Will Smith Knew He Could Beat Anyone’s A*s in Hollywood After the Toughest Movie of His Career

Will Smith’s grueling training one film, where he gained 30 pounds of muscle and learned to box like a pro, instilled a newfound confidence in him.

Will Smith has been nothing short of brilliant throughout his career.

True that there have been quite a few misses, Smith has nonetheless always bounced back and left viewers in shock and awe.

But he truly outperformed himself when he starred in his Oscar-nominated role as Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biopic, Ali.

Even though the film wasn’t as much of a success, the film pushed him to physical and emotional limits like never before, resulting in a performance that not only earned him critical acclaim but also instilled a newfound confidence, convincing him he could take on any challenge—inside or outside of Hollywood.

Will Smith’s extensive training for Ali convinced him he could beat up anyone

Will Smith in Ali | Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

Will Smith starred as the boxing legend Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali. While the film was not as big a success, the efforts that Smith put into training for the film were nothing short of legendary.

The actor had to undergo one of the most painful training programs of his life.

To transform himself into Ali, the actor followed the same path as these legends, adding 30 pounds of solid muscle to his  6ft 2in 185lb frame.

Furthermore, apart from training like Ali, he even practiced celibacy for over a year, trying to live and experience it all.

His fighting training was even more grueling since he had to learn how to take a punch and, more often than not, from real boxers.

As his trainer, Darrell Foster explained to Peter Sheridan of The Express (via jazzyjefffreshprince.com), Smith:

…ran five miles each morning, spent three hours learning footwork, balance and ring generalship. He learnt how to throw a punch and improved with a speed bag and a heavy bag. He increased his agility and endurance by jumping rope, then ended the afternoon lifting weights

By the end of this extensive training, Smith’s instincts took over inside the ring, and he could have well turned pro and won fights.

Even Will Smith in the same interview expressed that he gained a renewed sense of confidence, stating:

Now, I know that anyone I walk by, I can pretty much beat their arse. Well, having seen the film, we don’t doubt that he could have.

Will Smith was reduced to tears training for Ali

Will Smith cried while training for Ali | Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing.

To really understand the mentality, experience, and sacrifices that Muhammad Ali went through, Will Smith decided that he would try to go through the same experiences that the legendary boxer went through.

He didn’t just train for the role—he immersed himself in the lifestyle and mindset of a boxer.

Even when things became overwhelming and the emotional toll got too much to manage, Smith never once backed off, as Foster revealed.

Moreover, several times throughout the year he spent training for the film, Smith would go home and cry, exhausted from taking all the beating, for months on end.

Yet, he would never show how much he was hurting, leading Foster to remark: Ninety per cent of boxing is heart – and Will Smith has that and more.

Things turned even more challenging when he switched from sparring with Foster to training with real boxing champions like Michael Bentt, who almost knocked him out cold once.

Yet, even with the pain, and multiple injuries ranging from broken thumbs to bruised ribs, Smith kept coming back for more, morphing into the boxing legend.

Even Muhammad Ali, who once visited the set, was shocked to see how much heart, soul, and mind Will Smith was putting into the film, remarking: That boy’s crazy.

Ali is available to be streamed on Netflix in the US.