Playing Richard Williams in the critically-acclaimed motion picture King Richard has earned Will Smith not just a string of major awards, including his first Oscar, but it also earned him a lot of respect and gratitude from his fellow co-stars.
During the recent awards season, it was revealed that some of the cast members of the flick weren’t happy about their salaries, despite having already signed their deals, with several actors stressing they were certainly being underpaid, prompting Smith to step up and get his fellow stars a salary raise.
The only reason why the raise was issued, to begin with, was because its star Aunjanue Ellis had written a personal letter to the Concussion star, explaining why the proposed salary was ultimately going to leave her earning only a fraction of what she had hoped to receive. Here’s the lowdown…
How Did Will Smith Raise The Cast’s Salaries?
It was initially reported that Smith had fought to raise the salaries among the cast of the biopic about Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams.
But in an interview with The Breakfast Club in March 2022, Ellis shed light on how the move came about, stressing that she had written a letter to Smith explaining why she was unsatisfied with what the film studio was offering her.
When asked whether Smith helped raise the earnings co-stars made from King Richard, Ellis gracefully responded, explaining: “He did but I think what’s important to say about that… is that after you get the job, the fight is not over."
“I did that job and I’m thankful for it but I could have gotten paid better. So I told him this, and he did something about it.
Ellis continued, expressing how her letter ended up not only increasing her earnings for the movie, but it also saw spike in the salaries for all of the other actors, which she, of course, was very happy about.
“As a result of his doing, his responding to the letter that I wrote to him, not only did he address that with increasing my pay, but the other actors also got their pay increased, which is the proof of when the Black women do well, everybody does well.
When she was asked whether the increase in pay was being downplayed as a “bonus,” Ellis seemed to agree, saying that regardless of how it is put, Smith ultimately went out of his way in making sure that everybody — particularly Black women — were paid fairly.
“That’s how he [Will] wants to frame it, that’s his world. I think it’s important that first of all, people know who this man is and what he did, and also that Black women still have to fight to get paid equally.”
Is Will Smith On Good Terms With Chris Rock?
Following the infamous slap Smith served Rock at the Academy Awards in March 2022, fans were told by rapper and entrepreneur Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs that the Hollywood stars had supposedly squashed their differences behind the scenes, though this was later denied by a source.
Apparently, Rock and Smith have not spoken since the incident, but the comedian opted not to press charges, which would give the impression that he simply wants to let the matter fizzle out from the public.
In a lengthy statement made on his Instagram two days after getting physical with the Everybody Hates Chris star, Smith issued a formal apology in view of his 62.4 million followers.
His message read: “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.
He continued: “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.
“I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”
According to reports, Smith’s altercation with Rock was watched over 80 million times on YouTube within 24 hours, with the father-of-two becoming the most talked-about celebrity on social media this year so far. “Will Smith” was trending on Twitter for a whopping three consecutive days.