“I wanted to show the world a father who protects his daughter in that way,” says actor Will Smith regarding his leading role in the film King Richard, which opened this weekend in the United States and tells the story of how the unusual and close-knit Williams family from the poor black neighborhood of Compton forged their future success.
King Richard recounts the unlikely rise of Serena and Venus Williams, who went from training on the ruined tennis courts on the poor outskirts of Los Angeles to becoming the greatest athletes of all time, thanks to the tenacity of their father, Richard Williams. .
“The gaze of Venus … that image was burned into my heart, because that is how I wanted my daughter’s expression to be when she saw me defend her,” Will Smith, famous for his roles in movies like In Pursuit of Happiness, I Am Legend, and Independence Day.
This time, Rey Richard could become the latent possibility for the interpreter to win his first Oscar for best actor in the role of the father, coach and manager of the tennis players.
The remembered star of the series ‘The Prince of Rap’ “fell in love with Richard Williams” two decades ago, after seeing how the man came to the defense of his daughter Venus, who was then 14 years old, in an interview with a journalist too insistent.
Venus – whose seven Grand Slam titles would later be eclipsed by Serena’s 23 – occupies more screen time as she paved the way for her younger sister with her early youth tournament victories.
“I love that Venus has opened doors and that her sister has walked through them. Growing up watching girls who look like me in a sport that is predominantly white (…) means a lot, ”Saniyya Sidney, who plays Venus, told AFP a few days ago.
An example to follow
Richard Williams, a self-taught coach, wrote a 78-page plan to make Venus and Serena the best players in the world even before they were born, after learning how lucrative the prizes were.
For Smith – a father of three – watching Richard Williams protect his daughters all those years ago helped shape his performance.
“It was as if (Venus) had a lion. And she was very comfortable and very sure that her lion was not going to allow anything to happen to her, ”she recalls.
While Venus and Serena, in addition to two of his sisters, are involved in the film, Richard was not involved, and the film’s largely positive portrayal also hints at marital infidelity.
The filmmakers originally planned to give Smith special effects makeup to look like Williams Sr., but eventually relied on the two-time Oscar nominee to transform public perception.
Smith is the bookmaker’s favorite to win the best actor award at the February Oscars, having lost it for his portrayal of boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness. ❖
.