NEED TO KNOW
Will Smith is keeping the west wild.
In honor of Wild Wild West ‘s 26th anniversary, Smith, 56, shared a cheeky still from the film in which he was clad in nothing but a strategically placed cowboy hat. The actor captioned the June 30 Instagram photo: “Wild Wild West came out 26 years ago today- sorry this is the only photo I could find.”
One user wrote in the comments, “My favorite scene. Explanation not needed.” Another wrote, “You were one of my early childhood crushes. Well done on on building a career that truly had and still has an impact. 💜✨”
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Wild Wild West was released in 1999. The film, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, was loosely based on the 1960s CBS show of the same name created by Michael Garrison. The film followed two secret service agents (Smith and Kevin Kline) as they protect President Ulysses S. Grant from the growing unpredictable threats of the American western frontier.
Smith once referred to Wild Wild West as his worst film. In a 2021 interview with GQ, the actor answered a question about what he thinks is his best film and his worst film. He said, “For the best, I think it’s a tie between the first Men in Black and Pursuit of Happiness. For different reasons, those are the two almost-perfect movies.”
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As for the worst, he said, “I don’t know, Wild Wild West is a thorn in my side.”
“To see myself in chaps… I don’t like it,” he added, laughing.
The choice to star in Wild Wild West came the same time he was offered the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned down the role in the film, which turned out to be a mega-hit, to do the steampunk Western action comedy. Keanu Reeves went on to star in The Matrix in his place.
