Will Smith certainly has fun ways of celebrating the anniversaries of his best work. He commemorated The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s 33rd anniversary with a selfie standing outside the iconic mansion, and he marked Independence Day’s 25th birthday with fun photos and a fireworks show. While Wild Wild West wasn’t the best-received blockbuster of Smith’s career, the talented actor still displayed a throwback pic on its anniversary, and I’m sure you can guess which moment he chose.
Based on the classic TV series, Wild Wild West had Will Smith and Kevin Kline play two 19th-century Secret Service agents who worked together to protect President Ulysses S. Grant from threats. In May, the Oscar winner celebrated his “Wild Wild West” song’s anniversary with a throwback photo of himself as Captain “Jim” West and a promise to perform his 26-year-old song at his “Based On a True Story Tour.” Now, in order to commemorate the steampunk Western, the King Richard actor posted the below throwback photo of himself from the movie:
It’s no surprise that a comedic moment like that has lived in Will Smith’s mind rent-free. That image came from the scene when “Jim” West and Belle are hooking up in the town’s water tower, only for it to collapse and have him fall stark naked in front of the criminals he was spying on from there. With only a cowboy hat to cover down below, the Secret Service agent still kicked ass against the criminals all while showing it.
Instagram caption says it all:
Wild Wild West came out 26 years ago today- sorry this is the only photo I could find.
With his playful wit, Will Smith’s photo was a cheeky (ignore the pun) nod to one of the movie’s most unforgettable scenes. It’s easy to understand why the “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” rapper will never forget it, as it’s not every day you’re up against criminals while covering your nether regions in the process.
It’s big of Will Smith to even acknowledge the anniversary of Wild Wild West since he’s jokingly called it “a thorn in my side.” He famously passed on The Matrix and joined the 1999 flick instead. He explained that his feelings on the movie were that he signed up in hopes it would be a global success. Unfortunately, it proved to be a commercial failure in grossing $222.1 million on a budget of $170 million. On the bright side, the Golden Raspberry Worst Picture winner didn’t ruin Smith’s chances of success, and he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Wild Wild West may not have been Will Smith’s best movie, but it’s nice to know the actor looks back at that Razzie winner with humor and a bare-naked photo to show it. It’s a clever reminder that the funniest and most memorable moments can come from the most unexpected places. In this case, sometimes it’s a bit exposed.