Will Smith’s 10-year ban from the Oscars isn’t necessarily the end of his Academy Awards journey. According to three-time Oscar winner Paul N.J. Ottosson, there may be a chance for him to return in the future. However, this path to redemption comes with an important condition: accepting responsibility for his actions at the 2022 ceremony. Despite the box office success of Bad Boys 4, Smith’s exclusion from the Academy Awards will remain in effect, but he can still ‘earn money for his comeback.’
Will the Oscars roll out the red carpet for Will Smith again?
Smith’s journey to regaining his Oscar presence may depend on showing genuine regret for his ‘slap episode’ with Chris Rock that shook the entire nation. One member of the Academy Awards committee, a renowned audio engineer who has worked with Smith before, shared some thoughts on the possibility of his return.
However, he noted that although Smith’s past successes would not influence the Academy’s opinion on the slapping scandal, as reported by the Mirror, he could still restore his “Hollywood gala night stature” by maintaining success, excellent behavior, and sincere remorse.
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In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Ottosson expressed personal forgiveness for Smith, but insisted that the ban should remain. “Well, I think as a human being, we should forgive. As long as he admits what he did was wrong. But as a private institution, we have the right to ban what we don’t tolerate. And if we tolerate it, we say it’s acceptable. But by punishing him, we don’t accept it,” he said.
Will Smith ‘may make a comeback’
“We’ll punish you a little bit, but you can come back and you can make your way and work your way up,” Ottosson said. He further added that it’s hard to predict a yes or no right now because Smith has done such a great job in his career. Ottosson has previously worked with Smith in the Men in Black films. However, he stressed on the fact that if someone slaps you in the face while you’re walking down the street, anyone would want to call the police.
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The star, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, believes in second chances but underlined the consequences of unacceptable behaviour. Understanding Smith’s state of mind at the time, when millions were watching the show live and the host was mocking his family member, the committee members acknowledged that it may have been uncomfortable for him. However, they added, “We should all try to restrain ourselves. We get upset about many things in life and sometimes we act on them when we shouldn’t.”
