Will Smith’s Child Co-Stars Got Candid About The Way He Acts Behind Closed Doors
Will Smith has built a thriving career on his talent, charm, and charisma. For the longest time, he was seen as one of the nicest guys in the business. But with his box-office status faltering in recent years, while rumors about his marriage persist, you may ask: has any of it affected how Big Will acts behind closed doors? The child stars who’ve worked with him most recently had a lot to say about this.
King Richard
In November 2021 King Richard was released, with Will in the title part of Richard Williams, the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena. It was a fitting role for Will to take on, as he and Williams share some parallels. For one thing, both are parents of famous children whose careers they were instrumental in shaping.
Jaden and Willow
Will and wife Jada’s kids, Jaden and Willow, both grew up in the spotlight. And both followed their parents into the worlds of acting and music. Will has never been far away from his kids’ efforts, even starring in two movies with Jaden, so he may have felt a certain kinship with Williams in that regard. After all, he was synonymous with everything Venus and Serena did.
“I don’t want people to hate me”
In fact, Williams has often been cast in the role of pushy parent over the years and has even been disparagingly labeled as Venus and Serena’s carnival barker. Their older sister Isha told Vanity Fair that, when Williams had found out about the movie, he had been wary of it. He allegedly told her, “I don’t know if I want them to do the film. I don’t want people to hate me.”
“His first real misstep”
This aspect of Williams might have spoken to Will as well, as his hands-on approach to his children’s career has sometimes been criticized. One such critic was NME magazine writer Tom Connick. In 2019 he pointedly penned, “Pushing his kids to front-and-center, not a care in the world for how the pressures of fame might affect them… was his first real misstep.” Ouch.
