Will Smith, throughout his long career in Hollywood, has given several mind-blowing performances. From the Fresh Pince to Emancipation, the American actor has been through a journey that defined him as an actor. Though Smith has always enjoyed acting and felt confident about whatever he did, there were times in his career when he himself had doubts if he should or could play a specific role.

The 54-year-old actor was featured in Muhammad Ali’s biopic in 2001. Despite his brilliant performance as an actor, Smith was not sure if he could be the perfect man. But apart from Muhammad Ali’s family members, there was one other person who could make the actor believe he could do it. So, who was this person?

Who convinced Will Smith to be the lead in Ali?

Ali is a 2001 American biographical sports drama movie that earned $107–118 million at the Box Office. Although the film faced some economic issues, critics applauded the direction and Smith’s performance. But before being a part of the biopic, the Aladdin actor was not sure if he could be Muhammad Ali. During his interview with ABC News in 2001, he opened up about it and said only the director of the film, Michael Mann, convinced him to do it.

The reason the American actor did not want to do it was because he was afraid to make any mistake. Ali was Smith’s idol, whom he called the Greatest for over 100 years. “Intellectually, I didn’t feel that I possessed what it took to become Muhammad Ali,” were his words when he revealed he could not do it. Additionally, Muhammad Ali’s family members also politely requested Smith to take part.

After everyone around him convinced him to take the role, it was the director of the film who made him believe he would be able to capture every essence of Ali. Mann even assured him to hire the greatest trainers to teach the Aladdin star how to fight. Once he committed to the part, he trained hard and learned every single thing about the greatest boxer. And it paid off. Although the film did not run well at the Box Office, it certainly received honorable award nominations.

Did Ali get an Academy Award, too?

Getting the Academy Award is the biggest honor for any artist. Despite earning not as anticipated at the Box Office, Ali received a lot of love from the audience. It marked one of the best performances by Will Smith, given he received a nomination for the 74th Academy Award for Best Actor. Additionally, Jon Voight also bagged the Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.

While the Men in Black actor did not win an Academy Award for being Ali, he won the award for another 2021 biopic, King Richard. Even when he was playing King Richard, it was hard for him, as he once opened up about his experience. Nevertheless, with his best performances like this, Smith continues to receive all the love from his fans.

Do you think Will Smith did justice to Muhammad Ali in Ali? What do you think about Smith’s cold feet before accepting the role? Share your views with us in the comments below.