Will Smith Reveals Career Advice From His Biggest Rival
Will Smith has gotten advice from one of his biggest rivals due to his upcoming nomination in the Best Actor category of the Oscars.
This article is more than 2 years old
Will Smith has been one of the biggest movie stars of the last three decades. The same can also be said for his supposed rival, Denzel Washington. Both men have been at the top of their movie careers for quite some time, and due to that, people have often pitted one against the other. The constant argument about which is better than the other is one often heard amongst film appreciator circles. This year that conversation will be heightened again, as both gentlemen will be up against one another for Best Actor. Denzel is up for his role in The Tragedy of Macbeth, while Smith is set to potentially win the role for his performance in King Richard. Though they are competing against one another, Denzel embraced Smith after his win during the SAG awards. According to Smith, “We’ve spent a lot of time together. So, we’ve been talking, he’s always been a mentor for me and he grabbed me and he said, ‘This is your year.’ He just hugged me and he said, ‘I’m so happy for you. Just love who you’re becoming.'”
This is some high praise for one of the biggest actors in all of Hollywood. Denzel Washington has been a mainstay in Hollywood since the 1980s. Washington has won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory from 1990. He also won Best Actor for his infamous role as Alonzo in Training Day, which came out in 2002. Will Smith, on the other hand, was nominated in 2002 for his role in Ali. He was also nominated again in 2007 for his role in The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith lost in 2002 to none other than Denzel Washington. In 2007, he was nominated alongside greats like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, and Forest Whitaker. Whitaker would take home the award for his role in The Last King of Scotland.
Clearly, it has been a long road for Will Smith, and it seems as if Denzel Washington is giving him the blessing and backing him up to win this year. It will be a tough win to secure, though analysts claim that Smith is the clear front runner for the Best Actor win. Washington, Javier Bardem, Andrew Garfield, and Benedict Cumberbatch are also nominated in the category. Should Smith win, he will have won over some of the best actors in the entire world. Smith has always seen Washington as his mentor, and he often asked his advice throughout his own illustrious career. Based on the advice he was given and clear support, Smith also said it felt like a weight have been lifted off his shoulders when Denzel gave him his support and spoke on how proud he is of Smith.
Sometimes it appears as if all the prolific actors are at each other’s throats in terms of trying to secure the biggest awards of their careers. What makes this story that much more special is that Denzel is throwing in his full support of Will Smith, who is his direct competitor. That has got to feel amazing from Smith’s perspective. Not only does he not feel as if he is somehow in battle constantly with Denzel, but he could be proud to win or lose to the man who has been his mentor this entire time. The wait will not have to be much longer as the 94th Academy Awards is set to air in just under six hours’ time. Fans, Denzel, and Smith will get to see who takes home the most prestigious acting award when it is given out during the ceremony.
