"Where The F--k Are My Keys": Will Smith Recalls Filming a Painful Action Scene in Michael Mann's 2001 Movie
Will Smith remembers a moment when filming Ali with director Michael Mann when he was actually punched. In the 2001 release of Muhammad Ali, Smith inhabits the boxing great persona. After Heat in 1995 and The Insider in 1999, Mann's next film was Mann's next project with many hard-hitting combat scenes, one of which especially chronicles Ali's encounter with boxer Sonny Liston (Michael Bentt).
During a recent appearance on the First We Feast YouTube channel's "Hot Ones," Smith recounts Bentt inadvertently striking him during filming Ali. The actor claims the blow caused some major confusion later on and gets curious about locating his auto keys. View Smith's recall of the punch below: "My trainer was pushing me to have the tilt of my spine forward as I was reclining back. And in this second I simply was like, "Commit!" And I leaned forward, committed, and almost naturally reacted as Michael Bentt flung a right hand. "I saw it approaching the last second and I lowered my head; he caught me with a right hand exactly on top of my head, but it did not knock my head back. My neck collapsed down onto my spine, and I felt an electrical jolt run down the back of both arms toward my elbows. And all I could think was, "Where my keys are, f--k? Where on earth are my car keys? You do the nine volt battery [against the mouth] when you are young? I experienced something, akin to an electrical taste in my mouth. And on a movie production, that was the toughest I have ever experienced. That wasn't a great one.
Was Ali of interest to Will Smith?
Unquestionably on a hot run, Smith starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996, Bad Boys in 1995, Independence Day in 1996, and the first Men in Black in 1997. He progressed from being a TV celebrity to a great, in-demand movie star. Smith carried on his triumph with Enemy of the State in 1998, but his first big setback came in 1999 with the controversial Wild Wild West, which failed both reviewers and viewers.
After Wild Wild West, Ali was Smith's first cinematic performance; it most certainly had the ingredients of a comeback movie for the actor. One of the most recognizable personalities in sports history, Ali is a boxer whose biography done well has great promise both commercially and historically. The 2001 movie sadly didn't really connect. Made on a budget thought to be over $107 million, Ali's box office performance was just $87.7 million, making it a commercial flop.
Reviewing Ali
At the same event in which he notoriously smacked Chris Rock, Smith at last won an Oscar for King Richard.
Critics gave the movie mostly positive, though quite mixed, ratings. Though it doesn't quite portray the life of the legendary sports figure, the film presents several striking events thanks to Mann's eye for filming and outstanding starring performance. Smith's performance earned him an Oscar nomination, which is one benefit; unfortunately, he finally lost to Denzel Washington on Training Day. Clearly, though, based on the narrative above, Ali is a memorable movie for Smith for more reasons than only his Oscar nomination.
Mike Mann
Though as Ferreri shows, Michael Mann also dabbles in other genres; he is among the most prolific directors of criminal thrillers ever.
Widely recognized for his unique filmmaking technique, which blends exciting action, fascinating stories, and gripping characters, the filmmaker is His Movies frequently probe morality, atonement, and the subtleties of human nature. Mann's screenography is an interesting and powerful piece of work.
Source: First Feast
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