THE polarising effect of Donald Trump and his slew of outrageous statements has hit Hollywood hard.
Will Smith has had enough. “For a man to be able to publicly refer to a woman as a fat pig, that makes me teary. And for people to applaud, that is absolutely f**king insanity to me,” an emotional Smith told news.com.au while promoting Suicide Squad.
“My grandmother would have smacked my teeth out of my head if I had referred to a woman as a fat pig. And I cannot understand how people can clap for that. It’s absolutely collective insanity,” he says, shaking his head.
“If one of my sons, I am getting furious just thinking about it, if one of my sons said that in a public place, they couldn’t even live in my house anymore.”
Smith, like many US citizens, is in disbelief that the Republican candidate could become the next president of the United States.
“For me, deep down in my heart, I believe that America won’t and we can’t (elect Mr Trump). Of all the things he has said, and we could go through the laundry list, that was the one that was such an absolute illustration of a darkness of his soul. I just cannot figure out how people can clap for that.”
Some of the recipients of Trump’s vitriol include Rosie O’Donnell, Arianna Huffington and Bette Midler.
“I think as much as we want to believe that love is the greatest human motivator, it’s not. Fear is. Fear is the most dangerous and powerful motivator because when a human being gets scared, fight or flight kicks in.
“And there is this really separatist non-inclusive xenophobic, racist wave that is sweeping the globe that is making us pull apart farther than putting us together.
“The importance of leaders is that they have to be level headed, they have to be calm, because when people get scared, they lose their morality and that reptile mind takes over. It’s the type of thing that you see in all forms of nature, but our leaders can’t be that.”
Clearly enraged, he continues.
“So, we are not even going to pretend it is going to happen. I have faith in America. America has had really critical times but the good (people) tend to make their way to the top.”
From real life “bad guys” to cinematic villains, Suicide Squad marks one of the few occasions that Smith doesn’t play the hero. In his role as Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, he portrays a crack assassin with near super human aiming abilities.
“I realised while shooting this movie why I haven’t played bad guys in the past. I couldn’t understand how someone could shoot strangers for money, couldn’t get my head around it. But then (director) David Ayer introduced me to a book called The Anatomy of Motive, about serial killers.
“It was then that I realised that nobody thinks of themselves as bad. People do the things they do because they think they’re right, no matter how evil. And through doing this, I really expanded, not only as an actor but as a person. “
For Smith’s kids, it was refreshing for them to see their dad not having to save the day. “Oh, my sons loved it. Trey, said to me, ‘Dude! That’s it. Stop acting. You will never do anything cooler than that. Ever. From now on it’s downhill for you,’” he laughs.
Smith has a lot on his plate with three precocious offspring. “I think being a teenager, it should be considered as an affliction,” he laughs.
“Like, when I talk to other parents and they say, ‘Oh man, you got a teenager? I am sorry. Really sorry to hear that.’
“Jaden just turned 18, Willow is about to be 16, and Trey is 24. I will tell you that there is nothing harder you will ever do than parent a 15 year-old-girl. The world ends every day,” he says dramatically.
“I’m just hoping to get through these teenage years. I realise I had it easy up until now.”
