Jesper is a photographer, and he took these amazing photos when he and Adriann came to stay with us in NY…
inside our aparment
guys bonding over electronics
Thomas and Adriann's Midnight Cowboy
Hot Danish Artist on our roof
Adriann is the most mature one in this picture
Gift shop in the Natural History Museum
The view from our roof in East Willyburg
Probably one of the most surreal days of my life…
So I’ve known Will Smith Senior for a few years now, and he’s one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met. I never met either of my real grandfathers, so I’ve adopted Will as my surrogate grandaddy. He gives the best, most honest advice and is truly a man of his word.
I love this picture we took outside the set...classic. Will looking at Thomas and I like we are crazy people (we are).
Today his novel The WayMor is available to buy! I feel lucky to have helped him with this project from the beginning and watch it grow and develop. And like Will Sr., the book has heart. So here is where you can order it (and you can put in a special request for him to autograph it!)
And hot Danish artist Thomas Warming did the cover!
Once you get to know Will Senior, it is easy to understand how his son and grandchildren turned out to have so much talent, drive and dedication. Last week, Will invited Thomas and I to the set of “Men In Black III” which is filming in Brooklyn. And seriously, it was one of the craziest and best days of my life…both Thomas and I wondered if we’d dreamed it the day after.
Security was really high, but because Will Junior has worked with the same people for years (yes, he’s loyal like his dad) they all know and respect Will Senior. So we were pretty much treated VIP. We spent about 8 hours on the set. We got to sit in the producers and director’s chairs with headphones and watch Will Junior film a scene at the MIB headquarters. And damn, that guy is professional and hilarious. It takes so many hours to film one scene, and he does it with humor and warmth. He really owns the set and makes everyone there – even the extras – feel validated and like part of a community.
Crazy, pinch-yourself moments of the day:
Thomas and I getting to have a fifteen minute conversation with Will Jr. and Emma Thompson as they waited outside the gazillion dollar set for their next take. We got to listen to Will Jr. (in the MIB suit and tie) tell hilarious stories about his Dad…and I actually made Will Jr. laugh a couple of times. And then we got to hear the freaking gorgeous and luminous Emma Thompson discuss all sorts of things… from not wanting to play beautiful roles because it is “too much work” (adding that she wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror and says – insert amazing British accent: “Skin, get back on my bones!”…all insane because she’s one of the most lovely women I’ve ever seen) to her views on aging and her love of writing. And she watched Thomas and I holding hands and kind of smiled at us beatifically and then said wistfully:
“You know, I was in love with a Dane once.”
I said, “How’d it turn out?”
Her response: “Not well.”
Me: “Thomas, don’t listen to her.”
And she’s obviously brilliant and down-to-earth, as is Will Smith Junior. And the coolest part was when the director Michael Bay – who never met Will Senior before – came over and thanked him in front of the whole group because he knew that “Will Jr. must have turned out the way he did because of his dad” (so true). And Michael Bay was wearing the craziest outfit I’d ever seen, like a plaid bowler and matching scarf…I got the feeling this was his “Director Outfit” which I completely get because I have my writer routines as well.
Getting to hang in Will Jr.’s pimped-out trailer – sometimes with Will Jr. – for several hours.
Meeting the screenwriter, Etan Cohen, who told me he started as a PA on “Fresh Prince” and wrote between takes… and seeing how to down-to-earth and cool he was (the key, he says, is going home to his family and friends frequently because Hollywood can isolate you and cut you off from the people and reality you are actually writing about – I agree). And I gave him a copy of my book which he said he’d read!
Eating lunch which a bunch of people in freaking incredible, realistic, disturbing, hilarious alien costumes (made by legendary makeup artist, Rick Baker). Watching Aliens text, drink Coke, do crossword puzzles all in insane prosthetics.
The arrival of Willow Smith after school…damn, I have never seen a child that age with such incredible fashion sense.
Getting to hang in the makeup trailer with the hairstylist for “Sex and the City”, Sacha Quarles
He gave me gossip about the actresses on the show (never to be repeated) and answered all my questions about the S&C hairstyles (was he to blame for every Okie girl having visible roots like Carrie for a season? Yes, though that fad only lasted two episodes. How about the big flowers in the hair? Yup, and they sold out the week later at Barney’s)…and he showed me the pin-up girl wig he was working on and discussed the art of pin-curls (research for my next book)…then he actually let me pose with his dog in front of the makeup mirror with Thomas acting as paparazzi (that’s Sacha in the corner coaching the dog to pose…gotta love that!)
And I got to meet other makeup artists, who is crazy famous…and we discussed the history of makeup and makeup as political and sociological expression (seriously, I really am fascinated by this stuff, I loved having an expert to talk to)…and she told me (best moment ever) that if she was going to do my makeup for a movie she’d give me a 1940′s look because my face was meant for “period work”…and I freaking loved that, of course.
Got to hang with my favorite person, lovely Loretta! She helps out Will Sr. and is also the most incredible singer
Check out Loretta singing here
And getting to hear stories about Will as an actor…from his first major role in Six-Degrees to doing his own stunts and going method for Ali (and spending time with Nelson Mandela)…I mean, the guy is truly a class act.
It was such an amazing day…thank you Will Senior! And everyone buy his book and friend him on Facebook!
Will Senior at Berkeley College
Illustrator of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Matte Painting & Concept Design for Film / Computer Games, Children’s Books, Graphic Novels & Advertising.
Will Smith Senior will be having a book signing at Berkeley College in Manhattan on December 3rd (the school where I teach). Will I is the father of Will Smith the movie star (and granddaddy of Jayden)…and once you meet him you’ll see where they got their talent and charm. He’s one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met, and the reading will be unlike any you have ever seen (with some of the best live jazz you’ve ever heard!) I feel really honored I got to help him with his wonderful book.
Not to mention, my awesome students will be there and I get to give an intro…
Hope to see you there!
