“This for every Black girl” – Will Smith, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams on King Richard
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Venus Williams, Will Smith, Serena Williams
Two Black sisters sharing a Compton bedroom with three other sisters, learning their game on a pockmarked neighbourhood court, and dominating the lily-white sport for decades: the Williams sisters’ tale had all the makings of a Hollywood epic. However, in King Richard, director Reinaldo Marcus Green portrays their life through the perspective of Richard Williams, a brash and wily Louisiana-born sports father who orchestrated his two youngest daughters’ dominating of the tennis world.
The three superstars – Will Smith, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams – reflect on the experience of producing the film, a biopic that recounts the 1990s period creation of tennis’ greatest-of-all-time queens, in a recent interview in which the line between fact and fantasy blurs.
“There’s a scene where my dad says…” Serena started, before squeezing Smith’s arm and catching herself. “Well, Will says that you’re doing this for every Black girl. And that really hit me in a different way because obviously at the time we didn’t know.”
Beginning with Richard delivering highlight clips of the girls to prominent tennis instructors around the country, the film approximately follows the seven-year era during which the Williamses attempted to catapult Venus into superstardom in the hopes of Serena following close behind. Tony Goldwyn plays the first taker, Paul Cohen, to deadpan perfection, whereas Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci, the colourful trainer who helped Venus get pro, is a delight. Richard controversially kept Venus off the national juniors’ circuit for three years in order for her to fine-tune her game, focus on academics, and otherwise be a child (although one with a 63–0 juniors record).
But Richard’s unwavering faith was ultimately rewarded when a 14-year-old Venus debuted on the WTA tour and nearly toppled world No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario in her second-ever match.
“I guess the in through Richard appealed to me, because it’s the only way I could be involved,” said the 53-year-old Smith, jokingly. He later added that the Williams patriarch “reminds me a lot of my father. It was that same generation — men that used to fix everything with their hands. I understood what it was like to live at the edge of survival and to try to sustain a dream.”
After thirty Grand Slam singles victories (including Serena’s 23, which is only one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record), it’s difficult to argue with Smith when he considers the visionary Richard a mystic. “The first time we talked, I saw a little bit of a flash,” said the star. “He was one of the most misunderstood people during that time. Nobody got it.”
Richard, surprisingly, viewed his girls’ improbable future via the lens of a camera, his favoured teaching instrument on the court. “He was so far ahead in terms of the balance between pushing and protecting, [and] had a savant-level comprehension of when those moments were.” And he managed to create two champions who accomplished all of their sporting ambitions without harming each other.
The younger Williams sister, Serena added, “There are so many ways to tell this story. But I think telling it through my dad was the best way because he had the idea. He knew how to do it.”
Serena and Venus even inspired Beyoncé, who, after screening the film, was moved to contribute “Be Alive,” a bespoke closing-credits anthem. “The marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that’s unmatched in entertainment,” stated Smith. “I was so happy when Beyoncé called.”
The film is due to release on November 19th on HBO Max and in the theatres.
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Sayari Barman
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