Will Smith Was Insecure About Dwayne Johnson’s Success? ‘Men in Black’ Star Left Hollywood Because of The Rock
Will Smith ended his wait for an Oscar award only last year, winning the Best Actor award for portraying legendary tennis coach and the father of stars Venus and Serena Williams, Richard Williams in the movie King Richard.
However, he’s unlikely to win another Academy Award for his much-loved acting anytime soon. Now, that’s not because he’s banned from attending Academy’s events for slapping Chris Rock (he can still be nominated and win in the future), but rather it’s due to his own decision to take an apparent break from acting and keep a low profile.
His fans might have to wait until 2024 to see him make a big comeback with Bad Boys 4. To be fair, it shouldn’t be tough for them, as this isn’t the first time they’ve had to see their favorite star take a step back from Hollywood.
How Dwayne Johnson Influenced Will Smith’s Decision to Take an Acting Break
Will Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance crime Focus, which miserably bombed at the box office, managing just over $150 million in worldwide collection.
Its performance also raised question marks over Smith’s star power, as he watched other high-profile names, including Dwayne Johnson, shatter box office records with their work at the same time. This led to the Men in Black actor taking a break from acting for a while.
Kevin Hart, who recently managed to convince Smith to do a rare interview, asked him to explain his decision. Smith responded in a hilarious fashion, stating:
“I saw you and The Rock whooping my a*s at the box office. I was like, that can’t happen. That’s what happened, I’m keeping it real. You and The Rock were whooping my a*s at the box office. And I knew you were talking about me behind my back, I could tell. We’re from Philly, you and me. I was like, he got a new friend now. He got a body building friend now.”
Smith took his time before managing to repeat his best work to date (The Pursuit of Happyness) in 2021 in King Richard before taking the Oscar trophy home.
How Many Times Has Dwayne Johnson Worked With Kevin Hart
Smith was certainly joking with his remark of Hart and The Rock “whopping” his “a*ss” with their movies. However, there’s some truth in his response, as the duo has indeed collaborated to great effect and delivered some big hits in recent years.
The stand-up comedian turned actor and the wrestler turned actor first came together in the acting ring for the comedy flick Central Intelligence in 2016. The movie made a reasonable collection, and the duo received plenty of love for their rapport and the mutual banter they shared, which is also evident in their interviews.
Hollywood producers clocked their popularity and have since reunited Johnson and Hart in four more movies: Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji: The Next Level, and animated flick DC League Of Super-Pets.
Source: MARCA
