It’s rare to have one phenom in a family, let alone two, but the Williams sisters are now the stuff of legend, in the world of tennis and well beyond. Of course, that legend and much of the sisters’ meteoric rise began with the early training and unflagging tenacity of their father and first coach, Richard Williams. On Friday, the family’s story—with its patriarch at its center—will make it to the screen as the highly anticipated and already acclaimed biopic King Richard debuts in theaters and exclusively on HBO Max on November 17.
As previously reported by The Root, Venus and Serena served as executive producers on the project, along with the film’s star, Will Smith. In anticipation of King Richard’s release, Smith has taken over the famed red table typically presided over by Jada, Willow and Gammy, inviting the Williams sisters to this week’s Red Table Talk—make that a Red Table Takeover.
Per a press release provided to The Root:
Will Smith is taking over the Table for an exclusive conversation with two of the greatest athletes ever—Venus and Serena Williams. It’s a revealing discussion about lessons, losses, wisdom, and wins, behind-the-scenes stories from their critically acclaimed new film, King Richard, and star-studded surprises from other greats: Simone Biles, Novak Djokovic and more. Later, the tennis icons are joined by their mother and sisters for their very first appearance as a family.
The Red Table Talk team also graciously provided The Root with an exclusive clip of this week’s episode, in which Venus and Serena get candid about competing—and their very different styles on the court.
You can tune in for Will Smith’s Red Table Talk Takeover, streaming Wednesday, November 17 at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET on Facebook Watch—and join the conversation in the Red Table Talk Facebook group.