Will Smith is undeniably one of the biggest movie stars of the last 30 years. After starring in Bad Boys and Independence Day in the mid-’90s, Smith headlined Men in Black, one of his most memorable roles. However, Smith was not interested in Men in Black until a meeting with Steven Spielberg changed his mind.
How Did Steven Spielberg Persuade Will Smith to Star in Men in Black?
While speaking with Kevin Hart on Peacock’s Hart to Heart, Smith explained his hesitancy surrounding Men in Black, his second straight film about extraterrestrials.
“I kinda understood Men in Black like a little bit, but I didn’t want to make Men in Black — that was the next year after Independence Day,” Smith said. “So I didn’t want to make two alien movies back to back.”
Why did Smith change his mind? One word: Spielberg.
“Steven Spielberg sent a helicopter for me. I was in New York” Smith said. “To talk. It landed at his house. And he had me at ‘Hello.'”
After laughing about how he had lemonade with carbonated water for the first time, Smith recalled “the coldest s***” mentioned by Spielberg, a producer on the film.
“He [Spielberg] said, ‘Tell me why you don’t want to make my movie….'” Smith added. “He put the ellipses at the end. If he had continued, he would have said, ‘Joker, you know I made Jaws, right? You know I made E.T.‘”
Thanks to Spielberg, Smith went on to star in Men in Black, which grossed nearly $600 million worldwide and spawned two sequels.
