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‘It Gave Me Goosebumps’- Venus Williams Recalls the Time When Will Smith Shot Her Dad’s Role in King Richard

Published 03/24/2022, 7:00 AM EDT

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Venus Williams is one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis. Following her close to three-decade-long career, the 41-year-old has one of the largest fan bases in the world. This assertion is quite evidently visible during her on-court matches, as well as on her social media handles.

However, since the release of King Richard, the 7-time Grand Slam champion has become one of the biggest admirers of another great personality, Will Smith. Yesterday, 23rd March, Venus Williams attended a virtual interaction session with CBS Mornings.

The show was about Venus’s journey to close the pay gap between the two genders. However, being mesmerized by Smith’s performance, Venus couldn’t stop herself from going all out in praise for the actor once again.

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The Pennsylvania-born actor, who also acted as one of the producers of the movie alongside Venus, played the role of Richard Williams in the motion picture. Portraying the role, the 53-year-old actor not only received love from the audience but also received high critical acclaim. Till date, Smith has won a total of 5 Best Awards for his role in King Richard.

Venus Williams not missing an opportunity to go all heart of Will Smith

During the interview, Venus was asked whom will she be looking for in the ‘Best Actor’ category at the Oscars. Taking the question with humor, Venus went on saying, “Maybe Will Smith,” as everyone burst into laughter. However, it did not end there. Making the most of the opportunity, Venus once again was all praise for Smith’s acting.

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The former World No. 1 started by addressing Smith as her friend, as she went on praising his portrayal of Richard Williams. “I’m so happy to call Will, not only the person who has memorialized my family story, but also my friend. He just portrayed my dad so closely. “

Elaborating further, the 49-singles title holder recalled the shooting time of King Richard. She confessed that listening to Will Smith’s voice as her father gave her goosebumps.

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“All this (King Richard movie) was filmed during COVID. So, there were moments when we were listening to the live stream or watching the live stream being filmed. I would hear my dad’s voice (Will Smith) and it gave me goosebumps, how closely he got to my father. “

Apart from Smith, she also spoke about Aunjanue Ellis, Demi Singleton & Saniyya Sidney. Aunjanue played the role of Venus’s mother in the movie. However, on the other hand, Saniya played Venus while Demi portrayed Serena. Appreciating their performance, Venus said, “We can’t forget Aunjanue, how she played my mom. She got it so right. We can’t forget the conversation. Then the girls who learned to play tennis. That’s not easy to do. They learned and they made it realistic.”

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Coming back to the movie, King Richard has been receiving immense love since its release late last year. The movie has received a massive audience response, along with high critical acclaim. The film reached one of its biggest feats early this month, being nominated for the Academy Awards in 6 categories.

Watch this story-Serena Williams’ Unforgettable Moments at the Australian Open

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Written by:

Ahmar Wasif

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Ahmar Wasif is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. He is a national level tennis player and has a number of titles to his name. His experience on the court allows him to incorporate a deeper understanding in his coverage of the sport.
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Edited by:

Darryl Pinto