Though he courted controversy in 2022 for an infamous Oscar moment, Will Smith has been a beloved actor for decades. He got his start as a rapper before playing a fictional version of himself in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That series spanned six seasons, running from 1990 to 1996. The show’s intro music is among one of the most iconic TV show themes of all time. Even deeper into his career, it is arguably Smith’s most iconic role.

As he transitioned into film, Smith participated in a wide array of genres. In 1995, he became an action star when he made his debut in the first of the Bad Boys movies, a series which is ongoing. In 2002, he earned his first Oscar nomination for portraying iconic boxer Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali. Since then, Smith’s work has included everything from more action movies like Men in Black to comedies to voice acting in animated movies. Now, the director of Smith’s most notable romantic comedy tells a key behind-the-scenes story.

Will Smith Almost Backed Out Of Hitch

And It Was Very Close To Filming

Hitch director Andy Tennant explains how the movie almost lost its main star, Smith. The 2005 romantic comedy saw Smith play Hitch, a man mentoring a client in his love life who winds up facing his own romantic struggles along the way. Hitch also starred Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Adam Arkin, and Amber Valletta. The movie received mixed reviews, getting a 68% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, but made a sizable profit. Made on an estimated $70 million budget, Hitch ended up making $371 million worldwide.

Speaking with Business Insider, Tennant reveals that the rom-com almost had its own major hitch. According to the director, Smith “tried to back out three days before [they] started shooting.” Tennant supposed that there was a lot of fear about doing a rom-com for such a big budget. In the process, the creative team spent a lot of time debating on things to include in the film, many of which “turned out really funny.” Check out the full quote from Tennant below:

I think there was a lot of fear doing a big, expensive romantic comedy with Will. It was fraught with peril. Will tried to back out three days before we started shooting. He wanted to shut down and work on it some more. It was madness.

Once we started filming, it was a bunch of good creative people doing the best they could. There were some debates but there were things that turned out really funny. You keep all the really fun stuff you have a good movie, but it was a wild ride.

Our Take On The Hitch Behind-The-Scenes Story

Hitch Had An Unusually Large Rom-Com Budget

It is good that Smith ultimately stayed on for Hitch, because it is hard to imagine the story working without the actor’s charismatic presence. It is true that rom-coms are not typically awarded budgets that large. Even 2024’s It Ends With Us, which made over $351 million and was based on a best-selling novel, had a budget of just $25 million. As such, spending so much on Hitch, especially when Smith thought that the film may not be ready yet, was a huge risk. Luckily, it was one well-worth taking, as Hitch became such a success and an iconic work in Smith’s oeuvre.

Source: Business Insider