Will Smith On Why ‘King Richard’s Oscar Nominations Haul Is “Rarefied Air”, Richard Williams “Jedi Mind Trick”, And How ‘Bel Air’ Will Make Viewers “Stand Up And Cheer”
deadline.comWill Smith scored his third and fourth Oscar nominations this morning as the star and producer of King Richard, doubling his Oscar nominations haul and becoming only the ninth producer-actor to nab both nominations for the same film. “It’s six nominations total,” Smith tells Deadline, “and this is rarefied air for me.
I’ve been nominated two other times, but it’s never been this kind of blanket love, you know?”In addition to his Best Actor nod, and the Best Picture nomination he shares with Tim White and Trevor White, the film has been recognized for Zach Baylin’s Original Screenplay, DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Original Song and Pamela Martin’s Editing.
Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Oracene Price opposite Smith’s Richard Williams, was recognized in Supporting Actress.It means so much to him, Smith says, because there wasn’t a part of the process he didn’t relish. “The story, the Williams family, working with Aunjanue Ellis and the time we spent together, learning her story and her struggles.
The fact that it’s Richard, and Venus and Serena, and the timing of it. It was one of those things where everything went perfectly together.
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