Beyond the Headlines

Will Smith walked into the studio like a man with nothing to prove, and everything to share. It wasn’t my first time interviewing him. Our last conversation happened over Zoom for "Emancipation," a heavy, introspective film. And, yes, the elephant in the digital room back then was still about the Oscars slap. This time, we met in person at will.i.am’s studio in Hollywood to talk about something different: his return to music with his new album, "Based on a True Story" along with his mindset after the infamous slap.

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Now, if you expected the vibe to be as tense as The Rock’s biceps, I wouldn’t blame you. But what I got was quite the opposite.

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As soon as Will stepped into the room, he was all charm and warmth. He gave handshakes for the crew, a booming laugh and a story queued up before we even got the camera rolling. Classic Will.

 

Before we could start setting up, he launched into an impromptu tale about the first time he met Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Sylvester Stallone in the early ’90s, back when he was still “The Fresh Prince,” trying to break into big-screen stardom.

 

Will admitted he wasn’t invited into their conversation, but he interrupted anyway, telling them, “I want to be a big movie star. I want to do what y’all do.”

 

Then he asked: "What’s the secret?"

 

Arnold didn’t hesitate. “‘You must be successful everywhere on earth,’” Will recalled in his best Austrian accent. 

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Arnold also offered another piece of wisdom: Be likable. Shake hands. Hug people.

 

Our cameraman then chimed in with "Oh, like a politician?"

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Will's response, "Yes, exactly. Like a politician." 

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That early banter set the tone for the conversation that followed. It was one centered on vulnerability, growth and the courage to start again.​

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