machine has Dwayne Johnson’s first A24 project sounding like a future awards contender. Reuniting with Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt certainly isn't a bad move to realize such ambitions either, as their past experience could only help the man up his game even further.

That isn’t a sign that the man has been scared away from blockbuster franchises and sequels entirely, as Johnson’s upcoming movies also include that third Jumanji sequel in the works. Intended for release in December 2026, it already sounds like the Moana franchise star has that project lined up for whenever he’s finished playing Maui again.

This isn’t the kind of workload that’s meant for the faint of heart, so I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone who wasn’t in alignment with Dwayne Johnson’s current goals would find themselves taken off the team just as quickly as those early days. I mean, when’s the last time you heard a story about George Clooney or Will Smith having a massive streaming hit that salvaged a box office bomb in the process?

It may not be Christmas, but action fans still have a lot to enjoy with Red One. Should you want to get one last round of holly jollyness on your way into the new year, you can stream that picture through access to a Prime Video subscription. That is, if you’re not already done saying “you’re welcome” to Moana 2, which is still currently running in theaters.

At this point, Will Smith has long been a fixture within the Hollywood landscape and has managed to endear himself to not only fans but to the people he’s worked with as well. Some of his co-stars have spoken highly of him over the years, with some making note of the energy he possesses while on set. It seems that he can also be “intense” at times, though, according to John Salley, Smith’s co-star in the Bad Boys movies. Additionally, Salley shared the funny reason why he couldn’t look Smith in the eye whenever they filmed.

Former NBA player John Salley played the role of the imposing hacker-turned-technician-turned artist Fletcher in three of the four Bad Boys films. So he’s had plenty of experience working with the Six Degrees of Separation star over the years. Salley recently discussed their on-set dynamic with fellow pro-basketball veteran Byron Scott on the Fast Break podcast (which is on YouTube). After referencing the Independence Day star’s intensity, Salley explained that his co-star possesses a specific acting quirk:

This actually isn’t the first time Will Smith’s tendency to mouth lines has been brought up. During the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion, actresses Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali recalled how Smith would mess up scenes by mouthing their lines to them. Of course, the leading man didn’t mean to confuse them because, as John Salley explained, that’s how the star remembered his own lines. I can imagine how that would be a bit weird on set, but it’s hard to argue with Smith’s methods, especially since he has an Oscar.

Ahead of the former Detroit Piston, other members of the Bad Boys cast have opened up about what it’s like to work alongside the Hancock star. Eric Dane, who played the antagonist in Ride or Die, opened up about that topic several months ago. During the discussion, Dane praised Will Smith for his commitment on set and gave kudos to co-star Martin Lawrence for that same reason. Franchise newcomer Melanie Liburd also praised Smith and Lawrence for helping to cultivate a healthy and fun set. As for series OG Joe Pantoliano, he thanked Smith for facilitating his return in the fourth film.

One has to remember that there’s a reason Will Smith’s been such a sought-after actor in the entertainment business for decades now. He surely has the talent and on-screen presence, as he’s proven multiple times. Additionally, though, it also seems that people just enjoy working with him and appreciate his professionalism. Later in his interview, John Salley even praised Smith

As for the Seven Pounds star’s tendency to mouth his co-star’s lines to them, I’m not sure if that habit is going to be dropped at this point. Should that be the case, he could continue to humorously throw off co-stars in the way that he confused John Salley and others. I suppose everyone simply has their own method for remembering lines. On that note, can we please get some b-roll of the star actually doing this on set, because I’d love to witness it for myself.

You can see Will Smith (not mouthing lines) in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription.The first two films in the franchise are also available on that platform, while the fourth is available to Hulu subscription holders.

Over two years ago, Will Smith received considerable attention after he slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards. Smith was subsequently punished by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a 10-year ban from its events. In the aftermath, rumors swirled around the actor’s career prospects, but he’s since bounced back. Smith isn’t forgetting that time in his life, though, as he recently reflected on the “most painful” aspect of the slap. Along with that, he also explained what he learned from the situation.

The King Richard star has been busy as of late, promoting his new music. While doing that, he recently made a stop at San Diego’s Observatory North Park theater. It was during that show that the A-lister discussed a number of topics (and distanced himself from the Diddy memes that have been making the rounds). Later, as shared by @SKTheKingYT on X, the Bad Boys star got candid about the slap’s aftermath and explained how he processed the incident:

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comic made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock made a quip about Pinkett Smith’s baldness, which is due to alopecia areata, leading Smith to smack the comedian and later yell expletives at him. Later on, the Smith apologized to Rock in a video, while Rock himself blasted both of the Smiths in his 2023 Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage. A number of other comedians, including Jim Careey Wanda Sykes and Steve Harvey, also chastised Smith for his actions.

The 56-year-old father of three went on to share more thoughts on the slap, at which point he revealed that the “most painful” part of it was that he “responded to hate with hate.” Nevertheless, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star also shared that he had an epiphany while thinking over the televised moment later:

Will Smith’s career has remained intact since his confrontation with Chris Rock at the Oscars. He starred in the moderately reviewed period piece Emancipation in late 2022, and 2024 has proven to be a major year for him, thanks in great part to the box office hit Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Smith also has upcoming movies in Brilliance and fellow sci-fi flick Resistor. On top of that, the star is set to return for an I Am Legend sequel, which will co-star Michael B. Jordan.

The comments that the Academy Award winner shared during his recent show seem to indicate that he’s been working on himself since the slap. Based on his sentiments, one gets the feeling that he’ll opt to hold onto the empathy-related lesson he learned moving forward.

Anyone who’d like to check out Will Smith’s latest film can stream Bad Boys: Ride or Die now using a Netflix subscription.

The legal woes of embattled mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs continue, as the rapper is facing various lawsuits and federal charges. Currently behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, Combs is set to go to trial in 2025. All the while, a number of Diddy’s famous friends have remained mum on his circumstances. Some A-listers are also being accused of having taken part in the rapper’s reported freak off parties. Will Smith just distanced himself from the barbs and memes, even musing that he doesn’t “even like baby oil.”

As of late, the Oscar winner has been the subject of rumors that have been making the rounds across social media. Memes have specifically been surfacing, with the posts suggesting close ties between the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star and the Sean John founder. The 56-year-old I Am Legend star recently performed his new song, “Tantrum,” at the Observatory North Park theater in San Diego. It was there that he also addressed the Diddy memes, which he admitted to be somewhat “funny,” and sought to set the record straight:

Will Smith didn’t stop there, either. In the footage obtained by TMZ, he further punctuated his point by making the aforementioned joke referencing the 1,000 bottles of lubricant found at Diddy’s home during the raid earlier this year. Additionally, Smith joked about why he decided to comment on the Puff Daddy-related claims:

Per reports, after his famous white parties, P. Diddy would hold the aforementioned freak offs. It was during said events that young women were allegedly coerced into performing sex acts on guests, and those would allegedly be recorded. Some have spoken out about their experiences with the events, including former PR exec Dr. LaJoyce Brookshire. While being interviewed about her experiences, LaJoyce said she stayed on guard during the parties, also noting that her “spidey senses were on high alert.”

At present, the “I'll Be Missing You” performer is facing charges of alleged sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, arson, racketeering and more. There’s also the matter of Diddy’s lawsuits – many of which are being overseen by attorney Tony Buzbee. Per the suits, purported victims have accused the music and fashion magnate of sex-trafficking, sexual assault and more. One particular case has also seen Diddy accused of raping a 13-year-old in 2000. That case was just refiled, with Jay-Z also being named as a defendant. Since then, Jay has emphatically refuted the allegations and is countersuing.

Another celebrity who’s spoken about Diddy’s issues is Nick Cannon, who had nothing to hide while recalling his early days partying with Diddy. Music industry veteran Ray J also spoke out on the matter, as the “One Wish” singer said that the hip hop community should “hold everybody accountable for what they’ve done.” Yet the star also said that he didn’t “think this is a time to tear anybody down” while also saying artists should “learn from the mistakes and create a roadmap for the future of the industry together, right, and in unity.”

Sean Combs’ sex-trafficking trial is set to begin on May 5, 2025. In the meantime, Combs (who’s been denied bail multiple times) will remain in jail. Aside from that, it’s also hard to say whether other stars might join Will Smith in distancing themselves from any of the developments involving Diddy.

Over the years, the principal members of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s cast remained relatively close, and they still are to this day. There was, however, a bit of friction between lead actor Will Smith and one of his co-stars back in the day. He and Janet Hubert – who originated the role of Vivian Banks – were engaged in a feud for years following her exit from the show. Both actors ultimately squashed that beef, however, and Smith is now recalling a “horrible” mistake he made while working with Hubert all those years ago.

Will Smith has been incredibly candid about his former conflicts with Janet Hubert over the years and, during a recent interview, he added some more thoughts. The Oscar winner was recently interviewed for a new episode of Vice’s Black Comedy in America, for which People had a preview. When asked about his past issues with Hubert, Smith admitted that a lot of that animosity came down to an aspect of her work that he didn’t realize until later on:

According to the now-56-year-old Bad Boys star, he didn’t realize just how important his co-star’s role on the show was. The Cats alum’s role as “Aunt Viv” was and remains a praised aspect of the beloved sitcom. Ms. Hubert’s witty, loving and no-nonsense approach to the character contributed some of the best moments on the earlier seasons of Fresh Prince. Among her most iconic moments on the show is Season 2’s “The Big Four-Oh,” during which her character performed a dance routine that’s since gone viral.

Janet Hubert played Vivian Banks during the NBC comedy’s first three seasons from 1990 to 1993. Following the third season (during which she was pregnant), she was offered a new contract that she didn’t think was fair for her. While that was the true reason Hubert stopped playing Viv, many long alleged that she was fired from the show following on-set “tension” with Will Smith. The actress was subsequently succeeded in the role of Vivian by Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played the character for the remainder of the sitcom’s six-season run. Both Hubert and Smith reunited for the series’ reunion special in 2020, during which they had a heart-to-heart and reconciled.

The Independence Day star isn’t the only member of the Fresh Prince cast who’s given the Sweet Magnolias actress her flowers. Ashley Banks actress Tatyana Ali praised her on-screen mother as well shortly after seeing her again during the reunion special. Ali viewed her co-star with a “spotlight,” given that she was a beautiful Black woman who was able to perform on such a large screen. Furthermore, Ali mentioned that as a Black child, it was impactful for her to see and work alongside someone with such grace and talent.

As a longtime fan of the Will Smith-led series, I can honestly say that Janet Hubert more than deserves all of the love she has and continues to receive. It’s also wonderful that she and Will Smith have settled their differences and that Smith is fully aware of his co-star’s impact on the show and his own life. They’ve both made positive contributions to the culture and, together, they contributed to one of the great Black sitcoms of the ‘90s.

Stream all six seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now using a Max subscription. You can also use that membership to stream the reunion special.