Will Smith earns SAG Award nomination for portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams' father in King Richard
Will Smith, who played the role of Venus and Serena Williams' father Richard Williams in the film King Richard, was nominated for 'Best Actor in a Motion Picture' at the 28th SAG Awards.
Smith's strong performance as Richard Williams in the biographical drama directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green made him one of the biggest draws.
The SAG awards ceremony, which honors the best achievements in film and television performances in a calendar year, is scheduled to take place on 27 February.
#SAGAwards nominees for Best Actor in a Motion Picture:
• Javier Bardem ~ Being the Ricardos
• Benedict Cumberbatch ~ The Power of the Dog
• Andrew Garfield ~ Tick Tick Boom
• Will Smith ~ King Richard
• Denzel Washington ~ The Tragedy of Macbeth https://t.co/TTFdMsSAU0
The cast of King Richard also earned nominations for the SAG Awards, which has served as one of the biggest events in Hollywood since its inception in 1995.
#SAGAwards nominees for Best Cast in a Motion Picture:
• Belfast
• CODA
• Don’t Look Up
• House of Gucci
• King Richard https://t.co/aEzwobzpiS
Serena Williams believes Will Smith's performance as her father was "just surreal"
It should be noted that Will Smith nabbed his first-ever Golden Globe last month for playing the eponymous role of Richard Williams. Smith also reigned supreme in the Best Actor category at the Hartland Film Festival, National Board of Review Awards and the Women Critics Circle, and is also expected to be nominated for an Oscar later this year.
23-time Major winner Serena Williams had nothing but praise for Will Smith for his portrayal of Richard. She claimed that Smith's performance elevated the film to a "whole other level".
"No word describes it better than just surreal. Just to see these incredible actresses and everyone behind it just putting this all together about our dad's journey, but because of myself and my sister, it really is like, 'Wow, really, OK, are we really something?" Serena Williams said to Digital Spy last year.
"It really is super surreal for me and then to have Will play this role as my father and the way he embodied Richard Williams. It took the film to a whole other level."
The 40-year-old also took to Instagram earlier on Wednesday to upload a poster of the movie with the caption: "This feels like a new dream."
Critics and the film-going public from all around the world would undoubtedly agree with the 23-time Major winner's assessment of Will Smith. Most top publications hailed Smith's portray of Richard, who orchestrated the Williams sisters' rise to the top of tennis.
The film was a box-office hit, accumulating a worldwide total of $27.6 million.