Will Smith emphasizes global appeal in film success

Will Smith has shared how he learned important lessons about becoming a movie star from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Sylvester Stallone. This occurred during the early 1990s at the opening of Planet Hollywood. In a documentary called Number One on the Call Sheet, Smith recalled his experience. At that time, he was just starting his career with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He approached the three stars and asked for advice on achieving their level of success. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave him some key advice. He told Smith that to become a real movie star, he needed to have his films succeed not just in America, but all around the world. This advice highlights that global popularity can lead to financial success, even if a movie does not perform well in the U.S. Smith found this concept valuable and noted that achieving success on a global scale is essential. He explained that this approach could help movies recover financially, even after disappointing domestic box office results. Will Smith’s career illustrates this idea well. For example, the Men in Black movies had varying success at the American box office, but they performed significantly better overseas. Men in Black 3, though the lowest-grossing film domestically, became the highest-grossing installment internationally. Regardless of the future of his stardom, Smith clearly embraces the strategy of appealing to a global audience.