At the UK opening of his Sci-fi big-hitter I, Robot in 2004, Will Smith, alongside long-serving mix-master Jazzy Jeff, treated the Leicester Square crowds to an impromptu performance of the actor/rapper’s pop smashes, ‘Men In Black’ and ‘Summertime’. It was most definitely a Big Willie-style premiere. Oh, how times have changed. Three years on and Smith is back in the UK to promote his new movie The Pursuit Of Happyness. Gone are the “Galaxy defenders” and “the time to sit back and unwind” seems to have passed some time ago. Instead the Fresh King of Hollywood hosted a lunch for the Prince’s trust, followed by a very low-key premiere of the film, with co-stars Thandie Newton and Smith’s own son Jaden, both ensconced within the small, intimate confines of the Curzon cinema in Mayfair.
Despite having already raked in $100 million (£51m) at the US Box-office, The Pursuit of Happyness is about as far away from the usual big-budget Smith fare as it’s possible to be. The movie presents the real-life tale of Chris Gardner (Smith), a man who is faced with innumerable difficulties – including no money – when his wife (Thandie Newton) abandons him and their five year-old boy (Jaden Smith). With awards season now upon us, the race for those coveted gongs has well and truly started. Will Smith knows this very well. His performance as struggling father Chris Gardner has already earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and he looks set to be one of the front runners for the Best Actor trophy at next month’s Academy Awards.
But before the winners are revealed over the coming months, Smith wanted to say a few words to the patron of the Prince’s Trust. Addressing the Prince of Wales, the actor said: "I think you should rename it The Fresh Prince's Trust. It kind of has a ring to it, don't you think?"
The Pursuit Of Happyness is cinemas from Friday (January 12)