Will Smith: "Fame is not about talent."
#1
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Will Smith: "Fame is not about talent."
Watching prime Time Monday and Will Smith just said this:
"Fame is not about talent. 'Cause I have only above average talent."
What do you think of this?
"Fame is not about talent. 'Cause I have only above average talent."
What do you think of this?
#2
DVD Talk Limited Edition
He seems to have some sense of levity about the life and fame he's been blessed to have.
That said, there are people far more famous with less talent than Smith has (when he chooses his projects right), so he need not be so modest.
That said, there are people far more famous with less talent than Smith has (when he chooses his projects right), so he need not be so modest.
#6
DVD Talk Limited Edition
"Fame is not about talent" truer words were never spoken especially in Hollywood. There are some with more talent than Smith and a whole lot of people with less talent so it seems like he has a good head on his shoulders.
#7
Moderator
I think he's being honest. However, Smith made a lot of very wise choices and calculated risks early in his career that helped propel him from a novelty musician to one of the biggest box office stars.
#10
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Will is right. Just look at some of the names in Hollywood making films:
Ashton Kucher
Brittney Murphy
Shannon Elizabeth
Freddie Prinze Jr
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
I don't consider any of these "stars" talented! I think Will is definitely above average.
Ashton Kucher
Brittney Murphy
Shannon Elizabeth
Freddie Prinze Jr
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
I don't consider any of these "stars" talented! I think Will is definitely above average.
#11
the top "stars" today are all manufactured idol products produced by some manager, and that includes both music and movies. There are some awesomely talented musicians out there and some awesomely talented actors out there who will continue to make the best independent music and movies that will blow the top hits out of the water in terms of quality, but they will never garner the attention the above mentioned has, mainly due to the fact they don't have an image that can be packaged and sold, at least according to the managers who manage the miminally talented stars.
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It's nice he can talk about it, how about he do something about it.
If he has a production company and can produce drivel like that TV he has coming out, why not cater to people who are talented and are largely ignored by the hollywood system. He's a superstar, why not help striving actors, writers and directors out there catch a break.
So much power out there in hollywood, and so much of it wasted.
Time to go write my spec screenplay men in black 3, I guess...
If he has a production company and can produce drivel like that TV he has coming out, why not cater to people who are talented and are largely ignored by the hollywood system. He's a superstar, why not help striving actors, writers and directors out there catch a break.
So much power out there in hollywood, and so much of it wasted.
Time to go write my spec screenplay men in black 3, I guess...
#14
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On the one hand, I'm like "thank you, Captain Obvious."
On the other, I say "Yes Will, tell it like it is." Being a real actor with talent and being famous are sometimes quite mutually exclusive.
On the other, I say "Yes Will, tell it like it is." Being a real actor with talent and being famous are sometimes quite mutually exclusive.
#15
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Originally posted by DVDGUY1116
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
I don't consider any of these "stars" talented! I think Will is definitely above average.
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
I don't consider any of these "stars" talented! I think Will is definitely above average.
To prove that, I happen to love Justin Timberlake's solo CD. Never cared for Nsync and not a fan of either Brittney or Jessica Simpson (their music at least ) but I happen to think Timberlake's CD is awesome. And a lot of critics actually agreed with me too.
As for Will Smith, I think he's completely right...except for the fact that he's got "above average talent." I would label him somewhere below average given the movies he's turned out. But that's just me. Nice to see a star realize that talent and fame don't necessarily go hand in hand though.
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Smith is absolutely right...if fame was about talent, actors like John C. Reilly and Phillip Seymore Hoffman would be the biggest stars in the world. (Just pulling a couple of names off the top of my head - not saying those two are the BEST, but you catch what I'm trying to say).
#17
DVD Talk Hero
Doesn't anyone else see the irony of this statement? While I'm sure Will was trying to be self-depricating, on paper it doesn't come across that way. "I have only above average talent." That's like saying, "I'm only smarter than most people". What else is better than "ABOVE average"? "Super-fantastico" talent?
I just thought it was funny that the two parts of his thought seem to contradict each other.
I just thought it was funny that the two parts of his thought seem to contradict each other.
#21
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Originally posted by DVDGUY1116
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
How about music(which is much more objective):
Brittney
Jessica Simpson
Justin Timberlake
#22
DVD Talk Legend
The question is what is talent? Is being smart in a buisness sense talent? If so, I would say he is way above average. Same goes with some of the others you have mentioned. When it comes to acting, singing and what have you, that is totally subjective and not sure that can be judged because I will bet you can find many people on both sides of the fence for all the people mentioned.
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Originally posted by badger1997
How is evaluating talent in music any more "objective" than movies. I mean, for every person who hates a song or a musician there is a person who loves that song or musician, just as can be said for just about any movie or acting performance.
How is evaluating talent in music any more "objective" than movies. I mean, for every person who hates a song or a musician there is a person who loves that song or musician, just as can be said for just about any movie or acting performance.
When talking about movies I can make a blanket statement like Kevin Spacey has a lot of talent as an actor, and gets by on his talent, while Freddie Prinze Jr does not and gets by solely on his idolization by teeny-boppers. A majority of people would agree while only a minority would not.
Music, on the other hand, is more objective because the artists I find to be talented are groups like:
Rush
Yes
Tool
Aerosmith
Pink Floyd
U2
Dream Theater
Spock's Beard
The Flower Kings
Now most people, for varying reasons, will disagree with this statement. Maybe it is because they don't like that style of music or never heard of the band...whatever.
I think all those artists are talented and when I listen to the Pop and mainstream rock it drives me insane because, as a musician, I can hear a difference. This makes me say that artists like Britney, Jessica and Justin are not "talented" but instead get by on their image and current fad. I do not think any differently of people who like the artists I do not think are talented; however, a majority of those same people would agree with the statement about Kevin Spacey vs Freddie Prinze Jr. Does this make sense?
Last edited by DVDGUY1116; 09-23-03 at 08:43 PM.
#24
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Acting is not just about acting talent, it's about charisma on screen. WIll may not be a great actor but has proven he can act with the right part, but he has awesome charisma and his rapping and tv fame makes him a triple threat star
#25
DVD Talk Legend
I think to be a star you don't have to be the best actor, you don't have to be the most charismatic, and you don't have to be the best looking, but you have to have a higher than average combination of the three. And personal tastes aside, how many stars (and I'm talking true stars that can open movies, not leads that get lucky with their project choices like Freddie Prinze Jr. or Paul Walker) are *truly* consistently terrible actors?