Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making Of “The Pursuit Of Happyness”

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What did Chris think of Will playing him?

While Will Smith was, as he is today, box office gold, Gardner still had reservations about him portraying him. For that very reason actually. Will, up until that point, was most known for his action and comedy. And Gardner didn’t know if he could take on such an emotionally charged film. Surprisingly, it was his daughter who helped convince him to see it otherwise. In an interview with Oprah, he explained how she helped him get over his initial qualms.

“My first initial reaction was–first of all I love him. His music, his movies I’ve always loved him. But I thought ‘aww man, Will Smith. He never did anything like this.’ But my daughter, who has her grandmother’s wit and wisdom- my mother- she broke it down for me. She says, ‘Pop, if he can play Muhammad Ali, he can play you.”

 

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