When I RSVP’d for another mamarazzi event courtesy of @themoms to see a screening of @afterearth with Will Smith and Jaden Smith I never knew I was in for very powerful, positive messages from Will Smith. Not only was the movie great and the moral of the movie was overcoming fears, but what Will had to say just made it all amazing for me. I have to say I learned a lot especially about attacking my fears. Will talked about how he had a fear of crowds, so one day he walked into the Galleria mall, headed to the food court and asked for everyone’s attention. He said ” My name is Will Smith and you don’t know me now but one day you will.” That’s how he got over his fears and he also did that in high school as well just a different speech. He also said “your words have power over everything you come in contact with.”
In the movie you see how his son’s character “Kitai Raige” played by Jaden Smith has to overcome his fear of creatures while they are stranded on earth or else the both of them will die. Will Smith’s character “Cypher Raige” guides his son through a dangerous journey to recover their rescue beacon.
Growing up Will’s family delivered ice which I thought was interesting.
He also said he met Jada Pinkett Smith his wife and one of the producers of this movie on the set of Fresh Prince of Bel Air when she was auditioning for a part. He said she was pissed because the producers thought she was too short and that’s why she didn’t get the part. She told Will “Apparently I’m too short for you.” He said “he think he’s in love.” Sooo sweet. They dated a few years later.
He also said when he started rapping around the age of 12 he had a rap book with 4 letter curse words and his grandmother found it but never told him. He was flipping through it and there was a note he found from her saying “Dear Will, Truly intelligent people do not have to use words like these to express themselves. Please show the world that you’re as smart as we think you are. Love Gma”
My grandmother would have done something like that.
That letter made him make the decision to not use curse words. He said “It forced a certain creativity she introduced him to the idea to have a purpose behind your choices.”
He also said “You can get caught in randomness if you don’t lock on to a purpose of why you’re doing what you’re doing.” She gave him boundaries that gave him a goal,and focus, and essentially a mental game for himself of what he was doing in the world.
Will’s son Jaden says he’s 14 and he said he doesn’t want cursing in his rap music. He said he is not allowed but Will said him and his wife Jada never told Jaden he ‘s not allowed to do that.
He used a quote from Edward Kennedy’s biography where Edward’s father said ” As a family we have decided you’re going to have lives of value to the world. Now I respect if you want to choose a life that does not have value to the world. I respect that but I’m not going to have a lot of time for you.”
That was deep!!!
Will said that struck him and that idea is the basis of what they say with their children. They say “You have been blessed. It is your responsibility to live a life of value to others, not something that is steeped in ego gratification that is not why we do this, we do this to put things in the world that have value to other people.” Love that!!
Jaden said he had fun working with his dad. You could see the bond they have and how much fun they have with each other. Not to mention they all look alike. I guess Will never thought he would have kids following in his footsteps when he was acting on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He said he would like the whole family to be on the screen one day maybe like the Partridge Family, or Brady Bunch while the kids are still young. Jaden 14, Willow 12, and Trey is 20. He also said they have to work around Willow’s schedule. Guess she’s very busy. Lol
Jaden has a clothing line called MSFT rep. He said he looks at it as “he’s gonna start a company, but build it slowly, and it’s gonna be a learning experience for him and his friends and one day it’s gonna support their families. What 14 year old is thinking about opening any company to provide for their family? I thought that was great. He has a head on his shoulder and Will couldn’t be any prouder.
Will said “Jaden’s style comes from the courage to wear what you feel”. “Just be yourself, be bold, be brave, don’t care what other people think about it.” I totally agree. I like being different and standing out and don’t care who doesn’t like it. I teach that to my kids too. Our style is different.
Will said “It’s terrifying to raise children and to know how they turn out in the world is largely gonna be based on the things that you do right and wrong.”
He also said “You have to let your kids go. You hope that the seeds and lessons you planted are going to take the root and flower into their minds at the proper time when life gives them a challenge that you can’t control.”
I agree with Will 100%. Will and Jada are good parents in my eyes.
I had the pleasure of asking Will a question but I started out by saying he never ages and he looks good. He did the two finger eyebrow and mustache wipe and was laughing and blushing. I was happy I made him smile. My question was : How did it feel sitting in the background not doing the action part of the movie and letting your son take he lead? Will’s response : “It was really great for him. As an actor he said he’s loud, smiling, fun, always on 10. He said that’s his natural space. To play Cypher his character it helped him get in touch with another side of himself to have to go to stillness. Even a man who had disconnected himself from his emotions in that way was a really powerful exploration for him as an actor.” He said “it was fun but he’s 44 yrs old so he probably got 5 or 6 more years where his knees will work in action movies so he might have 1 or 2 more running
or jumpings in him.
I guess that’s where his son comes in and take over for his father. He’s very young and is the mini version of his father. He just proved in this action packed movie he can do it.
I just want to finish up by saying hubby and I enjoyed this movie very much and enjoyed learning all about the Smith’s and hope one day to meet the rest of the family as well and get pictures with all of them. I did not bring my kids to this movie I didn’t feel it was age appropriate for them. Enjoy the pictures.
My oldest son Tevin
Five Little Words 