A man that can make audiences laugh one minute and cry the next, Will Smith has entertained us through our screens for decades. But like most humans, the 54-year-old is a complex individual who has good days as well as bad. The fact that the actor won an Oscar the same night he assaulted Chris Rock goes to show how unpredictable a Hollywood celebrity’s life can be. But this doesn’t erase the fact that the actor worked hard for the Oscar he received that night for King Richard.

A man who gives each role his all, Smith feels that he once crossed a line while preparing for a particularly harrowing part. The sensitive nature of the circumstances surrounding that role brings tears to the actor’s eyes to this day.

Will Smith still dreams about a character that he played

A movie that earned him an NAACP Award for his acting, Emancipation is one of the most chilling historical thrillers of all time. In taking on the role of a slave, Smith had a huge challenge before him. In a latest episode of Peacock’s Hart to Heart, Smith tells Kevin Hart about how he got into character for the movie. With glistening eyes, he says, “I wanted to feel the degradation of slavery… I went too far in.”

Hearing about the terrible chapters of history when the tragedies of slavery occurred can be difficult in itself, let alone having to live them the way the actor had to for the movie. The Independence Day actor mentions how he even began to hyper-ventilate when his prop chains got stuck once. For him, “coming face to face with that level of atrocity” had a huge impact on his mind.

Naturally, a movie like this is hard to sit through, given the nature of the topics covered and Smith’s Academy Award-winning performance.

But one man who unexpectedly expressed his desire to see Emancipation was none other than Chris Rock. And he had a twisted reason for wanting to do so too.

Why was Chris Rock eager to watch Emancipation?

If you haven’t yet heard of the infamous slapgate incident, you are probably living under a rock. On the eve of the Oscars 2022, Will Smith did the unforgivable by slapping Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. In retaliation, Rock is seen in his Netflix stand-up comedy special telling audiences how he watched Emancipation just so he could watch Will Smith get whipped.

As a movie about the slave trade, Smith’s character was subjected to a lot of brutality. From being whipped to being spat on, Smith’s character was made to endure plenty. Taking satisfaction in this fact, Rock made this joke at Smith’s expense to relay his hatred for the 54-year-old hilariously.

Given the lengths that Smith went to for his role in Emancipation, it is little surprise that he won an array of awards for the movie.