In a recent podcast interview, Will Smith set the record straight on the widespread belief that his son secured his first film role for nepotistic reasons. Will Smith’s son Jayden made his acting debut in the 2006 flick The Pursuit of Happyness.
In the movie, Smith plays Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman who wants to improve his circumstances for his son Christopher Gardner Jr. Will Smith’s son Jayden portrays his on-screen son.
While Jaden’s portrayal in the award-winning biographical drama was widely acclaimed, a few people highlighted that he may have landed the job because of his famous last name. Addressing the nepotism controversy during a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Smith revealed his son Jaden Smith was not handed his role in The Pursuit of Happyness on a silver platter.
Will Smith told the Full Send hosts that they tested 40 kids for the role, but director Gabriele Muccino was unhappy with the performance.
The actor recalled, “So we were looking for a kid. Gabriele Muccino was the director. So we were reading kids, reading kids, reading kids. And Gabriele is an Italian artist, and if it’s not exactly how he wants it… he’s super passionate. And he just couldn’t find the right chemistry. He literally read 40 kids.”
Will Smith reveals he faced pushback from the studio over movie casting
Smith revealed that while they were struggling to cast a kid in the role, his son expressed interest in playing his son’s character and even auditioned for it. Will revealed that the director, Gabriele, was so impressed with Jayden’s audition that he immediately “teared up” and was adamant about casting him for the role despite facing pushback from the studio.
Smith revealed that the studio cared about the optics of casting his son in the movie, saying it “would seem like nepotism.” Will Smith, his son, auditioned nearly nine times to prove his worth to the studio. Smith said, “[Jaden] was asked to audition an unprecedented nine separate times. The studio simply didn’t want the problems that came along with casting him. But audition after audition, in all his innocent, 6-year-old glory, he proved himself the right actor for the role.”
Smith revealed that he and his wife completely removed themselves from the casting process even though his production company produced the movie. He reportedly let his son go through the trenches like any other actor to secure the role.
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