Will Smith’s First Awards Speech Since Oscars Slap Is a Must-Watch

Willie Plaza

Since the infamous Chris Rock incident, the Fresh Prince has finally returned to the accolade circuit! Everyone can’t stop talking about Will Smith’s first awards speech since the Oscars slap, which he delivered on Wednesday (March 1) at the African American Film Critics Association Awards.

The ceremony was held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, where the 54-year-old accepted the Beacon Award. Antoine Fuqua, director of Smith’s latest film, Emancipation, stood alongside the actor.

“Emancipation was the most individual difficult film of my entire career,” Smith said in his first awards speech since 2022. “It’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that, that level of inhumanity.”

In his oration, the Independence Day star recounted how one of his Caucasian co-stars spit on him during a scene as an ad-libbing tactic.

Will Smith Awards Speech — *Will Smith made his first awards speech since the ‘Oscars slap’ incident for his role in ‘Emancipation’*

Will Smith’s First Awards Speech Since Oscars Slap Is a Must-Watch

He went on to say, “I was in a scene with one of the white actors, and we had our lines, and the actor decided to ad-lib. So, we’re doing the scene. I did my line. He did his line. And then he ad-libbed and spit in the middle of my chest. If I had pearls on, I definitely would’ve clutched them. I wanted to say, ‘Antoineeeeee,’ but I stopped, and I realized that Peter couldn’t have called the director.”

The Philly native stated they shot a second take and again the white actor spewed saliva on him. “I just held in that moment, and there was a part — it makes me teary right now — there was a part of me that was grateful that I got to really understand. And then, in the distance, I hear a voice, and Antoine says, ‘Hey, let’s do a take without the spit.’ And in that moment, I knew that God was real.”

“‘Emancipation’ was the individual most difficult film of my entire career.” Will Smith accepts the Beacon Award at the AAFCA awards ceremony. https://t.co/JI2rDIHsX8 pic.twitter.com/vR5oROfdgY

— Variety (@Variety) March 2, 2023