Looking back at his career, Will Smith has plenty of films that made over $100 million at the box office. However, things were different for the actor at the start, and that included a particular performance in the film, Six Degrees of Separation.

We’ll take a deeper look at Will’s involvement and why things got messy behind the scenes.

It would be the last time Will Smith attempted to method act given the troubles he faced after the film.

In addition, turning down a kiss alongside a male co-star did not sit well with the film’s director. We’ll reveal why Smith turned it down, and what he had to say about the scene looking back.

Six Degrees of Separation was a major project for Will Smith at the time back in 1993.

However, it also caused lots of drama to his personal life. Smith appeared alongside actress Stockard Channing and according to the actor, he got too deep into character.

It resulted in falling over his co-star, despite his then-wife Sheree Zampino and new son Trey at home.

Smith revealed the details alongside Complex, “Sheree and I were in the first few months of our marriage with a brand-new baby and for Sheree, I can imagine that this experience was unsettling to say the least,” Smith wrote.

“She’d married a guy named Will Smith and now she was living with a guy named Paul Poitier,” his character’s name in the movie.

“And to make matters worse, during shooting I fell in love with Stockard Channing.”

Smith continues on, “After the film wrapped, Sheree and Trey and I moved back to L.A. Our marriage was off to a rocky start.

I found myself desperately yearning to see and speak to Stockard.”

Will revealed that given the outcome of the film, it was the last time he’d ever take on a role with method acting in place.

“With Six Degrees of Separation, I got a taste early of the dangers of going too far for a character. My character was in love with Stockard Channing’s character. And I actually fell in love with Stockard Channing.”

“So the movie was over and I went home, and I was dying to see Stockard. I was like, ‘Oh no! What have I done?’

That was my last experience with Method acting, where you’re reprogramming your mind.

You’re actually playing around with your psychology. You teach yourself to like things and to dislike things.”

As it turns out, this wasn’t the only controversy to come out of the film.

Denzel Washington Advised Will Smith Not To Kiss His Male Co-Star, Which Didn’t Sit Well With The Director

Director Fred Schepisi was none too pleased with the way things worked out in this particular ordeal.

The plan was for Smith to kiss his male co-star. Prior to accepting the moment, Smith spoke to Denzel Washington.

Based off his feedback, Will was advised not to kiss his co-star. This caused a lot of tension behind the scenes for Smith with his director.

In addition, looking back, it isn’t the best look either.

To Will’s credit, he did show regret over the moment and would’ve done things differently. “I wasn’t emotionally stable enough to artistically commit to that aspect of the film,” the actor reveals.

“In a movie with actors and a director and writer of this caliber, for me to be the one bringing something cheesy to it … this was a valuable lesson for me. Either you do it, or you don’t.”

The moment didn’t hurt Smith’s career and in truth, there are several other stars that turned down kissing scenes in the past.

That also includes an actor Smith looks up to and the person he got the advice from, Denzel Washington.

Denzel Washington Also Turned Down A Kiss With Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts admitted to facing lots of heat from fans and friends for not undertaking a romantic scene with Denzel Washington.

“I have taken so much (—) over the years about not kissing Denzel in that film. Don’t I have a pulse? Of course I wanted to kiss Denzel. It was his idea to take the damn scenes out.”

It was in fact Denzel that turned down the kiss in the film, The Pelican Brief. Denzel felt as though it would send the wrong message.

He revealed, “Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film. And they have always been my core audience.”

It won’t be the last time an actor turns down a kiss, we even saw an example of CGI being used for Jonah Hill and Lauren London in the film ‘You People’ in 2023.

It is said that the two stars faked their kiss in the film.