Will Smith has a career spanning three decades with several box office successes and a hit sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” that has become a cult classic across generations. But with all of his accolades, the superstar still deals with the feeling that he is the odd man out among his peers.
Smith opened up about the matter in an Instagram post shared with his 63.5 million followers on Friday (July 28). The entertainment veteran posted a photo of him surrounded by a class of aspiring actors who are under the tutelage of his acting coach, Aaron Speiser. “[Thirty-three] years into my career as an actor, there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time,” he wrote.
The King Richard star said that “those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between,” thanks to Speiser, whom he fondly refers to as Coach. Smith said the photo was snapped after he’d been invited to sit in on one of Speiser’s classes. The experience left Smith feeling “amazed and inspired.”
Elsewhere in the post, the Academy Award winner acknowledged the ongoing writers and actors strike that has brought scores of productions to a halt. “As some of y’all might [have] heard, my guild, SAG-AFTRA, [is] on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession,” said Smith.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in May when contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) fell through. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the WGA in their fight for livable wages and job protection in mid-July. It marks the first time in 60 years that both guilds have been on strike at the same time.
Several stars have shown their support to union members by speaking out and joining them on the picket lines. Snoop Dogg recently canceled his 30th-anniversary concert for Doggystyle as a show of solidarity.