This morning, I awoke to the entertainment news that Oscar winner Will Smith was a guest on "The Daily Show" hosted by Trevor Noah. Smith has a new film, EMANCIPATION, opening early December. It will be available to stream on Apple+. Will Smith's appearance with Trevor Noah this week was probably the actor's first TV appearance since he turned the Oscars telecast in March into the worst ever episode of EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS.
I'll be looking for the Trevor Noah online interview online. I am curious to see how Smith eases his way back into public view after he assaulted Chris Rock on live TV. When Smith yelled objectionable language at Rock, it was bleeped on American television, Overseas Twitter tweeted the un-bleeped footage. The Oscars telecast is a global one.
Noah pressed him about the notorious Oscar moment. Smith replied that he was "going through something that night" adding that his bad behavior made it "hard for other people."
I was hoping Will Smith would win the Oscar for Best Actor. He was outstanding in KING RICHARD as the devoted, complicated working class father of future tennis greats, Venus and Serena Williams. He did win -- minutes after slapping the taste of out Chris Rock's mouth.
As I wrote months ago, I hated -- and still hate -- what Will Smith did in defense of his wife. When Chris Rock made the joke of Jada Pinkett Smith looking like she could follow Demi Moore as G.I. JANE, I thought it was a light poke at her close-shaven hair, similar to Moore's in her popular 1997 military movie. Moore shaved her hair off for the the part and got lots of entertainment press at the time. I thought Jada's close-shaven hair was, if you will, a casual choice. I know Black women who have been clean-shaven and then let their locks grow back. I had no idea Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia. I wonder if a lot of other TV viewers knew that she has alopecia. I wonder if Chris Rock knew that.
Comedian Wanda Sykes was one of the Oscars hosts that night. If she had made the joke about Jada's lack of hair, would Will Smith have stormed the stage, slapped her and shouted offensive language at her as he returned to his seat?
Something about that embarrassing incident and the actor's apology/explanation still doesn't quite connect for me. To see what I mean, go to Netflix and look for the David Letterman interview series, MY NEXT GUEST. One episode is with Will Smith as his sole guest. The episode, with a studio audience, was taped in Hollywood when Smith's movie, KING RICHARD, and his memoir were being released. Smith was in full ebullient Smith mode and Letterman introduced him to the audience as "America's friend."
Watch that hour-long show. In his youth, Will Smith's home life was troubled. However, he said that his father taught him "integrity and discipline." He tells about how meeting Nelson Mandela taught him "forgiveness." Smith extensively reveals how he took two years off from big money movie-making to go on a "spiritual journey." This journey involved taking a foreign substance under supervision. Sort of like Cary Grant's supervised experiments with LSD back in the day.
In the Letterman interview, Will Smith talks about being a dad but he never once mentions Jada Pinkett Smith or even says the word "wife." Will Smith went from getting lessons on "integrity and discipline" and "forgiveness" and going on an intense "spiritual journey" to slapping Chris Rock on a live international network telecast. I don't get it. I just don't get it. Here's a clip from his David Letterman interview on Netflix via ET Canada.
Will Smith has been banned for 10 years from attending the Oscars. He resigned his Academy membership. But he is still eligible to be nominated again.
This is all most unfortunate. The former FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR sitcom star had grown into a very impressive dramatic actor.
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