Sometimes, certain characters and roles in films inspire actors enough to make them go to any lengths to play their part to perfection. Whether it is a small skill or a more significant one, many stars have been known to invest a lot of time and effort to learn and mastering talents for their films in an effort to embrace authenticity.
Hollywood star Will Smith is known as a jack of all trades and master of everything. From rapping and singing to acting, the Men in Black actor is easily one of the most versatile stars with oodles of talent. Smith though, has never been one to rest on his laurels. The celebrity went all out to learn and conquer new skills for a scene in one of his best films, The Pursuit of Happyness.
How Will Smith Became A Rubik’s Cube Expert
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith plays Chris Gardener, a father who struggles to give his son a good life by overcoming homelessness and poverty to become one of America’s biggest stockbrokers. This uplifting real-life story earned Smith a well-deserved Oscar nomination. The actor who is always known to give it his all for a role, went a step further by taking Rubik’s Cube lessons from a young prodigy for a scene in the film which involved his character solving the puzzle in under 2 minutes.
Wanting it to be authentic and believable, Smith worked with prodigy Tyson Mao for 10 hours to master the skill for the scene. Mao, who was originally brought in to fake the scene with his hands, said that the Hitch star was adamant that he wanted to learn the skill himself and perform it in front of the camera. Smith’s perseverance was rewarded as the star was successfully able to solve the Cube in any configuration after his training with Mao.
Will Smith Will Be Seen In I Am Legend 2
The 2007 film I Am Legend starring Will Smith and his daughter Willow Smith, was a blockbuster that gained new significance in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The story follows a scientist who is a lone survivor living in New York City after humans are turned into zombies by an airborne disease. While Smith had said that he wasn’t keen on a sequel, it looks like the actor has changed his opinion by now signing on to be part of I am Legend 2 which features a story by Creed star Michael B. Jordan. Speaking of his decision to step on board, Smith said,
“It was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea. That might work. I think we can do that.”
While the film is currently being delayed in production owing to the ongoing Writers Strike in Hollywood, writer Akiva Goldsman was confident that the project will get back on track once the demands of writers are met.
Source: Buzzfeed
