Will Smith, tired of the current state of affairs in the US, has declared an intention to perhaps enter the political arena “in the near future” in a podcast interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
Appearing on Scott Feinberg’s Awards Chatter podcast on Wednesday, the 47-year-old actor talked about his upcoming goals, which include a plan to elevate his abilities to “be useful in the world” by exploring his political future.
“I’m working really hard and my storytelling is elevating, my ability to be eloquent with my body and with my voice and to deliver ideas as an actor is elevating,” Smith told Feinberg. “And, you know, as I look at the political landscape, I think that there might be a future out there for me. They might need me out there.
“This is the first year that I’ve been incensed to a level that I can’t sleep, you know?” he continued. “So I’m feeling that at some point, in the near future, I will have to lend my voice to the conversation in a somewhat different way.”
Concussion review – Will Smith battles NFL in hoary but well-meaning drama
Earlier in the interview, Smith shared that he does not consider himself “particularly talented” – a humility that might be useful as he takes a jab at politics.
“I don’t consider myself particularly talented – I consider myself slightly above average in talent – but nobody’s going to outwork me,” he said. “I’ll take a slight talent and then add the skill to it and can make it look magnificent, you know?”
Smith also discussed his latest film, Concussion, in which he plays the real-life Nigerian-born forensic neuropathologist Bennet Omalu, who takes on the National Football League for covering up evidence that concussions can cause football players long-term harm. The film will be released nationwide in the US on 25 December.
Smith noted that Omalu has a great reverence for the “American dream”, a love Smith also feels, despite his dissatisfaction with the current political climate.
“America’s the only place on earth that I could exist. No other country on earth produces Will Smiths, you know?” he said.
Smith added: “If you look back historically, of how black people have had it on the planet, America is elevating quite well, based on the history of our people.”
[“source-theguardian”]
