Will Smith got emotional during his acceptance speech after winning Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor at the SAG Awards for his role in King Richard. Smith reflected on his growth over the course of his career as well as his relationship with fellow actor Denzel Washington.
“I’m here tonight with Saniyya [Sidney] and Demi [Singleton], the girls who play Venus and Serena, and Aunjanue Ellis, and Venus is here with her sister Isha, who’s an executive producer,” Smith told the audience. “It’s all of these, all of these Black women that I get to protect and shine a light on, you know, across the generations.”
Washington was also nominated for his role in The Tragedy of Macbeth. When Smith was announced as the winner, Washington jumped up from his seat in excitement.
“Me and Denzel have had some moments over the past 15 years. He’s always been a mentor for me, and he’s seen a whole lot of iterations of Will Smith,” Smith explained. “Like, Denzel’s always one of my first calls when stuff’s not going right. He’s given me critical advice at really critical moments.”
“[Tonight], he just hugged me and said, ‘This is your year,’ and he said, ‘I’m so proud of the man you’ve become,'” Smith added. “He grabbed a weight off of [my] shoulders and said, ‘You got it.'”
Check out Smith's speech below.
[Via]
