(ANSA) – ROME, NOVEMBER 05 – We are publishing a preview, courtesy of the Longanesi publishing house, an excerpt from Will Smith’s autobiography, ‘Will’, which comes out on November 9 and will be in Italian bookstores on November 11 in translation by Paolo Lucca and Giuseppe Maugeri.
In the passage of the memoir of over 400 pages, written with Mark Manson, with an unpublished photographic insert, Will Smith recounts the experience on the set of the film on Muhammad Ali, a role that consecrated him in the Hollywood empyrean and that at the beginning he wanted to refuse not feeling up to it.
“There are few human beings in the world who can truly say that they know who they are, what they are and that they have clear ideas about what they are called to do in this world: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and also young revolutionaries in their own way such as Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg.
Each of them has accepted their own divine mission and is willing to suffer for what is right and to do good to others. Their determination has something exhilarating: they are calm, purposeful and compassionate even in the middle of battle, in the worst of storms. Just being in their presence inspires us to pursue higher goals. We want to imitate them, put ourselves at their service, fight alongside them.
I met the champion, his wife Lonnie and his daughters Laila and May May in Las Vegas.
Ali sat in front of a plate of chicken soup with noodles. Even though I had no intention of impersonating him, I couldn’t stop myself from observing his hair, the shape of his lips around the spoon, his left hand clinging to the table as he ate with his right, the surprising fluidity of his movements. When he raised his eyes and saw me, he exhibited his famous frown, cheerfully nibbling his lower lip with his upper incisors.
“Who let this sucker in?” he yelled, leaping to his feet.
The family clearly knew that number well.
Everyone got into their own role. May May stood in front of her father.
“Come on, dad,” he said. “Make sure you behave yourself today.” Ali pretended to want to push her away.
“This sucker thinks he can come to my house. Let me face him,” he said, speaking just like Muhammad Ali.
At that point Lonnie intervened. Now she and May May were both trying to restrain Ali.
“Come on, honey,” Lonnie said affably, “finish the soup. Can we have at least a day where you don’t get into fights with anyone?” In order not to be left out, I decided to play along.
“Listen to your wife, champion,” I said, “eat the soup. You don’t want to try it on me.” Ali pretended to go on a rampage.
“Here! This is too much! Get out of my way! I want to hear how he talks when I put a punch in his mouth!” We all burst out laughing. Who knows how many times his family had staged this curtain! But that time that was the gift that Ali had wanted to give me: he knew that I would talk about it for the rest of my life.
Ali was like that. He was always trying to come up with something that would make you smile forever. He knew he was Muhammad Ali; he knew what this meant for others; and there was nothing he was unwilling to do to leave a tender memory in your heart.
The year of training and the five months of shooting Ali were the most exhausting mental, physical and emotional test of my entire career, but also the one from which I emerged the most transformed.
I had seen the world behave differently with this film. Ali’s name alone was enough to open every door for us; it had never happened to me before. Anyone we approached wanted to help us. The esteem that Ali enjoyed was an excellent lubricant for the production and logistics gears: negotiations, permits, locations, casting… Everyone wanted to be useful for the champion. Whatever we needed to tell his story well, the answer was always yes. Not for his fame or for the titles he won as a boxer, nor for his success or wealth. The favor with which they were received depended on the deep respect people felt for a life lived with integrity. Ali had never given up on his beliefs and principles despite the serious injustices he suffered, the profound prejudices he had suffered and the financial disasters he had encountered. He was the greatest boxer of all time, yet he always said: ‘My religion is love’ “. (ANSA).
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Source From: Ansa
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