After the tumultuous conflict between Will Smith and Chris Rock, the protagonist of King Richard won the Oscar for ‘Best Lead Actor’.
During his acceptance speech, the actor thanked the opportunity of portraying Venus and Serena’s father, also mentioning that “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family”.
Later on, Will Smith shared that Denzel Washington spoke to him after he smacked Chris Rock: “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
He further on addressed his reaction regarding Chris Rock’s joke towards Jada Pinkett Smith. “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” Will Smith remarked.
He also pointed out that his tears were not because of having won, but rather because of “trying to protect the people that you love”.
“It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” Smith said.
Here’s Will Smith’s full acceptance speech at the 2022′s Academy Awards:
