Prior to Will Smith’s infamous career-damaging Oscar slap, the actor enjoyed a grand success in Hollywood. Appearing in acclaimed projects and TV shows, Smith turned into a household name during the early 2000s. At that time, the actor appeared in Michael Mann’s $118M movie, representing Muhammad Ali.
Playing the role of the former heavyweight world champion in the 2001 biographical movie – Ali, Will Smith endured a tough regime to portray the iconic fighter. During his training with Darrell Foster, the actor was often visited by Muhammad Ali on the set. Giving a glimpse of behind-the-scenes from Ali, Foster joked how Smith was harassed by Ali.
Will Smith Endured a Tough Regime For Ali
When it comes to delivering incredible performance, no one compares to Will Smith. Serving as a prolific actor in the industry for decades, Smith played the role of the former heavyweight world champion Muhammad Ali in his 2001 biopic. Appearing in Michael Mann’s $118M movie in the titular role, the actor went through rigorous training.
Discussing Will Smith’s tough regime for Ali, his boxing trainer Darrell Foster shared inside information with NME. Revealing how the actor endured tough situations and brutal conditions to convincingly portray the iconic fighter, Foster opened up about Smith’s experience with oxygen deprivation.
“I took Will up to 10,000 feet in Aspen, Colorado so he could understand what it felt like to experience oxygen deprivation in order to correlate it to how Ali felt in the 14th round with Joe Frazier…I made Will run and throw punches. He fell to his knees and I made him write Ali’s name in the snow.”
After sharing the brutal training that Will Smith went through for the $118M biopic, Darrell Foster recalled how even Muhammad Ali often visited Smith on the set of Ali.
Muhammad Ali Visited Will Smith on the Set
Sharing information from behind the scenes of Ali, Will Smith’s boxing trainer for the film, Darrell Foster discussed how Muhammad Ali paid a visit to the actor on set. Apparently, Ali visited the set to coach Smith to sound more like the legend himself. However, Foster mentioned that the former champion visited the set three to four times to train Smith.
But during his visits, Muhammad Ali often harassed Will Smith in a joking way. Bonding with the actor while shooting his biopic, Ali teased Smith when he tried to deliver the dialogue like him. “He was on set maybe three or four times, mainly to harass Will” Foster shared.
“He was mainly there to teach Will to improve his dialogue. He’d often go, ‘No man that don’t sound like me.’ He’d say, ‘It’s Joe Fraaazier, Fraaazier’.” Foster shared.
Eventually, after a tough regime and collaboration with Muhammad Ali, Will Smith turned the 2001 movie into an iconic biopic. Focusing on the life of the sports legend Muhammad Ali, the film highlighted his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974. The film bagged $118M at the global box office and received positive reviews from fans and critics alike.
