It turns out that the worst alien menace to afflict the set of ‘Men in Black‘ wasn’t from outer space, but Will Smith‘s gas. Director Barry Sonnenfeld recently revealed during a podcast that Smith had gotten a tad bit too “gassy with it” while filming one very pivotal scene in the iconic film.
While it’s always fun to hear the behind-the-scenes lore from actors, this one is sure to leave Smith’s fans in stitches — and perhaps in disgust too. Here’s what the director said about Smith’s heavy gastric problems that left the entire set of ‘Men In Black‘ polluted.
Barry Sonnenfeld Recalls Will Smith’s Explosive Gas Problem On Sets Of ‘Men In Black’
‘Men in Black‘ director Barry Sonnenfeld was pitching his new book ‘Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time‘ on the ‘Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa‘ podcast, when he narrated a story where everybody, quite literally, ran for the hills because of something the film’s lead star Will Smith did.
As the director recalled, Smith and co-star Tommy Lee Jones were locked inside a hermetically sealed pod, shooting that high-speed transformation scene when, well, nature called. “I hear Will go, ‘Oh Jesus, so sorry. Tommy, so sorry,'” Sonnenfeld recalled Will as saying in the middle of the shoot. Jones, being the consummate professional, calmed his co-star with the patient assuasion, “That’s fine, Will.”
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While Sonnenfeld didn’t know what was happening at first, it was very clear when Jones practically sprinted out of the pod as soon as the ladder got there. “Will Smith is a farter,” quipped Sonnenfeld, “It’s just some people are.”
Will Smith Is An Infamous Farter
But that’s not all. Apparently, Smith’s gas isn’t to be underestimated. “We evacuated the stage for about three hours,” Sonnenfeld added with a laugh, joking that working with Smith often means dodging more than his charm. “He’s a lovely guy. Just, he farts,“ the director added.
This smelly bump during the filming aside, ‘Men in Black‘ went on to gross $584 million worldwide and was one of the biggest films in 1997. Smith and Sonnenfeld would subsequently go on to team up once again for several projects, including ‘Wild Wild West‘ and the ‘Men in Black‘ sequels.
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‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air‘ fans may not have heard fart stories from Smith’s sitcom days. His co-stars, such as Alfonso Ribeiro, could only say warm things about their old chum. “He’s my brother,” said Ribeiro, remembering their lasting bond. But brotherly love aside, we bet even Carlton would have wrinkled his nose at this one!
