The brilliant way Will Smith was persuaded to make ‘Men in Black’

One of Hollywood’s most charismatic and successful actors, Will Smith has surprised audiences by revealing the secret behind his involvement in the iconic film “Men in Black”. Despite his many successes on the big screen, Smith has confessed that many of his iconic performances were doomed to failure, and among them is the unforgettable saga of the secret agents who protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats.

Smith’s revelation was made in an interview for ‘Hart to Hart’ program hosted by Kevin Hart on Peacock. The artist, who recently courted a major controversy by slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscar ceremony, shared that he was initially cast in “Men in Black” because of his previous participation in “Independence Day”. There were doubts about joining the cast of , which was related to another film. For supernatural people. However, Renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg unexpectedly intervened to change his outlook, and convinced him to accept the role of Agent J.

Spielberg interview: A helicopter and an interesting encounter

The story behind this intriguing deal began when Spielberg sent a helicopter to take Will Smith to a meeting at a mysterious meeting place. It was here that the destiny of the “Men in Black” began to take shape. “Steven Spielberg sent a helicopter for me. I was in New York. To talk to me… I landed at your house. And it’s been with me since the beginning… and it was the first time I drank lemonade with soda. Can’t say that’s not the case,” recalled the Oscar winner for ‘The Williams Method’

During the encounter Mohd. Spielberg interestingly addresses Smith’s doubts, The director began with an apparently simple question, but full of meaning: “Tell me, tell me why you don’t want to make my film…, and I put a few suspending points at the end. Those were the points that made it Made all that clear. If I were to continue, I would say something like how, Payaso, do you know what Tiburon actually does? You know what ET does”, Smith indicated.

The speech that marked a career: Will Smith accepts the challenge

Spielberg’s motivational speech had a profound effect on Will Smith, making him reconsider his decision, Ultimately, Smith accepted the role of Agent J in Men in Black, a choice that changed the course of his career and left an indelible mark on cinema history. Steven Spielberg’s unorthodox strategy worked perfectly, and “Men in Black” became a huge hit in 1997. The film was so successful that it spawned its sequels, “Men in Black 2” in 2002 and “Men in Black 3” in 2012. Years later, Will Smith reflects on the encounter that changed his fortunes, recalls it as one of the most memorable experiences of his career and pays tribute to his team that supported him every step of the way. “You can’t build a career and you probably can’t do much in this life at a high level without a rock-solid team,” assures Smith before ending the episode of “Heart to Heart.”