|
Related material on NY Rock: Movie Review: The Legend of Bagger Vance Will Smith and Wife Have a Baby Girl Oct. 31, 2000 Will Smith to Publish Book in Spring 2001 |
 Not one to pass up a challenge, Will Smith’s latest acting role finds him taming his extroverted personality to portray a zen-like golf caddy in Robert Redford’s, The Legend of Bagger Vance. In the picture, Smith leads pro-golfer Rannulph Junuh (played by Matt Damon) through the finer, more metaphysical, aspects of golf. As the movie opens this week, Smith has already moved on to his next project, portraying boxing legend Muhammad Ali on screen. Recently, Smith paid a visit to NY Rock freelancer Prairie Miller to show off his muscular new image, among other things. | ||||
NYROCK: |
You're looking all pumped up and fine. I see you're getting that Muhammad Ali persona just right. | ||||
|
WILL: |
I'm good, baby. I'm gettin' it together, man. I'm feeling great. I'm just so sexy, it's scary! And Ali comes down to the gym a couple of times a month, just to check on my jab. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Well, you've certainly got the look down right for Ali – and he's not bad to look at himself. | ||||
|
WILL: |
Oh yeah, until you saw me! But at this point, I'm pretty much gunned up. Feel that, man [motioning in the direction of his biceps]. I'm a good twenty pounds heavier now than I've ever been. In Independence Day, I was only 195 pounds. So I'm bigger and stronger than I've ever been. And I'm ready to... take a real fight! | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Moving onto a totally different sport, you play a sort of golf angel in The Legend of Bagger Vance, and an angel who is pretty reserved. Now, you're not exactly known as a shy guy. So how difficult was it for you to play your opposite? | ||||
|
WILL: |
It was so difficult trying to allow Robert Redford to just make the film that he wanted to make. We had a meeting, and we talked ahead of time. And I love the concept behind this film. First off, I love that there's a whole movie full of white people, and the black dude is God! I was really attracted to that. I said to myself, I think I can do that, man. So we talked a little bit, and I realized I just had to allow Robert Redford to make the film that he wanted to make. He's an actor, and he understands the whole concept of a persona. Like I've created this Will Smith thing that people wanted to see me do. You know, Independence Day, Men in Black. There's a Will Smith thing that I do, that makes me a lot of money. And it's difficult to turn it off. But I also knew that it was something I had to do. Like about two years ago, I went to Steven Spielberg. And I'm just playing around, just joking around. I go, yo man, why y'all never hire me for nuthin'? You know? You don't put me in nuthin'! I was just joking and playing around, and he said, oh no, man. You're way too big for the movies that I make. And I'm like, how the hell are you gonna be too big for a Steven Spielberg movie? Then I realized that he was talking about the persona. Like the persona that I had created was too big for the stories that he wants to tell. And actually the persona would hurt his movies. So that's why I wanted to really get control of that. And Redford really helped me get control of it, and to just be able to be part of an ensemble. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
So you think that, like Ali in the ring, you have won the match and become the master of that persona of yours? | ||||
|
WILL: |
I've gotten control of that persona. And it helped being with Matt Damon. Like you could change his hair and his mustache, or you could put a different coat on him, and he fits in anywhere. So that's what I'm learning to do, to be able to fit in. To be able to turn that thing off to the point that I fit into different environments. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
But, in real life, you could have ripped Matt apart on the golf course, right? | ||||
|
WILL: |
Oh, I'd wup his ass! Oh God, yeah. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Did you two ever get to face off in a game of golf on the set? | ||||
|
WILL: |
I was playing every day, but Matt didn't play a lot. He was training, and he actually learned how to play for the film. Which, in golf, is next to impossible. Most of his time was spent on the range, while I was actually playing. But yeah, I could tear him up out there. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Did you discover what is seductive about such a weird game? | ||||
|
WILL: |
At the same time, I could take any non-golfer to a golf course right now, and give them a hundred balls. And they could hit one ball that Tiger Woods can't beat. You could hit one shot that Tiger Woods could hit a thousand balls, and never beat it, you know? And it's that shot that you chase for the rest of your life. That one shot, that one taste of greatness. That one taste of perfection and excellence. And there's no other sport that's like that. You will never dunk on Michael Jordan, period. Period. You're not gonna dunk on Mike. It's not happening. And you will never tackle Emmett Smith. He's gonna run over you. It's not gonna happen. Golf is the only sport where you can be the best in the world for one fleeting moment. You can hit the best shot. Like I made a hole in one about a year ago. There's no way to beat that. Tiger can't beat that shot. He could have a thousand balls, and he'll never beat that shot. So I was the best in the world for that one second. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
On another level, The Legend of Bagger Vance is all about losing your swing in life, and then getting it back again. Have you ever lost your swing in your own life? | ||||
|
WILL: |
Oh God, yes. The concept of the authentic swing, to me, works perfectly with the analogous concept of the "zone." Like Michael Jordan can score sixty-three points in Boston, but he doesn't do it the night before in Philly, or the night after in New York. So what happened? What happened that night? And this movie asserts that this zone need not be an accident. Finding that place need not be an accident. There's a road to that kind of harmony, and that kind of sync with the universe. You can find that in your life; you can find harmony in your relationships. You know, there's a road to that harmony. But you gotta... see the film! You gotta see the film to learn the road. Comin' to a theater near you! | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Nice plug. What would you say about this movie to people who have no interest in golf? | ||||
|
WILL: |
I'd say that it's a movie that's really about life. It's about learning to deal with different issues that you have in your life. We've all been at that point where you just feel like it's over. Like, I am where I'm going. You know, that this is it. And there are great metaphors in this film, and great points that help you deal with those moments and getting through those moments. And then finding a way to just take that next step, to just get going. You know, just one step. You're standing still, so just move. Just take that one step. It's a long way; it's so far; you'll never get there. But just take the first step. Just walk forward. So I think this film does a really great job of spiritually and emotionally, and also practically, helping you develop a philosophy for those moments in your life. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
So what's happening with your music right now? | ||||
|
WILL: |
Oh man, I'm not doing anything with music right now. I 'm not doing nuthin' but training. I train morning and evening, and in between I'm doing dialect work. I'm becoming Muhammad Ali; that's all I do. And I will knock somebody clean the heck out. So it's really working out. I'm about to shake up the world. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
What's the creative process you immerse yourself in musically while putting together a soundtrack? | ||||
|
WILL: |
When I do soundtrack stuff, it's strictly just watching the film. You know, getting a sense of how it makes me feel, and how it relates to a music video. And what are the most exciting elements that would lend itself to a great song and a great music video. So it's more about looking for like, where am I shooting? Like where am I trying to go to, and using the work to show me the road. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Why have there been so many different turns in your career, from Bad Boys to Bagger Vance? | ||||
|
WILL: |
I guess I've always known that eclecticism is a virtue. And I've always felt very strongly that doing different things is what creates longevity. Like, for example, I was making music for six years. Then my music career started to falter, and luckily I got the television show. So then I did the television show for a couple of years, while the music was sort of on hold. And then when I released another album, which was my Summertime album, then people had missed me for a while. And after that I started making films. I stayed away from the music for a little while, and then released the Men in Black soundtrack four years later. So by doing different things, you allow the different aspects of your career to never get stale... That was deep, all right. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
Where is Men in Black 2 going right now? | ||||
|
WILL: |
The script is currently in rewrite phase. | ||||
|
NYROCK: |
What does family life mean to you? Is that your anchor? | ||||
|
WILL: |
Absolutely. I grew up in a large family, so that's always been hugely important to me. That's definitely my anchor and my balance. And Jada [Smith's wife] is on the same page, so it makes it that much easier. So with that strong base, you get a bigger leap off of a stronger foundation. November 2000
|
|
The latest NY Rock banter:
Today's News: • Music • Movies • Entertainment NY Rock Confidential: • Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Paybacks, Dollyrots, • Patti Smith, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Joey Ramone Birthday Bash with NY Dolls, etc. • Henry Rollins, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Gojira, Machine Head, Debbie Harry, Miss Guy, Pretty Boys, Theo and the Skyscrapers, Glass Hand Didi's Back: • Miss Lez 2007 • Zombies Attack Dear Dr. Dot: • Sex advice Jeanne's & Otto's (Incredibly Awesome) Blog Soft Porn Central TRUE! Cartoons |
|