Will Smith has played a bunch of amazing and iconic roles over the years, but what about probably Smith’s best performance of all he is the one who delivered The pursuit of happiness. In the 2006 film, Smith played Chris Gardner, a man who struggled with homelessness with his young son before becoming a financial entrepreneur and motivational speaker. Smith returned to the inspirational film this week with a thank you to Gardner and a nice surprise that I missed.
The actor directed instagram wish Chris Gardner a happy birthday and share the interesting behind the scenes fact of The pursuit of happiness. It makes me want to revisit the emotional and uplifting film about a real person’s journey. To take a look at:
In Smith’s birthday post, the actor shared that Chris Gardner continues to inspire him and help people around the world “find their higher selves through thick and thin” with his story. In addition to showing his love to the businessman on his 69th birthday, she posted an image of The pursuit of happiness this shows that the real man appeared briefly in one scene.
If you don’t know how to look for him, the businessman might appear to be an extra in a suit walking past the protagonist. Kudos to the producers for creating this short cameo for him. It is poetic that the fictional (and younger) version of the businessman crosses paths with the real counterpart of him. (Yes, and now I will cry again). In response to the social media post, Gardner responded in the comments with these words:
GREAT WILL! My MAN, if I knew 69 would be gone [look] OKAY, I would have done that a long time ago! People keep asking me ‘When are you and Will going to do The Pursuit of Happyness Part 2?’ I always tell them I’m doing THIS S$&T NOW! SAY OH! Ring the closing bell to trade the NASDAQ today! Just made my FIRST IPO! THE TRUCK IS BACK! CRAZY LOVE TO YOU AND THE FAM! ✌🏾💪🏾🙏🏾CG
It’s nice to see Will Smith and Chris Gardner still keep in touch over 15 years later. The pursuit of happiness hit theaters. Smith was nominated for his second Oscar for playing Gardner, and this scene alone tells you why:
Directed by: Gabriel Mucino
Written by: Stephen Conrad
To discard: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Brian Howe, Dan Castellaneta, James Karen, Kurt Fuller
How to stream: Netflix subscription
In the past two years, the actor has also played two other real people. In King Richardthey he played the father of famous tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams and won his first Academy Award in the Best Actor category last year for his performance. (Unfortunately, shortly before accepting the award, he became a member of one of the The Biggest Oscar Scandals of All Time. when he slapped Chris Rock on stage for a joke the comedian made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith).
Will Smith also played “Whipped Peter,” an escaped American slave who was the subject of famous photographs that surfaced during the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War in Emancipationwhat was he first film released by him after the slap . Looking ahead, it was recently announced that Smith is currently shooting the fourth bad guys movie .
Despite his continued work, many still have a soft spot for The pursuit of happiness. It is a sentimental film. And it’s only made sweeter by the fact that protagonist and subject are always close, providing some interesting behind-the-scenes insights. Those who want to revisit the classic or watch it for the first time can stream the film with a Netflix subscription.
Source: Cinemablend
