Following the death of Muhammad Ali, Will Smith posted a tribute to the late, great hero on Facebook.
“You shook up the World! My Mentor & My Friend. You changed my Life. Rest in Peace,” posted the actor.
In 2001, Smith had the opportunity of “wearing” the boxer’s life in the Muhammad Ali biopic titled, Ali.
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In his speech at the Sports Illustrated 2015 Sportsperson of the Year ceremony, Smith stated, “[As and actor,] I get to wear people’s lives, so I got to wear Muhammad Ali’s greatness.”
“I got to study and feel and embody the soul of the man; from the foundations of Islam and the strength of his Muslim faith and his life, to the beautiful wake that he always leaves in his magnificent path.”
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“What I learned about the word ‘legacy,’” Smith continued, “is that it extends far beyond our professional accomplishments, it extends far beyond accolades.”
“Muhammad Ali is a champion for civil rights,” Smith reminds us. “He’s a champion in the fight against injustice. He’s a champion for utilizing whatever tools he has to make the world a better place.”
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