Will Smith has the support of his The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star even today. The actor who is now known as one of the biggest stars in the world started off by being a rapper and comedian in the 90s. Like a fine wine, he not only managed to beat younger competitors, but also remain relevant through changing times. Although no success of that kind comes without the pressure to be perfect.

It is not just his fans that have remained by him all this time. Actress Nia Long has kept her support for the actor through thick and thin. In an interview in January, she sympathized with Will Smith, while crediting him for his work.

Nia Long once commended Will Smith for succeeding through pressure

For people, the image of Will Smith is an ever-smiling man who can pull off any role in real or reel life. But those closest to him have seen the pressure and effect of stardom around him. His The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Nia Long revealed to Yahoo about the actor during an interview. Touching on the topic of his Oscar incident, she said, “We all have our moments in life where we need to reconcile things that we suppress.”

Being an actress herself, she understands the constant pressure of being in the limelight. Comparing the 90s era to today, she feels like actors can be humans today, but that things were not the same back in the day.

She has always been vocal about her love and support for the actor. Long even connected her own life situations to Smith’s.

How the actress connected her breakup to the Oscar incident

The actress played Will Smith’s love interest in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Fast forward to today’s time, she is coming out of her real-life breakup with Celtics coach Ime Udoka. This happened around the same time that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, shaking the industry over his move. While most stars were quick to criticize the Men in Black actor for his actions, Long could understand his situation and the reasons behind his actions. The two actors remain good friends to this day.

What did you think of Nia Long’s thoughts on Will Smith? Share your opinion in the comments.