Will Smith – Will Oscar Voters Even Consider Him?
Will Smith - ANGELA WEISS
On Monday, October 3, 2022, Apple announced that it will release Antoine Fuqua’s Emancipation, a film starring the most recent best actor Oscar winner, Will Smith, in 2022 rather than in 2023. This decision has sparked widespread speculation about how members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will react to the film and its central performance.
The thing on the Oscar voters’ minds will be Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. The incident caused the Academy considerable embarrassment and led to Smith’s resignation from the organization and his being banned from attending the ceremony for the next decade. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter surveyed dozens of Oscar voters across the organization. Responses varied in wording and reasoning, but the two main consensuses seem to be either letting Will Smith be considered for an award or disqualifying him while still allowing the film Emancipation to be judged. Most surveyed members asserted that they will not let their feelings about Smith keep them from watching Emancipation.
Those who believe Will Smith should be allowed to compete for an Oscar for his role in Emancipation cite that the purpose of the Academy Awards is to honor excellence in individual categories, not to punish people. Their stance does not mean they believe Will Smith did nothing wrong. On the contrary, they all thought Smith’s actions at the 94th Academy Awards were appalling. However, as one voter eloquently put it, some see this as an art versus antics situation. These voters desire to be unbiased and judge solely on Smith's acting performance, not his character. Granted, a few individuals believed that for Smith to win the award, he would have to outperform his competition monumentally. These voters believe performance is more important than whether the artist is a morally sound individual.
On the other side of the spectrum, many voters don’t acknowledge Will Smith as a contender for an Academy Award due to his infamous slap. They believe Smith disrespected the ceremony, traumatized millions by assaulting another human being on international television and took the spotlight away from others who earned their awards that night. Allowing Smith to qualify for Best Actor would disregard his deplorable behavior and set a terrible example for future ceremonies. This group of voters also believes the film Emancipation should still be allowed to compete based on its performance. Their reasoning consistently argues the point that the film is not just its lead actor. The hard-working and talented people who came together to create Emancipation should have a fair shot at the competition. Despite these voters’ blatant dislike for Will Smith, they don’t believe the entire cast or crew should suffer due to one man’s actions.
Both sides have valid logical and emotional elements behind their opinions on whether Will Smith should qualify for an Oscar. Despite their differing views, both consistently agree that Will Smith’s behavior at the 94th annual Academy Awards was inappropriate. However, regardless of their or the public’s opinion, the Academy will continue the judging process. The Academy voters from the actors’ branch will determine whether Will Smith should receive another Best Actor Oscar nomination. If he does, the members of the 16 other branches would then join with the actors’ branch in determining whether he should receive another Best Actor Oscar. Time will tell if the precedence of accountability will emerge.