«On the set of Emancipation a white actor spat twice in my chest»- Corriere.it

Eleven months ago, the slap to Chris Rock on the stage of the Oscars had cost him the disqualification from the Academy for the next 10 years and the ostracism from the Hollywood red carpets. An exile ended on Wednesday March 1, when Will Smith reappeared in attendance at the African American Film Critics Association Awards to collect the Beacon Award for Emancipation, the film about slavery by Antoine Fuqua which, somewhat surprisingly, was not nominated for this year’s Oscars.

On stage together with the director and co-star Charmaine Bingwa, the actor – who a few days ago was also awarded at the NAACP Image Award, but did not show up to collect the award – told a curious anecdote related to the making of the film . Emancipation was the most difficult individual film of my entire career. It was all outdoors, that’s true – said Smith, making the audience laugh – . It was the second day of shooting and it was 43 degrees… I had to shoot a scene with one of the white actors and he decided to improvise. I say my line, he says his and then, unexpectedly, spits in my chest.

But the thing didn’t end there. Evidently the actor was convinced that the improvisation had gone well – continued the Oscar winner – so even in the second take, after I say my line, he spits again in my chest… At that point I hear a voice in the distance . It was Antoine who says “Hey, let’s make another one, but without the spit”. And in that moment I understood that God exists.

Before the awards ceremony, it was Bingwa who told Variety an episode related to Smith. In one scene people had to lie dead in a tunnel. Will told them “you guys are doing a fantastic job. I know it’s really tough” and then gave everyone an extra 1000 dollars out of his own pocket. a really good boy.