Will Smith became embroiled in a controversy after he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony in 2022. After Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith, the Bad Boys star went up the stage to give him a slap and then exclaimed profanities. The incident resulted in Smith resigning from the Academy and being banned from the ceremony.
The two have addressed the incident on multiple occasions and Smith reportedly even apologized to Rock publicly. While the two may now have a history of disagreement, they may agree on one opinion. Smith recently agreed with Martin Lawrence on Richard Pryor being one of the best stand-up comics of all time, which Rock too has expressed on multiple occasions.
Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Speak About Richard Pryor
Will Smith has worked on several comedies and even had his breakthrough with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The actor has since worked on comedies such as Hitch and brings his signature sense of humor to films such as Bad Boys, Aladdin, and many more. The actor has often been appreciated for his fun and cheerful demeanor.
While promoting their latest release Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Martin Lawrence and Smith appeared on the channel Complex, where they were asked to choose prominent names who they considered the greatest of all time. The categories included areas such as basketball, sitcoms, summer anthems, Bad Boys celebrity cameos, and more.
When choosing the ‘GOAT’ stand-up comic, Martin Lawrence chose legendary Black comedian Richard Pryor. Will Smith agreed with Lawrence’s choice as the comedian is known for his signature style of delivery and honest observations. Lawrence also mentioned Eddie Murphy as a significant influence, which Smith agreed to. He said,
Eddie [Murphy] changed everything for me. My whole…who I wanted to be as an entertainer, Eddie was at the center of that.
Richard Pryor has been widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. The stand-up comic broke new ground for Black comedians at the time and spoke about many issues plaguing the community at the time, presenting it hilariously.
Chris Rock Considered Richard Pryor To Be An Inspiration
Before becoming an actor and a never-to-be-forgotten Oscar presenter, Chris Rock started his career as a stand-up comic, which he still continues. The comic cited Richard Pryor as a huge inspiration for him as a comedian and gave a soulful tribute to the legend when he passed away in 2005.
Giving his statement to MTV News at the time, Chris Rock mentioned the risks that Pryor took in his material and called him the King of Comedy,
Richard Pryor was the Rosa Parks of comedy. He took risks and chances that made it possible for a whole generation of comics to exist. No one ever rocked the mic like Richard Pryor, the true ‘King of Comedy.’
Many others such as Michael Jackson and the late Bernie Mac echoed his sentiments. Pryor’s daughter, Rain Pryor commented on the infamous Slapgate controversy involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. She spoke about meeting both of them in person at different times and said how wonderful both individuals were. She said to People,
I feel devastated for Chris…You know, we’re in this weird time right now where everyone’s on an extreme. I think many comedians are feeling like they’re facing ‘the silencing.’ So to me, [the furor around the slap] is just normal in terms of the way the world works, and how everything gets politicized at the moment.
Though the two have yet to rekindle their friendship which they shared in their early careers, the actors are sure to agree that Richard Pryor was the GOAT.
