Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars know more than one language. Can the same be said about Will Smith, and does Spanish happen to be one of the languages he can speak fluently?
Will Smith has a basic grasp of Spanish language, but he admits he’s not fluent. His role in the 2008 film Seven Pounds included Spanish-speaking sequences, and he proved his ability to hold a conversation in this language in numerous interviews.
Role in “Seven Pounds”
Will Smith scored an Oscar nomination for his performance in Gabriele Muccino’s film The Pursuit of Happyness, and the two men quickly decided to reunite again. Their next film Seven Pounds came out in 2008, and Smith served as one of its producers, in addition to playing the lead role.
The official synopsis of this movie describes it as a story of a man who “embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.” One of these people is a Latin immigrant who’s dealing with domestic abuse, and Will Smith can be seen speaking Spanish the first time they meet.
Interviews in Spanish
Many people were surprised to hear Will Smith speak perfect Spanish in Seven Pounds, but it wasn’t the last time he’d done it. The Independence Day star admitted that his Spanish definitely needs improvement, but that he’s still trying to use it whenever possible.
Smith demonstrated his ability to speak Spanish during several interviews, but his accent wasn’t as good as in Seven Pounds. He had a chance to memorize his lines and do multiple takes for this film, but that wasn’t the case with his interviews. Smith still impressed reporters with his bilingual skills, and did his best given the circumstances.
Smith spoke Spanish on several occasions while promoting the sci-fi film After Earth, much to his son Jaden’s surprise. According to Jada Pinkett Smith, the couple’s kids don’t speak Spanish, but they understand some of it because she practices the language at home with Will. The actor also had a chance to visit Argentina while promoting Focus, and impressed people with his ability to speak Spanish.
Will Smith also had a chance to collaborate with several Latin musicians. He was featured in Marc Anthony’s and Bad Bunny’s collaboration “Está Rico”, but his parts of the song were mostly English-speaking. He also demonstrated his Spanish skills in several videos on Instagram. Smith once shared the video singing the classic song “La Bamba”, after his fans roasted him for not knowing the words. He also filmed himself dancing and singing to the beat of the song “X” by Nicky Jam and J. Balvin.
How Did He Learn Spanish?
Back in 2016, Will Smith sat down with SpainEdu, and discussed his experience with Spanish language. He explained that he picked up some basic phrases while living in Los Angeles, and tried to improve his skills during his travels to Spain.
“[I learnt to speak Spanish] in Los Angeles, talking to people. Traveling to Spain where I do have many friends. Little by little I’ve been learning and I’m not afraid of talking or making mistakes, but I’m conscious of my terrible accent,” said Smith.
The Bad Boys actor also said that Spain is one of his favorite countries in the world, and that he has a wonderful time every time he visits. He admitted that he’s not great at reading Spanish, but enjoys the works of Spanish authors, such as Federico García Lorca and Gabriel García Márquez.
Smith further discussed his Spanish knowledge on the Telemundo show Al Rojo Vivo. The actor said that he studied the language in school, and that he has a Spanish teacher who travels with him to help him with the interviews.
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