A year after the infamous slap incident at the 2022 Oscars involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang said that year’s Best Actor could still have his name engraved on his award.
After winning the Best Actor award for his movie King Richard, Smith’s award still doesn’t have his name on it. Instead, he resigned from the Academy and was banned from appearing at the event for a decade after slapping Rock on stage.
Engraving Will Smith’s Name on His Award
On The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Yang said the actor was still welcome to “get his nameplate engraved” onto his trophy despite being prohibited from the show or any Academy events for nine more years.
“He earned the Oscar. He should have his name engraved on it,” she stated. “I don’t know if he should personally come. But, yeah, we can arrange.”
The Post is yet to receive any comments from Smith’s rep about the claim.
The Oscar award is usually blank when the winners receive their trophies. After the announcement of the victors, they can have their names engraved at the Governor’s Ball party, which takes place after the ceremony.
However, Smith didn’t attend the party, though he sang along to his own songs at the Vanity Fair afterparty while holding his award.
Later, he showed off his blank award in a TikTok video last month as a response to an online user urging others to ask the inanimate object what it thinks of them. But before being asked about the golden statue, he cut the clip.
The Slapping Incident
The 54-year-old made noise when he struck Rock on stage after joking about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.
With the 10-year ban, he was a show at the recent 2023 Oscars, where he should present the Best Actress award, following the tradition of the previous year’s winner to announce the winner and hand the trophy this year.
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Instead, Halle Berry, the 2002 Best Actress for her 2001 film Monster’s Ball, took the stage with Jessica Chastain to present the award to Michelle Yeoh for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The girls didn’t mention anything about Smith or the infamous slap, but it didn’t stop the event’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, from doing so.
“So, we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech.” he quipped.
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Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year. Nothing,” he continued. “And if any of you get mad at a joke and decide you want to come up here and get jiggy with it, it’s not gonna be easy.”
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