Will Smith is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but he almost turned down the role of Agent J in the 1997 blockbuster “Men in Black.”
In a recent interview with Kevin Hart, Smith said that he was hesitant to take on the role because he had just starred in another alien-themed movie, “Independence Day,” the year before. He also said that he didn’t think he was right for the role of Agent J.
However, Smith’s manager, James Lassiter, was convinced that he should take the role. Lassiter even went so far as to send a helicopter to Smith’s house to take him to a meeting with Steven Spielberg, the director of “Men in Black.”
“In the heyday, the ten movies I made at the top of my career, [former manager James Lassiter] was choosing the films,” Smith said during a recent appearance on Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Heart” talk show, per Insider.
“He just had an eye. I didn’t want to make ‘Pursuit of Happyness.’ I didn’t want to make ‘Ali.’ And [Lassiter] picked ‘Men in Black.’ I kind of understood ‘Men in Black’ a little bit but I didn’t want to make ‘Men in Black.’ That was the next year after ‘Independence Day.’ So I didn’t want to make two alien movies back to back.”
“Steven Spielberg sent a helicopter for me to talk to me,” the actor continued. “I was in New York. It landed at his house. And, like, he had me at hello. And it was the first time I ever had lemonade with carbonated water. You can’t say no to that.”
“He said the coldest sh**,” Smith went on. “He said, ‘Tell me why you don’t want to make my movie…’ And he was the producer. And he put the ellipsis at the end, it was the dot, dot, dot. If he had continued, he would have said, ‘Joker, you know I made ‘Jaws,’ right? You know I made ‘E.T.’”
At the meeting, Spielberg convinced Smith that he was the perfect actor to play Agent J. He also told Smith that he had a vision for the movie that would make it a huge success.
Smith was eventually persuaded by Spielberg, and he agreed to take on the role of Agent J. The movie was a huge success, and it made Smith a global superstar.
Will Smith says he didn't want to make ‘MEN IN BLACK’ until Steven Spielberg “sent a helicopter” to bring him in for a meeting:
“[Spielberg] said the coldest sh*t. He said, ‘Tell me why you don’t want to make my movie…’ If he had continued, he would have said, ‘Joker, you know… pic.twitter.com/aEVBmKbYom
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 4, 2023
