Treble Emmy Award winner says Jersey education nurtured his talents
ITV Channel's Alex Spiceley talks to Emmy Award winner Will Smith about his latest title.
A TV writer and actor who went to school in Jersey has said winning his third Emmy Award was "quite mad" after his acceptance speech went viral earlier this week. Former Victoria College pupil Will Smith won the 'Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series' award in Los Angeles for his show Slow Horses, about dysfunctional spies, starring the likes of Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Rosalind Eleazar. The latest series of Slow Horses gained a 100% rating on TV and film review website Rotten Tomatoes, making it Apple TV's highest rated show of all time. In his acceptance speech, Smith drew laughter from the crowd when he opened his address. He said: "First of all, relax. Despite my name, I come in peace."Smith was, of course, referencing American actor Will Smith, when he sent shockwaves through the audience at the 2022 Oscars by slapping comedian Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Speaking to ITV News about his quip at the Emmys, Smith said: "Because I spent years as a stand-up comedian, I had quite a lot of muscle memory from that so when it came to that I was ok.
"It was weird. I was quite nervous in the build-up to the whole thing and then when I was in there it just sort of calmed down and then when they said my name I was like, 'right, ok'. "I was really worried that I was going to be up there and that my heart was going to be pounding out my chest and I'd fall to bits but the old instinct seemed to kick in and I just got through it."Speaking about what it was like winning his third Emmy in front of many of his heroes, Smith said, "When I think about it now it sort of sinks in. It's quite mad to be there in that room in front of so many famous people and to go up and collect an award in front of 69 million people on live TV."Smith had previously won two other Emmy Awards, triumphing in the 'Outstanding Comedy Series' category for Veep in both 2015 and 2016.The Winchester-born, Jersey-raised actor and screenwriter was also a prominent writer as well as appearing in political comedy The Thick Of It.Smith says the secret to his success is "working with good and nice people". He said: "Listening to people, collaborating, working with the actors, taking notes from people who are smarter than you."I was very lucky to spend a year working for Armando Iannucci and so I think I take a lot form him and how he carries himself. He just makes it all about the work and working with good and nice people so that's what I've tried to do."
Smith also acknowledged the role individual teachers had in nurturing his talents during his schooldays in Jersey. He said: "I was hugely inspired as a writer and as a performer and nurtured by Colin Benson who taught me for O-level English and I did a sort of drama club, sketch club in his classes and I remember him laughing and just being an amazing teacher in terms of the literature that he opened me up to."And then Peter, who is a dear friend of mine and whom I've dedicated the book that I wrote set in Jersey called 'Mainlander'. He taught me for A-level and he sort of 'produced' the school reviews that we used to do. The sort of sketch shows we used to put on every Christmas and they were my first proper forays onto stage and making people laugh. So he was hugely inspirational."
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