Posted in: Movies, News | Tagged: coronavirus, i am legend, jada pinkett smith, red table talk, will smith

Will Smith Says He Feels Responsible For 'I Am Legend' Virus Misinformation

Published Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:15:56 -0500

Will Smith starred in I Am Legend back in 2008, to worldwide success and acclaim. Well, worldwide success anyway. Because of the nature of the film, featuring an outbreak of a virus taking own humanity, people are watching it in droves right now, looking for answers about the spread of Coronavirus. Sadly, for some reason people take the things they see in films seriously, and now people are sharing things about the spread of viruses from the film as real. Yes, really. Will Smith went on his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith's show Red Table Talk to discuss this and how he feels responsible for the spreading of bad info.

"I wanted to do this because, in 2008, I made I Am Legend," Smith joked. "So I feel responsible for a lot of the misinformation.While I was preparing for I Am Legend, my character was a virologist," he continued. "So, I had an opportunity in preparation for the role to go to the CDC. There was a basic foundational comprehension of viruses and viral pathogens that I developed and it really changed my life and how I looked at the world. There's basic concepts that people do not understand… So what I wanted was for us to have now is the opportunity to just go through the basics, and then bring in the experts."

I think I speak for everyone when I say you don't really have to feel that way Will Smith. While film can provide an escape and get peoples gears turning to seek out information, anyone who is looking to any fictional film for vital information about the spread of viruses or anything else is foolish. Good on you for using the platform you have to help get the right info out there however.

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