Will Smith and his co-stars brought positive vibes to the TCL Chinese Theatre on Sunday (Nov. 14). The premiere of King Richard was the highlight of the evening and all cast members were ready to celebrate.
Jada Pinkett Smith joined her and Will’s son, Jaden Smith, in supporting the veteran actor. Saniyya Sidney, who portrays Venus Williams in the film, and Demi Singleton, who portrays Serena Williams in the movie, were also on the red carpet with Will and the Williams sisters.
King Richard is the story of Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, who stopped at nothing to ensure his daughters were a force with which to be reckoned in the tennis world. The resilient father ignored those who told him that the sport was for more affluent children and managed to get the help he needed to assist his daughters in building historic careers in tennis.
“There are so many ways to tell this story,” Serena Williams said during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly (EW). “But I think telling it through my dad was the best way because he had the idea,” the tennis champion added. “He knew how to do it.”
Will Smith also commented on Richard Williams’ tenacity when pushing his daughters forward in tennis during the budding years. “[He] reminds me a lot of my father,” Smith told EW. “It was that same generation — men that used to fix everything with their hands,” the veteran actor added. “I understood what it was like to live at the edge of survival and to try to sustain a dream.”
Venus and Serena Williams changed the nature of tennis by dominating on the courts for years. In fact, Serena has won 23 Grand Slams, which is the most of any female tennis player. She is deemed as the greatest female tennis player of all time by many.
King Richard makes its public debut in theaters on Friday, November 19, 2021.
Photo: Getty Images
