Will Smith Gives Emotional Speech While Accepting First In-Person Award Since Infamous Oscars Slap

Will Smith

Will Smith Gives Emotional Speech While Accepting First In-Person Award Since Infamous Oscars Slap

TV and film star Will Smith has made his 2023 awards season debut!

The 54-year-old actor took the stage at the African American Film Critics Awards recently to accept the Beacon Award for “Emancipation,” alongside the film’s director Antoine Fuqua.

The ceremony took place in Beverly Hills, CA on Wednesday (March 1st). Reportedly, during his speech, Will Smith spoke about the difficulties of making the period piece film, which was released on Apple back in October of last year. He stated:

“Emancipation was the most individual difficult film of my entire career…It’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that, that level of inhumanity.”

As Will Smith continued the actor became emotional and released a few tears while speaking about the humbling moment a white actor ad-libbed a spit scene, leaving his saliva across his chest.

“I was in a scene with one of the white actors, and we had our lines, and the actor decided to ad-lib. So, we’re doing the scene…And then he ad-libbed and spit in the middle of my chest….I wanted to say, ‘Antoineeeeee,’ but I stopped, and I realized that Peter couldn’t have called the director.”

He added:

“I sat there, and I took a deep breath, and we did take two, and the actor felt that the ad-lib had gone well. So, we do take two. I do my line. He does his line and spits in the middle of my chest again. I just held in that moment, and there was a part — it makes me teary right now — there was a part of me that was grateful that I got to really understand. And then, in the distance, I hear a voice, and Antoine says, ‘Hey, let’s do a take without the spit.’ And in that moment, I knew that God was real.”

The impassioned speech was the first that fans of the “Fresh Prince” star have gotten from him all awards season. Smith has been noticeably absent since his viral slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars last March. If you haven’t heard of the incident, Rock incurred Smith’s wrath after making an insensitive joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her bald head – which is due to alopecia.

Will Smith just punched Chris Rock and told him "keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth" pic.twitter.com/YK5aQqv89t

— BACKUP ACCOUNT (@JasmineBrandTHE) March 28, 2022

Smith was subsequently banned from participating in the Oscars for 10 years. The show is set to air next Sunday (March 12th).

Did you enjoy seeing Will Smith back on the awards stage? Tell us in the comments!

[VIA]