Actor Will Smith won his first Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams in the film King Richard at the 94th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor accepted the award shortly after host Chris Rock made a distasteful joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Sis2Sis reported. Hollywood legends Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry were seen consoling the 53-year-old after the altercation was on live television.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg tweeted a video of Washington and Perry speaking to Smith during a commercial break at the event.
During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who motion for him to brush it off. Will appears to wipe tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada, with Denzel comforting Jada and Will’s rep by his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022
Nightmare Alley actor Bradley Cooper also shared a few words with the West Philadelphia native before finding out that he had won his first Oscar. Smith appeared to have wiped his eyes before taking his seat next to his wife.
During his acceptance speech, Smith echoed the Malcolm X actor’s words he expressed to him.
“At your highest moment, be careful; that’s when the devil comes for you,” Washington told Smith.
Earlier this month, Smith won the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Best Actor for the same role. He told People Magazine that Washington said to him, “this is your year.”
“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,’ Smith told the outlet’s host Kay Adams. “He just hugged me, saying, ‘I’m so happy for you. Just love who you’re becoming,’”
Smith continued, “He knew me years ago. I would go to Denzel for advice, so he’s seen me through the years, and he was just telling me how proud he is of who I’ve become and what I’ve become. He was saying that he felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders somehow.”
Watch Smith’s full acceptance speech at the Oscars below.
