‘Men in Black’ Director Says ‘Will Smith Is a Farter’: One Fart Was So Bad ‘We Evacuated the Stage for About Three Hours. And That’s Incredible’

As a veteran film critic with over three decades of industry experience under my belt, I must admit that the tales from the sets of iconic movies never cease to amuse me. The latest anecdote that has tickled my fancy is the one about Will Smith and his… unique talent on the set of “Men in Black”.

During an interview on the “Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa” podcast, director Barry Sonnenfeld of the film “Men in Black” shared an amusing story. Apparently, production had to be halted for approximately three hours because Will Smith passed gas on set. Smith played a pivotal role alongside Tommy Lee Jones in “Men in Black,” which earned $584 million globally and ranked as the third-highest-grossing movie of 1997. The film’s success, coupled with that of “Independence Day,” catapulted Smith to international stardom.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d say, when it comes to that thrilling scene where Smith and Jones are in a car that speeds and flips at breakneck pace, apparently, Sonnenfeld revealed that we had to be enclosed within a special pod during filming. The two actors were securely confined inside this pod, which stood in for the transforming vehicle.

Sonnenfeld stated, ‘The locks keep it from accidentally opening and collapsing.’ He then commanded, ‘Let’s film!’ And you can hear Will Smith exclaim, ‘Oh dear Jesus, I’m sorry. Tommy, I’m sorry. Baz, get the ladder!’ Tommy responds, ‘It’s alright, Will. No worries, Will. Don’t fret, Will.’ To be honest, I’m not sure what happened just then.

Thus, we moved the ladder across. Suddenly, Tommy extended his leg as the ladder neared, swiftly sliding down the stairs. The director then explained, ‘Will Smith is someone who passes gas quite frequently.’ frankly, it’s not ideal to be in a confined, air-tight space with Will Smith passing gas. In fact, you wouldn’t even want to share a seat with him at Disney ranch.

Sonnenfeld remarked, “We stepped off the stage for approximately three hours. Incredible! Yes, he’s a pleasant individual, but he tends to pass gas. Some people do, some don’t.

The director continued to lead two follow-ups to “Men in Black” (2002’s “Men in Black II” and 2012’s “Men in Black 3”) with Smith. However, neither of these films managed to match the box office success of the 1997 debut. Brolin appeared alongside Smith in both sequels as well.

Hear the entire Sonnenfeld conversation on the “Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast by clicking here.

2024-10-02 23:46

‘Men in Black’ Director Says ‘Will Smith Is a Farter’: One Fart Was So Bad ‘We Evacuated the Stage for About Three Hours. And That’s Incredible’

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