Will Smith's Best Co-Star Is No One You Could Ever Imagine – It's Not Even Human

Summary

• Over the decades, Will Smith has worked with a number of A-listers.
• The actor has fond memories of his co-star from the hit 2007 action thriller.
• Smith still marvels at her acting skills.

After beginning his entertainment career as a rapper in the late 1980s, Will Smith quickly expanded his artistry to film and television. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the iconic sitcom that starred Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself and aired from 1990 to 1996, helped launch Smith's acting career. Since then, the actor has starred in many popular films and franchises, including Bad Boys, Men in Black, Independence Day, Suicide Squad and Aladdin.

Will Smith has worked with dozens of talented actors over the years. Some of his most notable co-stars include Martin Lawrence, Judd Hirsch, Tommy Lee Jones, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Charlize Theron, and Will Ferrell. But as talented as these actors are, they're not the ones Smith has the fondest memories of. In fact, his favorite co-star isn't even a member of the human species.

I Am Legend

Given Will Smith's extensive filmography, it's no surprise that he's been a part of some of the most financially successful movies ever made. In 2007, he starred in the adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend, which grossed over $584 million against a budget of $150 million, ultimately becoming the seventh highest-grossing film of the year.

The post-apocalyptic action thriller starred Will Smith and a brilliant German shepherd named Abbey, who played Sam, the only friend and companion of Smith's Dr. Robert Neville. And apparently, the dog's intelligence and overall personality made a big impression on the actor.

'It was like Abbey spoke English. You could say, "Hey, Abbey, do you see where I left my phone?", she'd go "Woof!"' Will Smith recently said of his canine co-star, imitating her bark and pointing in the direction of said phone. 'She literally could understand you. It was the weirdest thing.'

A Co-Star to Adopt

Most of all, Will Smith was amazed by Abbey's acting skills, which left a lasting impression on him. Abbey endeared herself to Smith so much that he even tried to adopt her, but she was 'the breadwinner of her family' who didn't want to let her go.

'It was really amazing to watch how… you know, the scene where she bites, bites, bites, where we have to do the scene where I choke her out and she lays out – Abbey's doing that. He trained Abbey to go limp and I laid her. How do you train a dog to go limp?' the actor recounted the most heartbreaking scene from I Am Legend, in which his character has to kill his dog, which has been infected with a dangerous virus. 'It was like working with a brilliant actress.'

Although it's been seventeen years since I Am Legend, it's clear that Will Smith still has fond memories of his canine co-star.

Source: YouTube.