It’s safe to say that Will Smith’s career got flipped-turned upside down thanks to his notorious Oscars slap in 2022.
But it seems the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air star has managed to win back some fans by embracing his classic goofball self with a well-timed, self-deprecating TikTok.
In the video, the actor listens to another TikTok creator giving a suggestion about how to make your life more “interesting and fun” by asking inanimate objects how they feel about you.
“It sounds insane, but it will change your life,” the TikTok creator begins as Will appears to be intrigued. “Did you know that you can pick any object, look at it, and ask it what it thinks of you?
“So, for example, you can pick up a pen and ask it how it sees you or what it thinks of you, and you will get an answer in your mind from your intuition.”
After this suggestion, Will seems to look off-camera at something. As the TikToker continues to give examples of other items one could use, like a car or even money, the star finally reaches for the object he’s been eyeing and grabs his first-ever Best Actor Oscar for his starring role in 2021’s King Richard.
Winning this award should have been a momentous occasion in Will’s long career. But it was overshadowed by his behaviour earlier in the ceremony when Smith got out of his seat and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face for taking a jab at his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Following the incident, some called for him to return his Oscar. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences also banned the actor from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years due to the incident, before he eventually went on an “apology tour.”
So, naturally, his Oscar would have a lot of loaded and complex thoughts about him — and the Emancipation star acts accordingly by poking fun at himself.
In his TikTok, Will looks at the statuette and appears puzzled. He then picks it up, shows it to the camera and appears to want to say something, but looks awkwardly lost, sad and at a loss for words before the video cuts out.
His joke about himself earned him some goodwill (which is fortunate for him, because he’s got to be on the public’s good side if the long-awaited Bad Boys 4 and forthcoming I Am Legend sequel are going to make any money).
“I love Will…he’s human just like the rest of us. This life we live is so much broader than a moment of questionable behaviour,” one commenter said about his TikTok.
“😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 He is legend,” another commenter said.
“Oscar - “What have we learned?” a TikToker joked.
Smith’s video got a similar reception on Twitter...