NEW YORK – December 26, 2015 — (UPI) — With his latest movie Concussion, Will Smith has added famed, Nigerian-born, forensic neuropathologist Bennet Omalu to his pantheon of screen characters based on real people.
“I played Muhammed Ali in Ali. I played Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness and, now, I’ve played Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion. For me, it really plays into my strong suits when I can actually talk to the person,” the 47-year-old Philadelphia native said at a recent New York press conference.
“It’s much more terrifying – the end product – when you know one day you are going to be sitting in a movie theater with the person while they watch you butcher their life,” laughed the married father of three children. “It’s terrifying in that sense, but, in terms of the preparation, to be able to sit and talk and feel… I met Bennet’s family. I met his friends. We sat and talked for hours. I rode in his car with him and listened to the music he listened to. His daughter called while we [were together.] All of the different aspects.”
Concussion is in theaters now.
