Starring alongside his father Will Smith, Jaden Smith made his acting debut with the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. The film, following the story of a father and a struggling salesman who overcomes numerous hardships to provide a better life for his son, was a major success and even earned Smith his second Best Actor Oscar nomination.
However, the fate of the movie and how it turned out could have been significantly affected by the studio’s initial hesitation about casting Will Smith’s son alongside him, primarily due to the concerns surrounding nepotism.
How Jaden Smith’s Casting Almost Changed The Pursuit of Happyness
Directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith alongside his son Jaden Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the inspirational real-life story of Chris Gardner, a businessman who became a stockbroker and founded his own brokerage firm.
A standout aspect of the film is the heartwarming relationship between Chris Gardner and his son, brought to life by the real-life father-son duo. Both actors received praise for their performances, including the young actor, who gave a commendable performance.
And their genuine bond undoubtedly contributed to the emotional resonance of the film. However, the dynamic almost did not make it to the screen as the studio initially did not want to cast The Karate Kid star in the movie.
In his memoir, Will, the Oscar-winning actor revealed how the studio was hesitant to cast his son in the 2006 film. The film’s director, Gabriele Muccino, shared in the memoir, as per Business Insider,
I wanted Jaden for this role from the first moment I met him, but the studio forbade me from asking you — The studio felt like it was a death sentence for the film from a marketing standpoint. They felt that people wouldn’t be able to suspend disbelief seeing Jaden and you on camera as father and son.
The Men in Black star also shared that one of the reasons behind the studio’s regarding his casting was concerns about the perception of nepotism. “The studio also felt that it would seem like nepotism, and just put us in the hole from the first announcement,” he shared in his memoir.
Despite these concerns, Muccino persisted. After auditioning over 500 child actors without finding the right fit, he remained convinced that Jaden was the perfect choice for the role, leading to the eventual casting that helped shape the film’s success.
How Did Jaden Smith Got Cast in The Pursuit of Happyness
In his memoir, Will Smith revealed that Gabriele Muccino had auditioned 500 kids and still couldn’t find a single child actor to cast as his son. From the moment he met Jaden Smith, however, Muccino was determined that he was the perfect fit for the role in The Pursuit of Happyness.
The After Year star, who was 6 at the time, had also expressed his interest in acting to his parents, who agreed to let him audition for the movie. While the studio was hesitant, they considered him for the role at Muccino’s insistence.
“At Gabriele’s pleasing, they agreed to allow him to put Jaden and me on camera as a chemistry test,” Smith shared in his memoir. Due to the conflicting nature of the process, the actor and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, “removed ourselves from the decision-making process.“
In his pursuit of the role, he “was asked to audition an unprecedented nine separate times,” considering that the studio did not want any troubles regarding his casting.
However, Pinkett Smith got restless and refused to let her son continue after he was asked to audition for a 10th time. With uncertainty looming over Christopher Jr.’s casting, Muccino made a decisive stand, declaring that he was “emotionally incapable of making the film without Jaden.”
Eventually, the studio relented and had to offer the movie to Jaden Smith. Despite initial reservations, he delivered a widely praised performance that won over critics.
After his successful debut, Jaden continued to build his acting career with roles in films like The Karate Kid and The Skate Kitchen, and he later reunited with his father in the 2013 sci-fi movie After Earth, though it did not receive the same acclaim as The Pursuit of Happyness.
The Pursuit of Happyness is available to watch on Netflix.
