Will Smith doesn’t seem like the type to have a midlife crisis. Hugely popular, hugely successful, and unfailingly cheerful.
Smith, who plays Richard Williams, the father and coach of Venus and Serena Williams, in the upcoming drama “King Richard,” is resurfacing after a long period of introspection. The 53-year-old has been meditating, attending ayahuasca rituals, and generally asking himself a lot of questions – about his own childhood and his choices as a father, husband, and movie star, as he writes in a new memoir.
What sparked Smith’s introspection?
“My family was starting to despise me,” he laughs. “Everything was going so great, yet everyone was in such a bad mood.” “Perhaps I should have a look at this,” I reasoned.
“From a spiritual standpoint, I began to reach a limit to what material pursuits may provide. Smith says, “I climbed a number of mountains and started to see the carrot on the stick of material achievement.” “I believe I started yearning for something else because if hit movies were all there was, I was going to be in a lot of trouble.”