Will Smith on the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes: “It’s a pivotal moment for our profession”
As the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes continue to gain momentum and raise relevant questions about the machinations of the system, Will Smith has revealed his opinions on the rapidly deteriorating situation.
In a post published on Instagram, Smith wrote: “I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of y’all mighta heard, my guild, [SAG-AFTRA], are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession. 33 years into my career as an actor, and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time.”
The Hollywood icon shared his admiration for his acting mentor. He said: “It’s thanks to my friend, my teacher and my mentor [Aaron Speiser], whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach’, that those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between.”
Both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been on strike while trying to negotiate fairer contracts with studios, garnering traction on social media and eliciting the support of major figures in the industry.
While reflecting on his journey and the future generation of actors, Smith added: “Coach invited me to an acting class the other day, and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors, and they amazed and inspired me!”
The actor continued: “I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!”
Check out the post below.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.