On Friday (July 28), the West Philadelphia native hit Instagram to show love to his acting coach, Aaron Speiser, while supporting his fellow actors. Will referred to the strikes throughout the entertainment industry as a crucial point in their profession’s history.
“I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of yall mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession,” he began. “33 years into my career as an actor, and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time.”
He continued, “Thanks to my friend, my teacher, and my mentor @aaronspeiser, whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach,’ those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between. Coach invited me to an acting class the other day, and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors, and they amazed and inspired me! I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!”Smith, 54, joins Mo’Nique in support of the SAG/WGA strikes, with the actress recently declaring her backing for the walkouts.
On Wednesday (July 19), Mo stated that she has been attempting to call out Hollywood’s inequalities throughout the years. The comedian claimed that her efforts were “[struck] down” by her “brothers and sisters.”