Will Smith Considers Himself And These Three Actors The Greatest Of All Time

There's no question about whether Will Smith is one of Hollywood's most talented actors. With several television and film credits to his name, the former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" performer has made his mark on the industry. But how many would consider him one of the greatest actors of all time?

During a new interview, Will Smith, who has spent the last few years trying to revitalize his career following his jaw-dropping assault on Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars, shared what three actors he'd place on a Mount Rushmore of GOAT performers next to himself.

While appearing on the PlaqueboyMax stream, Smith, 56, answered the question about who he'd place on a fictional Mount Rushmore of the greatest actors of all time. When the host told Smith he could say himself, the "Hitch" actor admitted he sees himself there but doesn't believe he should say it.

“I mean, that’s definitely how I’m feeling, but I just don’t feel like I should say that publicly,” he said.

Eventually, he began naming some of his peers, including Marlon Brando, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis, and, of course, himself.

"… So three of them, and I’m not really saying this to be arrogant, I do think I’m like one of the most prolific actors of our time," he said.

Smith explained why he chose the actors he did, adding that there's a difference between an actor and a "movie star." According to the father of three, "an actor can deliver a role and take you to something that is a transformative experience." However, a "movie star" can "put a movie on their back and carry it."

"You go to a Denzel movie because it’s a Denzel movie,” he continued.

Smith, who recently appeared in the "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" film in 2024, also said that sentiment is true for himself.

He said, "You’ll go to a Will Smith movie because it’s Will Smith."

The "King Richard" star tipped his hat to actors, saying they give audiences "spectacular performances." To him, however, "they [are] not gonna put a movie on their back and carry it around the world and make you wanna come see it because they’re in it."

After Disney and Marvel dropped Jonathan Majors from the MCU Universe as Kang in 2023 due to his misdemeanor convictions, reports surfaced that the company had been eyeing Smith to take over the part.

However, sources close to the network revealed the rumors were unequivocally false, saying a Smith appearance was "not going to happen."

"The Marvel team knows for sure they don't want to replace baggage with more baggage," the source added, referring to Smith's infamous Oscars slap in 2022.

They continued, "They are going to figure it out, but Will Smith will not be the replacement."

For those who may have forgotten, Smith's assault on Rock occurred on the Oscars stage shortly after the latter made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and her hair, which had fallen out due to her struggle with alopecia.

Although the moment was damning for Smith and his career (he received a 10-year ban from the ceremony), Pinkett-Smith said she was grateful for the incident because "so many positive things came after it."

"After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?" she added.

In a March 2025 Instagram post, Smith told his nearly 70 million followers that he was releasing a new album 20 years after his last project, "Lost and Found."

The actor's new 14-track LP, "Based on a True Story," will be released on streaming platforms on March 28. The post reveals the album cover, which features him dripping in Philadelphia Phillies merch. He also wrote a special message about the project in the caption.

"Been working on this project for a minute, and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all,” he noted.