Will Smith cried as he gave his acceptance speech after winning his first SAG Award for starring in King Richard.
The 53-year-old actor received the honor for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role at the SAG Awards ceremony on Feb. 27. Afterward, he gave a teary-eyed speech in front of an audience that included tennis superstar Venus Williams, depicted in King Richard and her sister Serena and their father, Richard.
Will opened his speech by mentioning that he was sitting next to Venus when his name was called.
“That may have been one of the greatest moments of my career just now because my name was called for King Richard, [while] sitting next to Venus Williams,” he said as he pointed to the sports legend. He continued, praising her father for his self-determination.
“Richard Williams is a dreamer like no one you’ve ever known. He has a power of belief that borders on insanity and sometimes tips over the border, which is absolutely necessary to take something from impossible to possible.”
The King Richard actor also thanked his co-stars for their hard work, shouting them out along the way. As he thanked them, he began to cry.
“Aunjanue, you pushed every single day. You demanded authenticity and did it in such a beautiful, quiet, and powerful way,” he told actress Aunjanue Ellis, who portrayed Venus and Serena’s mom, Oracene Price, in the movie.
“Saniyya and Demi…to parent you on this film and to deliver you into this business has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life,” he said to actresses Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, who portrayed the famed Williams sisters.
Will expressed his gratitude to the Williams family for allowing him to play Richard. He added that they wouldn’t add their name to their biopic until they watched the final film, and he was glad they did.
“Venus, Serena, the Williams family, you entrusted me, and our group, with your story…you didn’t agree to put your name on it until you saw the final project…I get that…but when I got the call, and you watched the movie, and you said you loved it, I just want[ed] to say, thank you very much. It was my deepest pleasure to honor your family and to tell your story to the world. Thank you all!”
Although he won his first SAG Award this year, it wasn’t the first one he received for his role as Richard in King Richard. On Jan. 9, he snagged his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his performance in the film. He also received an NAACP Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture on Feb. 26.
Recently, he was nominated for an Oscar Award, as well as one of his co-stars, Aunjanue, for their roles in King Richard.
The biopic debuted in theaters on Nov. 19, 2021, and it followed Richard (Will) and his daughters (Saniyya and Demi) on their journey to successful tennis careers and stardom. It has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
