Will Smith Credits an Ex-Girlfriend for Inspiring Him to Become an Actor
The actor opens up about his ah-ha moment.
— -- Will Smith may have been destined to become famous, but the "Concussion" actor has revealed that there was something more that drove him to become a star.
Smith, 47, explained to fellow actor Benicio Del Toro on Variety's Actors on Actors series that having his heart broken as a teen provided the motivation he needed.
"When I was 15, my girlfriend cheated on me. And from that moment, in this bizarre psychological twist, I wanted to be the most famous entertainer on Earth," he said. "I believed that your girlfriend couldn't cheat on you."
Smith noted that the cheating incident still influences his acting today. He explained, "It's that really bizarre psychological leap. I'm always looking for that in my characters -- what's the bizarre psychological leap they make based on some trauma?"
Of course, Smith went on achieve success at a fairly young age, both as a rapper and as the star of the sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." His latest film, "Concussion," opens in theaters on Dec. 25.