Will Smith arrives on stage to present the Outstanding Motion Picture Award at the 46th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California February 6, 2015. (Photo : Reuters/Danny Moloshok)
Will Smith, 47, is set to star in the sport drama "Concussion." According to the actor, the film may show a harsh reality about the NFL but he does not expect any backlash from the league.
"There will be a little difficulty in swallowing it, as it was for me," Associated Press quoted Smith as saying while at the Hollywood Film Awards. During the ceremony, he was honored for his screen work and received the Hollywood Actor Award.
For Smith, "Concussion" is not going to generate too much controversy with the NFL. On the other hand, he admitted that he was hesitant to sign on the first he was approached with the part as Dr. Bennet Omalu in the film.
Omalu was the one who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brain of football players, particularly Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, who will be played by David Morse in "Concussion."
Smith explained that he hesitated to play Omalu at first because of his personal feelings as a parent and not because he was afraid of the possible controversies with the NFL. In an interview with People, the actor said he was deeply inspired to tell this Omalu's story as an artist but he was deeply conflicted as a parent.
According to Smith, the most fun moment he ever had as a parent was watching his son play on the football field. He had no idea the level of neurological repercussion that his was in danger of while playing football so he decided to take on "Concussion" with a "seriously heavy heart."
With Smith and Morse, "Concussion" also stars Hill Harper as Christopher Jones, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Dave Duerson, Matthew Willig as Justin Strzelczyk, Richard T. Jones as Andre Waters and Mike O'Malley as Daniel Sullivan, among others.
"Concussion" is directed by Peter Landersman. It is set to hit theaters in the United States on Dec. 25.
