- Title: AUSTRALIA: WILL SMITH PROMOTES HIS FILM "ALI" IN SYDNEY
- Date: 18th February 2002
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 18, 2002)(REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) SCU SOUNDBITE (English) WILL SMITH SAYING: "Muhammad Ali is one of the few Americans and one of the few people in the world that can go anywhere in the world and be welcome so I mean I feel that the film has a lot of things going for it, the theme of Michael Mann's creative process that you can see it in every scen
- Embargoed: 5th March 2002 12:00
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- Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Reuters ID: LVA5R1PVUBJBFWUKI9SC6O5TU8ZG
- Story Text: U.S. actor Will Smith says he's got his fingers crossed - hoping he'll get rewarded with a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of legendary heavyweight boxer Muahammad Ali .... but quipped at a press conference in Australia - where he's promoting the film - that he wished Russell Crowe 'didn't have a damned movie out this year'.
Will Smith says words can't describe how amazing it is to be nominated for an Oscar, but he just wishes Russell Crowe wasn't contesting the category as well.
Smith is a first-time nominee at this year's Academy Awards for his portrayal of sporting icon Muhammad Ali in Ali, a performance many have dubbed the best of the year.
Smith said, "for me this is an incredible huge accomplishment that Denzel (Washington) and myself managed to be nominated in this category. I think that's a testament to, to the level of the work and also a testament to the fairness of the academy this year."
Russell Crowe has been widely tipped and placed as favourite by LA bookmakers to take the honour for his role as Nobel-Prize winning mathematician John Nash in 'A Beautiful Mind.' But the New Zealand-born actor's track record at the Oscars is impressive and enviable, this year being his third nomination in a row.
"Muhammad Ali is one of the few Americans and one of the few people in the world that can go anywhere in the world and be welcome so I mean I feel that the film has a lot of things going for it, the theme of Michael Mann's creative process that you can see it in every scene ... and I think the film is great so I got my fingers crossed. I just wish that Russell (Crowe) didn't have a damn movie out this year, Smith said."
In 2000, Crowe was nominated for thriller 'The Insider' and last year he won the award for his lead in the Roman Empire drama 'Gladiator.' Smith, in Sydney to attend the premiere of 'Ali', said he was thrilled to be nominated for a role which meant so much to him.
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