There’s a handful of actors who deserve their stardom — I’ve mentioned a few of them thus far. Will Smith was one of them once. Just the other day I had an argument with quite a few people about Smith’s acting range. They eagerly described him as versatile and prolific. I fervently disagreed — he’s the prime example of a sell-out. The actor doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy who’d appreciate of cinema. He appears to be someone who doesn’t worry about craft or art, but is quick to notice the perks within the industry, and asks how much he’ll get paid for a job before he even bothers to read the script.
He used to be different, though. Long ago, he was just the star of a sitcom who quickly rose to the top when Roland Emmerich cast him in his big-budget sci-fi flick Independence Day. Naturally, the film was a success, Smith became an A-Lister, and here we are. The once-promising actor’s involvement in a movie practically guarantees commercial prosperity nowadays, but he refuses to tackle any serious, demanding roles. Smith plays it safe because he doesn’t want audiences to picture him any other way, and it’s a smart thing to do if you’re nothing but a number-crunching businessman.
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