Before the slap. Will SmithAnd Chris Rock‘s altercation at the 2022 Oscars made tons of headlines, but the duo’s history began well before the comedian’s joke about Jada pinkett Smith.
The Saturday Night LiveThe 57-year-old alum made a brief appearance on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air in 1995, playing Maurice, a famous actor, and Maurice’s sister, Jasmine. Rock was already a stand-up comedian, but Ali, 53, was just beginning to be a household name.
Pinkett Smith, 50 years old, also met her husband on the set Fresh Prince. In 1994, she auditioned for Lisa Wilkes (also called Will Smith), to play the role of Lisa Wilkes’ girlfriend. The Magic Mike XXLThe actress was unable to fulfill the role. Nia Long, but she later gained a spouse — she and Smith tied the knot in December 1997. They welcomed their sons together. Jaden SmithNow 23, and her daughter Willow SmithHe is now 21. (Will also shares son Trey (29), with ex-wife Sheree Zampino.)
While Rock and the Men in Black star haven’t worked together since Fresh PrinceThe Grown UpsPinkett Smith and actor collaborated for the first-ever time in 2005. The Matrix ReloadedStar voiced Gloria, a hippo named Gloria, in the animated film MadagascarRock played Marty the zebra, and he was portrayed by Rock. Both actors reprised their roles in the sequels of 2008 and 2012.
Chris Rock and Will Smith Shutterstock (2)
During the press tour for 2012’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Rock revealed that his children are big fans of Will and Pinkett Smith’s daughter, Willow. The DogmaStar shares daughters Lola, aged 19, and Zahra (age 17, with ex-wife). Malaak Compton-Rock.
“Hey, my kids listen to your kids!” Rock said during an interview with Fuse at the time, recalling what he told his costar. “’21st Century Girl’ Oh, my God. And they love LMFAO, but they have no idea what it stands for.”
Four years later, tensions flared when Rock made reference the Smith family during the opening monologue of his 2016 Oscars host speech. That year, the Academy was criticized for not having enough diversity in its nominees.
“Jada got mad, said she’s not coming,” Rock said. “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
He then referenced Will, who was not nominated that year despite his critically acclaimed performance in film Concussion. “It’s not fair that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated,” Rock quipped. “It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West.”
For a full history of Rock’s relationship with Will and Pinkett Smith, watch the video above.
