Will Smith Reveals A Co-Star Spat On Him While Filming 'Emancipation'

During a conversation on Facebook Watch's Red Table Talk with his three kids, Willow, Jaden, and Trey Smith, Will opened up about what went down while filming Emancipation. The actor discussed the intensity of his role, noting that it was emotionally, physically, and spiritually taxing. Will also mentioned that the actors got so much in character, that at one point, an unnamed co-star spat in his face while filming.

Detailing the experience, the actor said to his kids:

"One of the first days on set, there is a scene with one of the actors, and he leans down in my face and says, 'You a cold one, ain't you?' and then he ad-libbed…"

Next, Will turned to his daughter, Willow, and imitated a spitting gesture.

After reenacting the off-script spitting, the Hollywood icon shared his exaggerated reaction, with his children bursting into laughter. The actor's reaction showed that he was shocked, speechless, and disgusted. Adding a chuckle, Will told his children that he immediately reached out to the Makeup department, before admitting that every actor on set took their roles seriously.

Inspired by an iconic 1863 photo of the scarred back of "Whipped Peter," Will portrays the character Peter — an enslaved man who attempts to escape slavery while he uses his wits to dodge slave hunters and brave alligator-infested Louisiana swamps in his quest for freedom.

Emancipation is based on the true story of Peter, a slave who runs away from his plantation in search of his family. He travels across the Louisiana swamp while outsmarting cold-blooded hunters along the way. Peter later joins the Union Army, and during his medical examination, they see his bare back, which has scars from a near-fatal whipping. 

A photo of his back was published in The Independent under the name "the scourged back," displaying the cruelty of slavery in the United States.