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.
