“For Emancipation, I went too far and wanted real chains”

Oscar-winning actor Will Smith revealed that in order to play the lead in Emancipation, he wanted to immerse himself in the story and asked for real chains.

Will Smith it turned out that in order to prepare for filming emancipation he went too far and even chained himself up to play slave.
The Apple-branded project was the first to circulate after the Oscars slap in the face, which shocked the public and forced him to distance himself from Academy events for years.

Accident on set

Speaking to Kevin Hart, Will Smith said: “For emancipation – for freedom I’ve gone too far“.
The actor admitted that playing a real story was very emotionally captivating: “Just talking about it makes me cry. I wanted to prove how humiliating slavery was, and I went too far. This level of human cruelty… I had chains around my neck and they really worked. I wanted their true weight. I wanted real chains. They put them around my neck, they made them fit, and the props manager tried to open them and the key didn’t work.

“.

Emancipation Review: The Power of Imagery in a Film Starring Oscar Winner Will Smith

Consequences of Commitment on Set

The situation really put the actor in a difficult position: “I thought: “It will get better.” I stood there, and they ran, they could not free me. I was there with those chains and nearly choked to death. They found the keys and set me free. But Peter, my character, had no one running to free him, and I began to understand my character more deeply. I better understood this level of atrocity“.

Smith, although it was a difficult experience on the set of Antoine Fuqua, stressed: “I wouldn’t laugh at her back, she was one of the greatest actresses I’ve ever had. Peter brought me closer to God, my faith was strengthened after working on this film

“.