Award-winning actor Will Smith was not willing to do a role in the film Concussion. How did he get convinced to take up the role

“I didn’t want it to be me” &#8211; When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’

“I didn’t want it to be me” &#8211; When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’ - Netflix Junkie

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Radhika Deshmukh is a Hollywood and Netflix News writer at Netflix Junkie. As a passionate film and theater enthusiast, Radhika found her calling in entertainment reporting. Her love for cinema and television motivated her to intern as a news writer at Dainik Bhaskar, where she honed her skills in factual reporting. Her report on Sydney Sweeney Reveals How Her ‘Family’s Financial Struggles’ Impacted Her Decisions reflects her ability to uncover the personal stories of celebrities that fans crave. With over 600 articles on Netflix Junkie, Radhika continues to express her love for TV shows and films, and she hopes to write 600 more. When she is not busy with a theater production, you will find her revisiting some of her favorites like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sherlock, and How I Met Your Mother.

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“I didn’t want it to be me” &#8211; When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’ - netflix-junkie

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Brain,decided2015 release Concussion is not a film that you come across every day. This Will Smith-starrer raises a unique subject in the field of sports, based on a story by Jeanne Marie Laskas, Game Brain, published in GQ Magazine. Directed and written by Peter Landesman, the movie is set in the year 2000 and had its AFI Fest debut on November 11, 2015.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b0b623cf75e6329d938bb9bcd29a5dcc7bde98a9/158_71_2649_1590/master/2649.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=900&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=4346c580001d5320b8682bc7c8d3360d" alt="" width="1200" height="900" />
In her article Game Brain from October 2009, GQ journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas featured a group of researchers who had uncovered the stunning finding that concussions in professional football players might cause dementia. The <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nfl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL</a> aggressively refuted these results and even refused to pay some former players who had the illness compensation. A film based on a real-life drama sounds exciting. However, initially, Will Smith didn&#8217;t want to do it. But why?
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-humans-are-just-complex-willow-refuses-to-address-and-defends-will-smith-over-oscar-slapgate/" rel="bookmark">“Humans are just complex” – Willow Refuses to Address and Defends Will Smith Over Oscar Slapgate</a>
<h2>Why wasn&#8217;t Will Smith on board with the idea?</h2>
When <a href="http://netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith">Will Smith</a> was handed the script of the film, the Aladdin actor didn&#8217;t want to be a part of the film. He later admitted the reason for his hesitance to be the &#8220;deeply conflicting&#8221; nature of sharing the story of how NFL overlooked players&#8217; chronic illness. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t want (the brain injuries) to be the reality, and, at a minimum, I didn&#8217;t want it to be me who had to say it,&#8221; <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/11/11/will-smith-concussion-premiere/75562640/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Smith to USA Today.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8dbd816a967f72326640e4b9187cbfe731cf33f6/0_0_3686_2211/master/3686.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=900&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=667c6fd7c1aec9ebb1c1e8229becc927" alt="" width="1200" height="900" />
However, one of the producers of the film, Ridley Scott, talked Smith into it. Scott had only one thing to say to the <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-when-is-will-smiths-oscar-winning-title-king-richard-arriving-on-netflix/">King Richard</a> actor about the role in the Concussion, &#8220;This is it. Pay attention.&#8221; However, the Suicide Squad star, not yet convinced, decided to have a sit down with Dr. Omalu, whom he was to portray in the 2015 film, imploring the doctor to tell the actor something to prevent the latter from taking up the role. However, Omalu remained silent, ultimately leading Smith to take the role.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="CONCUSSION - Official Trailer (HD)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Io6hPdC41RM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist, in the film. While doing an autopsy on former NFL football player, he finds brain degeneration comparable to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. Omalu labels the illness &#8220;chronic traumatic encephalopathy&#8221; and reports his results in a medical publication. As more athletes get the same diagnosis, the crusading doctor goes on a mission to teach the public about the risks of brain injuries caused by football.
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Columbia Pictures released the film on December 25, 2015. You can <a href="https://www.netflix.com/br-en/title/80064511" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch</a> Concussion now on Netflix.

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Award-winning actor Will Smith was not willing to do a role in the film Concussion. How did he get convinced to take up the role?

“I didn’t want it to be me” - When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’ - Netflix Junkie

Radhika Deshmukh

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“I didn’t want it to be me” – When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’

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