Fans packed Kings Theatre in Flatbush Tuesday evening for “Will Smith: An Evening of Stories with Friends” – a conversation with the actor and rapper moderated by director Spike Lee.
The event is in support of Smith’s memoir “Will,” written with the help of author Mark Manson. It follows Smith’s childhood and his life as an actor, musician and producer, as well as his marriage with fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith.
The memoir is available online. Smith also has an upcoming movie called “King Richard” where he depicts the father of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams.
Speaking to Lee, Smith talked about the influence his own late father, Willard Sr., wielded over his trajectory.
“My father was my greatest ally, and at the same time he was one of my deepest wounds and heartbreaks,” he explained. One such scar was inflicted when a nine-year-old Smith witnessed his father punch his mother. “That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am today,” he remembered.