Superstar Will Smith initially did not want to do the superhit biopic Concussion. What was the reason behind it/

Why Will Smith Was “Conflicted” to Act in the “Not an Anti-football Movie” ‘Concussion&#8217;

Will Smith is one of those actors who is known for his great acting skills.
Keeping aside the huge Oscar controversy, there is no question mark on the
talent of the King Richard actor. And that is one of the reasons behind him
getting the roles that are tough to play, mostly biopics. Will Smith has
mastered the art of biopics. And even though Will got a Golden Globe nomination
for the film later, initially he did not want to be part of the project. One of
his very difficult projects that topped the list was the film Concussion.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

The film was released in 2015 and received many awards for its realistic yet
unique plotline and just fine acting. Will played the role of forensic
pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in the film. Dr. Omalu was the first person who
first marked the link between brain damage and football injuries. The question
is why did Will not want to such an important role and the film?

ALSO READ: “I didn’t want it to be me” – When Will Smith Opened Up on Being
Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-i-didnt-want-it-to-be-me-when-will-smith-opened-up-on-being-afraid-to-be-cast-in-concussion/]


WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND THE RELUCTANCE OF WILL SMITH?

Biopics are considered difficult because there are already references for people
to compare you with. Extremely minute details are looked at and worked upon to
make a biopic successful. The film follows Omalu’s discovery of “chronic
traumatic encephalopathy.” It is a chronic brain disorder brought on by
repetitive head injuries. These injuries have been linked to the deaths of many
NFL players. The revelation, in Smith’s words, is “a very inconvenient truth.”
The actor said
[https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/smith-conflicted-playing-dr-bennet-omalu-concussion/story?id=35776106],
“It’s going well. I was a little conflicted when I first took this film, so it
feels good that people are responding well to it.”

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

According to Smith, it was hard for him to accept the truth behind this because
he is a huge football fan. He grew up playing football and his elder son Trey
played it for 4 years. He mentioned that watching Trey play the game was the
most beautiful memory he has with him.

ALSO READ: Will Smith Once Revealed How His Son Felt ‘betrayed’ Because of Him
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-once-revealed-how-his-son-felt-betrayed-because-of-him/]

Since the film shows the repercussions of football and injuries caused to it in
one way, this makes people think that the film is “anti-football.” However, that
is not the case. Will Smith and filmmakers have repeatedly cleared it on
occasions that this film, in any way does not tell people to stop playing
football. It is all about making people aware of the injuries that can cause due
to it.



In the end, the film was highly appreciated by the critics as well as the
audience. Have you seen the film yet? If not, watch it and let us know your
thoughts on Will’s portrayal of Dr. Omalu in the comments.

 

Radhika Deshmukh

Comment

Why Will Smith Was “Conflicted” to Act in the “Not an Anti-football Movie” ‘Concussion&#8217; - 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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Why Will Smith Was “Conflicted” to Act in the “Not an Anti-football Movie” ‘Concussion&#8217; - netflix-junkie

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Will Smith is one of those actors who is known for his great acting skills. Keeping aside the huge Oscar controversy, there is no question mark on the talent of the King Richard actor. And that is one of the reasons behind him getting the roles that are tough to play, mostly biopics. Will Smith has mastered the art of biopics. And even though Will got a Golden Globe nomination for the film later, initially he did not want to be part of the project. One of his very difficult projects that topped the list was the film Concussion.
<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" />
The film was released in 2015 and received many awards for its realistic yet unique plotline and just fine acting. Will played the role of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in the film. Dr. Omalu was the first person who first marked the link between brain damage and football injuries. The question is why did Will not want to such an important role and the film?
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-i-didnt-want-it-to-be-me-when-will-smith-opened-up-on-being-afraid-to-be-cast-in-concussion/" rel="bookmark">“I didn’t want it to be me” – When Will Smith Opened Up on Being Afraid to Be Cast in ‘Concussion’</a>
<h2>What was the reason behind the reluctance of Will Smith?</h2>
Biopics are considered difficult because there are already references for people to compare you with. Extremely minute details are looked at and worked upon to make a biopic successful. The film follows Omalu&#8217;s discovery of &#8220;chronic traumatic encephalopathy.&#8221; It is a chronic brain disorder brought on by repetitive head injuries. These injuries have been linked to the deaths of many NFL players. The revelation, in Smith&#8217;s words, is “a very inconvenient truth.” The actor <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/smith-conflicted-playing-dr-bennet-omalu-concussion/story?id=35776106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “It’s going well. I was a little conflicted when I first took this film, so it feels good that people are responding well to it.”
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/will-smith-concussion.jpg" alt="" width="4500" height="3000" />
According to Smith, it was hard for him to accept the truth behind this because he is a huge football fan. He grew up playing football and his elder son Trey played it for 4 years. He mentioned that watching Trey play the game was the most beautiful memory he has with him.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-once-revealed-how-his-son-felt-betrayed-because-of-him/" rel="bookmark">Will Smith Once Revealed How His Son Felt ‘betrayed’ Because of Him</a>
Since the film shows the repercussions of football and injuries caused to it in one way, this makes people think that the film is &#8220;anti-football.&#8221; However, that is not the case. Will Smith and filmmakers have repeatedly cleared it on occasions that this film, in any way does not tell people to stop playing football. It is all about making people aware of the injuries that can cause due to it.
<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>
In the end, the film was highly appreciated by the critics as well as the audience. Have you seen the film yet? If not, watch it and let us know your thoughts on Will&#8217;s portrayal of Dr. Omalu in the comments.
&nbsp;

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

Will Smith Once Revealed How His Son Felt ‘betrayed’ Because of Him

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Why Will Smith Was “Conflicted” to Act in the “Not an Anti-football Movie” ‘Concussion’

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