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Will Smith REVEALS feeling honoured giving bonuses to King Richard co stars: Everybody put in brilliant work
Will Smith in a recent interview said it was an 'honor' to give his King Richard castmates bonuses after the film wrapped.
Will Smith is a generous man! The King Richard actor chatted with ET's Kevin Frazier about what it was like to portray Venus and Serena Williams' father, Richard, in the film, as well as why he offered everyone on set a special bonus.
The 53-year-old actor explained his choice to pay his co-stars out of his own money, revealing how COVID played a role. "All I can do is my part, so it's always an honor and a pleasure for me to do my part, and everybody put in brilliant work. It was the COVID shutdowns, people really stuck with us." Smith said that he decided to do his share to ensure that the actors and crew were adequately rewarded once it was confirmed that the picture will be released in cinemas as well as on HBO Max. He further said as per Entertainment Tonight, "It was a much more difficult process than anybody thought they were signing up for. I just felt that it was fair."
Meanwhile, the film King Richard is based on the life of Richard Williams, who assisted his daughters, Serena and Venus, when they began their careers as professional athletes. Tennis greats Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton were among those who got a big bonus from Smith. As per Entertainment Tonight, Jon Bernthal, Dylan McDermott, and Tony Goldwyn are among the other cast members.
However, when the movie was released, it garnered overwhelmingly good reviews from reviewers, with many complimenting Smith's portrayal. King Richard is in theatres and will be streaming on HBO Max on November 19.
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