Will Smith Gets 1st SAG Award And Bags Praise From 'Mentor' Denzel Washington

Will Smith's critically acclaimed performance as Richard Williams in the "King Richard" biopic has earned him his first Screen Actors Guild Award!

Smith's SAG nod for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role follows his Golden Globe acknowledgment in a similar category. 

It turns out the 52-year-old's iconic win this year was already anticipated by his close friend and mentor Denzel Washington.

On Sunday, February 27, Smith took home his first win at the 28th edition of the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The SAG winner got candid to PEOPLE about how his longtime buddy Washington, who he credited as his "mentor," was most excited for his win. In his words,

"We've [He and Washington] spent a lot of time together. So we've been talking, he's always been a mentor for me, and he grabbed me, and he said, 'This is your year.'"

Smith said that "The Tragedy of Macbeth" actor hugged him and said that he is not only full of happiness for him but loves who he is becoming. The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" lead recalled building a friendship with Washington years ago, saying:

"I would go to Denzel for advice, so he's seen me through the years, and he was just telling me how proud he is of who I've become and what I've become. He was saying that he felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders somehow."

While speaking with the outlet backstage, the "Aladdin" actor explained how he got into his character for "King Richard" using the book and reality. He explained:

"I was mining my childhood, I was, you know, really trying to understand my relationship with my father as I was trying to understand Richard Williams and then my parenting with my kids." 

Smith has come a long way in Hollywood and is now reaping the fruit of his labor. He touched on how his career skyrocketed as an actor, saying:

"It's been a time of deep personal reflection, and it is resulting in an artistic comprehension and a growth as a man, growth as an artist, that I've never had this kind of growth spurt in my life."

Just as Washington predicted, 2022 is indeed proving to be Smith's year as the first month accorded him his first-ever Golden Globe Award after five nominations.

The Blast disclosed that on Sunday, January 9, "The Pursuit of Happyness" actor won the esteemed award in the category of Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture.

The star previously lost two Golden Globe nominations in 1993 and 1994 for his stellar role as Will on the famous comedy TV series, “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.”

In 2002, Smith was nominated for the iconic award for his profound portrayal as the renowned boxer Muhammad Ali in "Ali."

The “Men In Black” actor was once again nominated for a Golden Globe award in 2007 for his role in The Pursuit Of Happyness” and nine years after in 2016 for his performance in "Concussion."

Things changed for Smith 29 years later with his sixth nomination for his exceptional casting in the 2021 biopic "King Richard," which earned a solid 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The actor played Richard Williams, the father to tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams. The film, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and produced by the Grand Slam Sisters, follows Richard's plans to shape his daughters into tennis stars.

The "I am Legend" star beat an impressive nominees list with acting gurus, including his friend and mentor Washington, Javier Bardem, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Smith's casting as a young man of color who moves from West Philadelphia to his Uncle's highbrow Los Angeles neighborhood in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," earned him four Oscar nominations.

The Blast revealed that Smiths is in full support for the series reboot after seeing creator Morgan Cooper's vision for the new series, adding that his idea was "brilliant.:

Smith works as an executive producer for the series, through his label Westbrook studios, alongside Cooper, who will also be directing the production.

The original series creator Susan and Andy Borowitz are also part of the executive production team with Westbrook Studios members Malcolm Spellman, Terence Carter, James Lassiter,r and Miguel Melendez.