Will Smith has something to say about his standing in Hollywood. The Bad Boys icon named himself among the greatest male actors ever, claiming a spot on the Mount Rushmore of iconic performers alongside Marlon Brando, Denzel Washington, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Smith confidently shared his thoughts, stating, “I’m tryna look at the whole spectrum… I’m not tryna be arrogant. I do think I am one of the most prolific actors of all time.”
Before singling out Day-Lewis, the “Fresh Prince” took a moment to define the distinction between “actors” and “movie stars.” According to Smith, there’s a clear difference between the two roles in the industry.
“Why I like those is because there’s actors and there’s movie stars… An actor can deliver a role and take you to something that is a transformative experience, but a movie star can put a movie on their back and carry it. You go to a Denzel movie because it’s a Denzel movie,” he explained.
Get this, he continued, adding his perspective: “There are a lot of times people are good actors and you like to see people act and if they’re in something you like, you’ll go. But you’ll go to a Denzel because it’s Denzel. You’ll go to a Will Smith movie because it’s Will Smith.”
Moreover, Smith clarified that he didn’t favor one category over the other, but he did suggest that “being a movie star is a little bit extra.”
When it comes to reflecting on his career as a major box-office draw, Smith emphasized, “When you’re a movie star, you can carry a movie and there’s a lot of actors that are really great and can give you spectacular performances, but they not gonna put a movie on their back and carry it around the world and make you wanna come see it because they’re in it.”
What ya’ll think? Is Will Smith one of the GOATs? We think so.