Will Smith gave his own pay cut to the King Richard team. The actor who has had a career spanning three decades has seen challenges of different kinds during movie making. While he gained the position and the wealth by thriving through it all, Smith also appreciates the hard work of each member on the projects.

One of Smith’s most iconic roles in recent times was playing Serena and Venus Williams’ father in King Richard. Along with the movie being an enormous success, the actor got a whopping $40 million dollars for his role. But he decided to share that wealth with his team, and here is the reason behind it.

Why did Will Smith pay out of his own pocket to the crew and cast of King Richards?

The final result of a movie is the tip of the iceberg, with the production journey being the invisible part. As per E!, in 2021, Will Smith justified why he gave bonuses out of his own pocket to the cast and crew of King Richards. He explained how COVID had affected everyone around. But despite the challenges, his team really struck together with loyalty. While he admired everyone for doing a brilliant job, he said, “I just felt that it was fair.”

Layla Crawford even told THR how he would give gifts to them, including a Polaroid camera, and an iPhone 12 pro-Max, in addition to the bonus. Demi Singleton and Saniyya Sidney, who played Serena and Venus Williams, also backed this story.

The tennis-playing sisters were first shocked to know about Will Smith taking up the role to play their father. While most sports biopics are about the players, this was about the man who raised the powerful female icons.

The story behind the iconic King Richard movie

King Richard is the story of the Williams sisters’ parents, especially Richard Williams. It covers the journey of his faith in his daughters and how he taught himself to teach them about the sport.

Smith portrayed how the father managed to do it all without force, and with positive reinforcement. It was through his belief in God and love that the family rose to success. The Men in Black actor perhaps carried this same paternal energy when treating the movie with bonuses.

What did you think of his gesture towards King Richard’s team? Put your thoughts in the comments.