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Denzel Washington Warns Will Smith: ‘At Your Highest Moment … That’s When the Devil Comes for You’

Denzel Washington Warns Will Smith: ‘At Your Highest Moment … That’s When the Devil Comes for You’

By Movieguide® Contributor

Will Smith’s Oscar-winning night was fraught with emotions, from a slap heard around social media to taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in KING RICHARD. 

During the chaos, Smith said fellow actor Denzel Washington offered him biblical words of wisdom to help ground him.

“At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you,” Smith said Washington told him after Smith smacked comedian Chris Rock, who cracked a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 

Smith gave a tearful acceptance speech and apologized for his behavior.

KING RICHARD is also nominated for two Movieguide® Awards for its strong biblical content, including the Epiphany Prize® for Most Inspiring Movie and Best Movie for Mature Audiences.

According to the Movieguide® review:

KING RICHARD tells the story of a caring father who supports his daughters, Venus and Serena, in becoming the greatest tennis players. Richard has five girls, two of which, Venus and Serena, are fabulous tennis players. During the day, Richard goes to the best tennis clubs and tries to get the girls a coach who’ll train them for free. During the afternoon, he trains the girls, and they practice on the public tennis courts in Compton, where they live. Richard convinces a famous coach to train Venus. When Venus starts winning every tennis competition she enters, Richard fears she’ll become burned out and vain.

KING RICHARD is beautiful, heartfelt and inspiring. It has a strong Christian, moral, pro-family worldview with positive messages of Christian faith, virtue and character. Viewers will become totally immersed in the story and find the characters appealing. The movie does have some hard scenes related to gang violence and foul language. Overall, though, KING RICHARD stresses the importance of Christ-like character, the love of a family, and following one’s natural God-given talents. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.

Smith, himself, claims to be a man of faith.

As Movieguide® previously reported:

In an interview with Movieguide® Award winner DeVon Franklin, the star was asked if he, like his character Richard Dove Williams Jr., was a man of faith.

“You can’t get where I get if you don’t love the Lord,” Smith responded. “You don’t get to sit how I sit, move how I move if you don’t love the Lord. You’d be seeing a whole lot of other repercussions.”

He also touched on how his own faith helped him with this role.

“You have to have faith. That’s what Mrs. Oracene [had],” Smith said, mentioning Oracene Price, mother and coach to the Williams sisters. “She’s so solid that she is completely, thoroughly and totally certain. She doesn’t walk in doubt.”

“She said, ‘In order to doubt, that means you don’t trust God,’” he continued. “She said, ‘There was never a moment of doubt. When we set out as a family, we knew we were going to do what was ordained.’ It was this family around this belief, and they trusted God. And they believed that their devotion would be rewarded and they never wavered.”

Smith’s own faith was instilled in him by his grandmother, who attended Resurrection Baptist Church and made sure that her grandchildren participated in church events.

“My grandmother was really my connection to God,” the actor said in an interview with The Christian Post. “She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying, she was happy, like she was really excited about going to heaven.”

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.