Will Smith Interview
Film Gazette
Bad Boys II

Q: Will, did you have any worries about going back to BAD BOYS nearly a decade after the original film was made?

SMITH: I was a bit concerned whether the chemistry Martin (Lawrence) and I had was still going to be alive. Both of us have had so much life experience since then, and people change in fundamental ways. But it took us just three days of hanging out together in Miami in front of the cameras to realise that we have some kind of universal connection that is seemingly unbreakable. We were able to get back to the intensity and vibe of our characters without any problem. It was fun.

Q: There's even more violence in BAD BOYS II than in the original and it has earned the film an R rating in the U.S. Is there maybe too much violence?

SMITH: I don't think we could have come back to this genre and kept people happy by prancing around and not being real. We're playing narcotics agents in Miami and that's a really dark, grungy world. So there's a lot of raw dialogue and violence which is part of that world so we couldn't avoid the R rating. But there's also a lot of humour in the film and the action sequences are spectacular.

Q: Do you think audiences are going to respond in a big way even though your career has evolved so much since the original?

SMITH: I haven't seen audiences react to one of my films with such excitement since Independence Day, which tells me that mature audiences can tell the difference between reality and the fantasy we're offering them.

Q: Did you have any worries about doing a very violent film given your more humorous and friendlier public persona?

SMITH: This is the first time I've let violence, sex and language go this far in one of my movies, songs or videos. In the past, I was really trying not to make my grandmother mad at me. And knowing that she would be seeing the film was really hard for me. She has been a huge moral influence on me. She always had us reading Bible verses in church but this is a dark comedy that needs to be edgy.

Q: What was it like working with Martin Lawrence again?

SMITH: Martin is a comedy machine. The stuff that comes out of his mouth is just perfect. He just sparks me perfectly, and I always feel I don't have to do anything when I'm standing in a scene with him. So I felt like I was more of a straight man because he's so good at capturing the humour of situations.

Q: You've gone in many different directions the last few years with films like ALI and THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE. Now you've gone back to a genre you haven't done in ten years. Will your fans accept you in almost anything?

SMITH: I think people consider me a kind of friend rather than a celebrity. I think that all stems from THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR. People really connected to the characters in that show. They watched me grow up there, and then they watched me get married and divorced and then remarried in real life and have my kids and all that.

So I think that because of the TV show, I have always had this very warm kinship with audiences. It's a very polite, non-threatening relationship that's a privilege for me to have in my life. So I feel that I can take on practically any kind of role and the public will come out and see where I'm going to take them.

Q: Have you ever disappointed your fans?

SMITH: I think WILD WILD WEST was a big mistake, but fortunately I've balanced that out with things like ALI and MEN IN BLACK, which have done really well. You can't hit a home run every time up at bat, but at least I want to show that I'm trying my best. WILD WILD WEST taught me not to think I can turn a lousy script around on my own. You just can't, so I've learned to think in terms of the overall package - the director, the script, the producer - before committing to a project.

I do feel an obligation to give people something interesting to see and not just appease my ego as an actor. I do have this sense of loyalty not to disappoint people just as I'm sure that audiences respect me enough to let me try different kinds of characters from time to time.

Q: What about playing a villain or a serial-killer?

SMITH: (Laughs) As an actor, I think I can do just about anything. But I want to try and play more positive kinds of characters rather than bad guys and killers. There are a lot of good actors out there who can do just a great job in those roles so I don't see any need to go there.

Q: Your wife, Jada Pinkett, is currently enjoying a lot of success in her career with the release of THE MATRIX RELOADED. How does that make you feel?

SMITH: I'm very happy and proud for her. She's sacrificed a lot to give birth to and raise our children and that can be difficult when you're an exceptionally talented woman and you have your own career ambitions. But now she's getting back in the groove and a lot of directors are asking for her. So I'm supporting her all the way - I want her to be the happiest woman on the planet.

Q: As you grow older, do you see any diminution in your natural enthusiasm or see any cynicism creeping into your bones?

SMITH: I think I'm wiser to the ways of the world in general, but that doesn't affect my attitude or way of waking up in the morning. I don't have any choice but to be the way I am and try to achieve as much as possible in life. That drive is both God-given and father-driven because my dad always spurred me to reaching way past any obstacles and limitations that are put in your way.

I guess it comes down to refusing to allow cynicism and negativity creep into your soul. I have always had a lot of faith in myself and my ability to make this a better world in some way and so I choose to bring to the world as much energy and activity and positivity as I can assemble.

Q: How do you deal with disappointment. You worked very hard on ALI, for example, but the public didn't seem to respond to that film as much as one might have hoped?

SMITH: I think ALI is an incredible movie and that Michael Mann did a brilliant job. Sometimes the marketing isn't right, sometimes the mood at the moment isn't right when a film happens to be released, but I think it's the best work I've ever done and that it's going to be seen as a classic ten years down the road. The film wasn't an easy film to see in that it took a lot of creative risks so maybe it wasn't the big flashy blockbuster film some audiences like to see on Friday nights. But a lot of critics put it at the top of their ten-best lists of the year.

Q: What things worry you in life?

SMITH: I worry about not being the best husband and father I can possibly be. There are lots of time demands on you in this business and so I've tried to keep a good balance between my absorption in my work and being with my wife and kids. My marriage is the foundation of my life and I've sworn to myself that I will make sure we have a happy life together and that our children will grow up in a very loving and nurturing environment. I don't really worry about my career because I have absolute confidence in being able to find interesting projects down the road. You have to be much more attentive to a relationship or marriage because you may not always be listening enough or be attentive to another person's feelings if you're not careful. So I've dedicated myself to making my marriage work and doing everything to be a good family man.

Q: You've said in the past that the failure of your first marriage left some heavy scars on your psyche?

SMITH: That's right. The worst possible feeling in the world is when you are caught in the process of breaking up with someone and seeing your love break down. With Jada, we have a highly developed process for dealing with things which bother us so we don't let problems fester. Usually, things are so smooth between us that we start worrying that we have no problems to worry about! (Laughs) We just have to make sure our kids don't destroy the house or do any damage to themselves!

Q: You're always seen in public as a very up and good-natured person. Is there a moody and depressive side to Will Smith?

SMITH: I don't fall into depressions but I do get down on myself more than I like. I get easily frustrated if I feel I'm not accomplishing as much as I set out to do and things aren't working out the way I intended.

I place a high degree of pressure on myself when it comes to my work and I don't accept second best. So if I don't feel that a script is coming around to where it's going to make a good film, or if I'm shooting a movie and things are going wrong, it bothers me.

Q: There were reports of serious disagreements between you and director Michael Bay on the set of BAD BOYS II. What was that about?

SMITH: (Laughs) It's the usual kind of creative differences that happen whenever you have a big film, strong egos, and a lot of money involved. Michael and I just didn't see eye to eye on certain things but we worked it out and we made a good film. That's the bottom line. I'd rather have those kinds of conflicts than a ridiculously happy set which produces a boring movie.

Q: Do you think a film like BAD BOYS II gives you a harder edge when it comes to preparing the ground for future projects?

SMITH: I think it probably does. That's why I wanted for such a long time to do a sequel because I always thought that the characters had a lot of room to explore and do it with a lot of humour. It's also a film that I think audiences wanted to see and that they wanted to see me get tougher and be more in your face. As I get older, I'm evolving beyond a lot of the boyish roles I did earlier in my career and I think the public also wants to see me add layers to my screen characters just as I'm adding layers to my own personality. That's what personal growth is all about and so I think the best part of my work lies ahead of me. This is just the beginning!

Q: What about a juicy role with Will Smith as a sex symbol or as some kind of suave seducer?

SMITH: Just send me that script. Although my wife would tell you right away that I'll wind up turning any love story into a comedy. Now that might be the biggest challenge for me yet!