Will Smith appeared on First We Feast’s “Hot Ones” and recounted a harrowing experience he had while filming the 2001 biopic “Ali.”
Smith, who played legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, spoke about the hardest punch he received on set, which came from Michael Bent, who played Sonny Liston in the film. The incident occurred while Smith was working with his trainer to perfect his boxing stance.
“My trainer was telling me to lean my spine forward, and in that moment I said, ‘OK? I’m going to commit,’ and I committed and leaned forward,” Smith says. Said On “Hot Ones”: “Almost instinctively, Michael Bent puts his right hand out, and I duck my head because I knew it was coming at the last moment, and he catches me with his right hand right above my head.”
The punch landed pinpoint on the top of Smith’s head, sending a sharp pain down his arm. (Related article: “Unique Monsters”: Actor talks about the dangers of fame)
“My head didn’t fall back, but my neck was pressed against my spine. I felt an electric shock go up the back of my arms, down to my elbows,” he continued.
MIAMI – DECEMBER 6: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali (L) with actor Will Smith attends the Miami Art Basel Taschen Book Premiere of Ali’s new book “GOAT – Greatest Of All Time” at the Miami Convention Center in Miami, Florida on December 6, 2003. (Photo by Gregorio Binuya/Getty Images)
Smith also praised director Michael Mann’s commitment to verisimilitude.
“When we were shooting Ali, Michael Mann wouldn’t allow any music on the set that was written after the shooting date,” he recalls, “that’s how committed he was to capturing the authenticity of the moment.”
