Here is Will Smith, fresh off his SAG award nomination, taping a segment with David Letterman for Letterman’s Netflix interview show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. They both look to be in high spirits, which isn’t unusual for Will Smith—that guy is always on—but Letterman can be grumpy, it is known. I guess it’s hard to be a grump around Will Smith.
I can’t wait to see this interview. Letterman was always a spiky interviewer, because you could always tell when he didn’t care about, or even like, his guest on Late Show. But on My Next Guest, he only has to talk to people who actually interest him, so the interviews are much more compelling, and the format allows for a more in depth discussion. That should work well for Smith, we know he doesn’t have a problem talking earnestly in an interview. What will Letterman bring out of him? More intimacies about his marriage? Or will they dig into awards season? Smith is in the thick of it right now. This might, finally, be his year, but he’s up against Denzel Washington again, to whom he lost in 2002. When he’s engaged, there aren’t many interviewers better than Letterman, and Will Smith is one of the most engaging celebrities out there. At the very least, they look like they’re having fun talking to one another.
