“DVD? How far are we going back? I don’t know what he’s talking about,” joked Venus Williams during her press conference with Leylah Fernandez following their defeat to Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova. “He’s older than me,” she took a dig at the reporter who wondered if, despite everything that has changed for Venus Williams over the years and since her hiatus, she still leans on a familiar source of comfort—a ’90s sitcom called The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith. Of course, Smith’s reputation took a nosedive after he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, but that doesn’t seem to have diminished the admiration Williams has for the Hollywood star’s dedication to his craft.

On being asked in the presser whether it feels different watching the show, considering Smith played her father in King Richard, Williams went back in time when she was young. She confessed that she and her sister, Serena Williams, were always practicing on the court. And their father only let them watch educational programs. Venus said, “So, never really got to see ‘The Fresh Prince’ until like I grew up. So, it was like major for me, as like a 20-year-old to watch that. But it never gets old. And Will Smith is a legend. And the fact that he did such an honor to play.”

The Oscars debacle didn’t seem to cross her mind, as it marked the first occasion in a significantly long period of time since someone from the Williams family shared their thoughts on the actor. Back in 2023, when asked for his thoughts on the Oscars incident, Richard Williams had said, “I think he has done the best thing he needed to do, but I would never be disgusted with Mr Smith. Matter of fact, I appreciate Mr Smith.” As for Serena, she had been more diplomatic in her response. “We’re all imperfect, and we’re all human, and let’s just be kind to each other. That’s often forgotten a lot,” she had told Gayle King two years ago. Meanwhile, Venus Williams had largely stayed away from the conversation, keeping her thoughts limited to the making of the film around the time of its release. And on this occasion, she highlighted how seriously the actor took up the role of Richard Williams. And she was truly impressed with that.

She continued, “He really put his whole life into it, and he got rewarded for it, too. And in turn, we all got rewarded for it. But I have so much respect for him.” Despite the controversy, Smith went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film. But then again, what made Smith put his heart and soul into the role?

Well, there was one thing about Venus Williams that made Will Smith take up the role of Richard Williams with extreme care and seriousness. After all, he did learn a lot about parenting from the family. 

Will Smith on why he played Venus Williams’ father

Back in the day, when an interviewer was trying to break a 14-year-old Venus Williams’ confidence, her father, Richard, refused to stay shut. “You’ve got to understand that you’re dealing with an image of a 14-year-old child. And this child gonna be out there playing when your old a– and me gonna be in the grave.” Little did he know that, years later, the interview would go viral, garnering millions of views, compelling Will Smith to play him in a film.

He said, “The look of Venus’ face…that image burned in my heart because that’s how I wanted my daughter to look when I showed up. That interview really changed my parenting at that time. It was like the look on Venus’ face… It was like she had a lion and she was so confident and so comfortable that her lion wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.”

The actor continued, “I fell in love with Richard Williams—that was 20 something years ago, and when the opportunity to be a part of this came up that was the first thing that I remembered. I knew I wanted to show a father protecting a daughter like that to the world.” 

The movie even brought Venus Williams and Will Smith pretty close. And the former world No. 1 has often displayed her appreciation for the actor for taking up the role of her father in a critically acclaimed movie. But for now, she’ll probably indulge in Smith’s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

What do you think of Williams’ thoughts on Will Smith? And don’t forget to visit the EssentiallySports live blog for real-time updates.