For Will Smith, a break point leads to ‘King Richard’

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

Will Smith wouldn’t seem an obvious candidate for a mid-life crisis. He’s hugely successful, immensely popular, indefatigably sunny. But Smith, who stars in the upcoming drama “King Richard,” as Richard Williams, father and coach to Venus and Serena Williams, is reemerging after an extensive period of introspection. The 53-year-old, as he writes in a new memoir, has been meditating, participating in ayahuasca ceremonies and generally asking himself a lot of questions about his own upbringing and his choices as a father, husband and movie star. It’s led to the best reviews of Smith’s career. A two-time Oscar nominee, Smith is widely considered the favorite to win his first Academy Award for his performance in “King Richard.”