Will Smith wins best actor Oscar for ‘King Richard’ after confrontation with Chris Rock
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said to open his speech, both referencing his win and confrontation with Rock.
After two previous nominations in the category, Will Smith has finally taken home an Oscar for best actor.
But the moment came shortly after he smacked Chris Rock in a bizarre confrontation.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said to open his speech, both referencing his win and confrontation with Rock. The West Philadelphia native won for his role as Richard Williams, father of tennis phenoms Serena and Venus, in director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s biographical sports drama King Richard.
“I know, to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse, you’ve got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you’ve got to smile and pretend that’s OK,” said.
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Smith continued to obliquely reference the moment, noting what Denzel Washington said to him shortly before his win: “At your highest moment, be careful that’s when the devil comes for you.”
He later apologized to the Academy before going on to thank the Williams family.
“Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father,” Smith said. “Love will make you do crazy things.”
Smith also thanked his mother who didn’t want to come to the awards because she was back in Philly with her knitting circle.
Smith was twice nominated for the award in the past — in 2002 for Ali, and again in 2007 for The Pursuit of Happyness. Like King Richard, those projects were also biographical dramas.
King Richard, which saw a theatrical release in November, follows Williams’ relationship with his daughters, as well as their development into Tennis stars. Smith also served as a producer for the film.
Smith’s own real-life relationship with his father was a complicated one, which contributed to his performance. As he said during an interview at The Met Philadelphia in November, he owes his strong work either and determination to his dad, who he called Daddio, but was also afraid of him as a man who was an angry alcoholic and abusive to Smith’s mother.
“My father was my hero,” Smith told the audience. “Adversity and perseverance go together. My father was both things. He was a complicated person. He was the greatest hero, and one of the greatest aspects of my life. He was also one of my greatest sources of pain.”