Will Smith has given plenty of noteworthy performances in his long-running career. While his filmography includes misses, for every Focus there is Concussion, King Richards, and The Pursuit of Happyness. Nominated for an Oscar, in The Pursuit of Happyness, Smith showed that he was capable of moving audiences with his nuanced performance. And now, years later, the star shared an interesting trivia.

The movie, based on the real story of Chris Gardner, follows a single father grappling with poverty and homelessness. But he turns his life around when he becomes a motivational speaker and a financial entrepreneur. Now on Gardner’s birthday, Will not only gave him a shoutout but also offered a little trivia for the fans! 

Will Smith wishes the real Chris happy birthday in his throwback post 

Chris Gardner, the guy who inspired the 2006 movie, The Pursuit of Happyness just turned 69. And Will Smith did not forget his dear friend’s birthday. Taking to his Instagram handle, the 54-year-old posted a throwback to the movie with a sweet caption about how wonderful Gardner is. He praised Gardner for serving as an inspiration for many, including him, to find their higher selves. But it was not the caption, but the little trivia that Smith dropped that caught fan’s eyes. 

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Turns out the real Chris Gardner was, in fact, in the movie. He had a blink-and-miss cameo where he walked past Will and Jaden Smith. This came as a surprise to many who missed the appearance. It kind of has a poetic feel to it as he walks past his younger self. The scene speaks volumes as it gives hope to many who are currently feeling hopeless and are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The makers did an excellent job of weaving Gardner’s cameo into the narrative.

Chris Gardner has a cheerful response to Smith’s post 

When the post came to Gardner’s notice, he dropped in a comment calling Smith Big Will affectionately. He sounded cheerful as he joked that 69 looks great on him! Apparently, people are still hounding him to make a sequel after nearly 17 years after the film was released! 

It’s evident that they have kept in touch all these years and their friendship is ever so sweet. Meanwhile, Smith played another real-life character, Serena, and Venus Williams’ father, King Richard, in the movie of the same name. It won him an Oscar, but he cannot boast of a friendship with King Richards. 

Did you notice the cameo in the movie?