Will Smith has posted a Facebook tribute to Muhammad Ali following his death at age 74.
"You shook up the World! My Mentor & My Friend. You changed my Life. Rest in Peace," the actor posted on Saturday.
Smith bagged an Oscar nomination for portraying the G.O.A.T in Michael Mann's Ali back in 2001. Smith and Ali did an interview with Oprah Winfrey around the time to talk about the film. When Ali was asked about Smith's performance, he said: "He scared me."
"The champ looked at me and gave me the nod that I did a good job." Smith said. "I worked as hard as I could possibly have worked."
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Last year, Smith praised Ali again at Sports Illustrated magazine's annual Sportsperson of the Year dinner:
"But when we think about the legacy of Muhammad Ali, what he did in the ring is not what we think about," said Smith. "For nearly two years, I worked to transform myself into the man who changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and shook up the world. That's really what makes my job so beautiful as an actor.
"For four or five months at a time, I get to wear people's lives, so I got to wear Muhammad Ali's greatness. I got to study and feel and embody the soul of the man. From the foundations of Islam and the strength of his Muslim faith and his life to the beautiful wake that he always leaves in his magnificent path."
Words by Josh Teal
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Featured image: Getty
Featured Image Credit:Topics: muhammad ali, Will Smith