Will Smith recently grabbed the attention of his social media followers with a daring throwback photo celebrating the 26th anniversary of his 1999 movie, Wild Wild West. The actor posted a still from the film on his Instagram, where he seemed to be wearing only a cowboy hat, placed in just the right way to keep things modest.
This eye-catching picture quickly got a huge reaction, with fans flooding the comments with excitement. The image showed off Smith’s muscular build, with his strong arms and chest on full display despite the lack of clothing. His caption joked about the photo’s boldness, saying it was the only one he could find to honor the movie’s anniversary.
This playful tone lead to a wave of comments. Many fans jokingly begged to see more, with comments like “MOVE THE HAT!!” and calling it “the only photo that matters.” Some even said this particular scene was when they first realized how attractive Smith was.
Wild Wild West, a steampunk-style western, was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starred Smith alongside Kevin Kline and Salma Hayek. The story followed two Secret Service agents, played by Smith and Kline, as they tried to protect President Ulysses S. Grant from an assassination plot. Despite its big-name cast and a massive budget of $170 million, the movie was a letdown both with critics and at the box office.
It made $222 million worldwide, which was seen as a disappointment given how much it cost to make. Critics mostly panned the film, and it got a lot of negative reviews. This bad reception led to Wild Wild West being nominated for eight awards at the 20th Golden Raspberry Awards, an event that “honors” the worst in movies.
It ended up winning both Worst Picture and Worst Original Song. The song, also called Wild Wild West and performed by Smith, was given this embarrassing award. Smith has admitted the movie’s flaws and has said he regrets being part of it.
In past interviews, he’s called Wild Wild West a “thorn in my side” and even made fun of how awkward he felt wearing the movie’s cowboy outfits. Adding to the irony, Smith famously turned down a role in The Matrix to star in Wild Wild West instead. The Matrix went on to be a massive hit, both with critics and audiences, and became a huge cultural moment. Still, he did Men In Black, which did well despite a bad sequel.
