The only actors as good as Will Smith, according to Will Smith: “I’m not trying to be arrogant”
In terms of names on a poster that will get butts in cinema seats, few people have had as good a run as Will Smith. The former rapper was the box office king in the 1990s, thanks to Independence Day, Bad Boys, and Men in Black. Over the years, he has continued to rake in the dollars, whether through revisiting old franchises (like the latter two in the previous list), starting new ones, or through standalone hits. He’s even dabbled with awards success, notoriously winning a ‘Best Actor’ Oscar on the same night he introduced his palm to the side of Chris Rock’s face.
This sort of fame could easily go to someone’s head, but not our Willie. He’s managed to stay grounded, even after decades on top. What’s that? He once put himself on his own Mount Rushmore of great actors? Oh dear…
Speaking with YouTuber Plaqueboymax on one of his streams, the Hollywood heavyweight clarified the thought process behind such an audacious pick. “I’m tryna look at the whole spectrum… I’m not tryna be arrogant,” he said, accidentally sounding even more arrogant in the process. “I do think I am one of the most prolific actors of all time.”
To further clarify this decision, he tried to differentiate between ‘actors’ and ‘movie stars’ using the example of another face on his fictional mountain: Denzel Washington. “An actor can deliver a role and take you to something that is a transformative experience, but a movie star can put a movie on their back and carry it,” he said. “There are a lot of times people are good actors, and you like to see people act, and if they’re in something you like, you’ll go. But you’ll go to a Denzel because it’s Denzel. You’ll go to a Will Smith movie because it’s Will Smith.”
While they’ve never been in a movie together, Washington did approach Smith after the infamous Oscars debacle. This would imply that either they are friends or the older man took it upon himself to talk some sense into his younger, slap-happy colleague. Sounds like something Denzel would do. Interestingly, Washington fits both sides of Smith’s ‘actor/movie star’ definition. While he is a big name that will draw people to a project, he’s also a phenomenal performer, capable of embodying any character with the weight needed to make a meaningful connection with his audience.
What about the other names on Smith’s list? First up is another example of someone who crosses that line: Marlon Brando. A top draw in his heyday, the star, who once gave his own list of top actors that didn’t include himself, was also revered by anyone with even the slightest appreciation for technical greatness. As for Smith’s final selection, he fulfils one brief more than the other. Daniel Day-Lewis is a phenomenal performer; you don’t win more ‘Best Actor’ Oscars than anyone else by being mediocre. However, is he someone the general public would go and see on name value alone? When compared to Washington, Brando, or even Smith himself, the answer is probably ‘no’.
Say what you will about the decision to call himself one of the greats, but Smith’s body of work is undoubtedly impressive. Is it Washington/Brando/Day-Lewis impressive? The jury’s still out.
