Will Smith is currently making the rounds promoting his new movie, Concussion, about Dr. Bennet Omalu, who was the first to diagnose a disease at the center of football-injury debates: chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
During a recent interview about his movie, Smith diverged from the subject of the movie and talked about present-day politics.
“If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they’ve been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims, they’re going to force me into the political arena,” Smith said. “I mean, I gotta be the president. What else would I run for? Come on!”
Those comments got people talking about Smith’s political aspirations, but it turns out he was only joking.
In an interview with ET, Smith clarified his comments.
“I was really kind of joking when I said that,” Smith stated.
“Dr. Omalu has such a positive view of America and the American dream,” he said. “As an actor, being able to be a part of that and to feel from the outsider’s perspective how great this country is, I sort of got inspired as I was looking at the current political landscape. I was inspired to defend the ideals that help build such a beautiful country.”
Many people are now wiping their brows, and probably just want Smith to stick to what he knows best: acting.