Will Smith makes a comeback on the awards stage

In order to collect the Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards on Wednesday, Will Smith made a comeback to the awards season circuit. After slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards, the Oscar winner had never before accepted an award in person. Yet, during this speech, he did just that.

Together with him, Antoine Fuqua, the director of Emancipation, got the honor. During his acceptance speech, Fuqua discussed the significance of the medal. The Beacon Award, he added, “is meant to reward films that are confronting difficult themes with clarity, educating, as well as captivating the audience. It was our goal that Emancipation would be able to vividly depict Peter’s inspiring tale, his persistent faith, and his intense love for his family. Before passing the microphone to Smith, the filmmaker continued by thanking Apple, the AAFCA, and the cast and crew of the movie.

The actor opened his statement by saying, “Emancipation was the most personally challenging film of my whole career. “Transporting a modern thinking to that era is incredibly challenging. It’s difficult to fathom that degree of inhumanity.

He continued by talking about his experience acting in Peter, an oppressed man who creates his own liberation, in the AppleTV + film. Smith then told how, while filming a dramatic scene, a white co-star randomly spat on him, and how that experience changed his perception of the unfairness of the slavery era.

It was 110 degrees and the second day of shooting, he recalled. “I was acting in a scene with a white actor, and after we had finished saying our lines, the actor chose to improvise. We’re acting out the situation now. I performed my line. He executed his line. He improvised after that and spat in the center of my chest. I would have definitely grabbed my pearls if I had been wearing them. Antoineeeee! was what I was about to exclaim, but I stopped when I realized Peter couldn’t have contacted the director.

The actor believed that the ad-lib had gone well, so I sat there and took a big breath before we both took two. We thus take two. I follow my cue. He performs his routine and spits once again in the center of my chest. I simply sat there and took it all in, and part of me was happy that I had finally gained a thorough understanding. I’m crying now just thinking about it. Then Antoine adds, “Hey, let’s try a take without the spit,” as I hear a voice in the distance. I was convinced that God existed at that very time.

Smith also expressed gratitude to the AAFCA and everyone present for their efforts. Then he stopped to express his gratitude to Apple.

The budget was one factor, so I want to thank Apple for that, he remarked. “The budget was suddenly a different issue. The budget was suddenly a different issue. Apple never hesitated either. We then added some more content that we wanted since it was the first time I had heard from a studio that the story was more crucial than how much it would cost to produce. They produce the iPhone. They are capable.

Smith was surrounded by photographers before entering the stage, marking his first outing this awards season. He earned the best actor prize for his depiction of Peter at the NAACP Image Awards, but he was conspicuously missing from the ceremony. Afterwards, he wrote a thank you message on Instagram, praising the group for “the job you do all year round” and expressing how much it meant to him to be acknowledged by it in that way.

The movie’s November Westwood premiere was briefly marred by controversy when a producer posed with the original “Scourged Back” photo that served as the screenplay’s primary inspiration.