His father’s cancer diagnosis helped Will Smith learn an important lesson about the uncertainty of life.

While growing up, Will Smith shared a rocky relationship with his father Willard Carroll Smith, Sr., following the latter’s violent outburst towards the Oscar winner and his mother. But despite directing aggression towards a young Smith, which contributed to them becoming a bit distant at times, things eventually changed when Smith’s father was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

Not only did the last moments with his father allow him to reconcile things and connect in a way like never before, but it also gave the actor a great lesson about the uncertainty of life.

Will Smith Was Allowed To Set Things Right With His Father

Will Smith | After Earth (via Columbia Pictures)

After being told that his father had six weeks to live following his cancer diagnosis, the situation allowed Will Smith and his father to tune in a fashion like they never had. The Bad Boys star recalled this led to their conversations becoming rich and the goodbyes becoming more complete. In the end, despite being given six weeks, Willard Smith, Sr. “ended up living for three months” (via People), and by the time he was gone, the actor wasn’t even crying, as they “got the opportunity to get finished”.

Reflecting on it, Smith expressed that not only did his father’s diagnosis allow him to reconcile with his dad, but it also taught Smith a lesson on the uncertainty of life, stressing one “should never greet someone casually or say goodbye to someone casually”.

Will Smith and Willard Carroll Smith, Sr. | Will Smith/Instagram

He said:

When we say goodbye, we can’t know if this is the last time. You should never greet someone casually or say goodbye to someone casually. And that lesson came from that experience, every moment was so rich, every time we saw each other and every time we said goodbye we made sure it was a good thorough full goodbye. But that’s how you’re supposed to live every day anyway.

Despite his violent tendencies, Smith clarified his father made sure to be at his every game, play, and recital. While he also often resorted to alcohol, Willard Smith made sure to be sober at every premiere of the Men in Black star’s films.

Collateral Beauty Helped Will Smith Deal with His Father’s Diagnosis

Collateral Beauty | Warner Bros.
While 2016’s Collateral Beauty was a major turn-off among critics, working on the film helped Will Smith’s own emotional journey following his father’s diagnosis. Similar to the actor’s own situation, the film also dealt with a man coming to terms with a personal tragedy.

I got the screenplay right when my father was diagnosed, so I’m doing all of this research about a guy who experiences death at the time that my father was given six weeks to live. But it turned out to be such an amazing thing to have to work through and go through all of this

Although the film didn’t resonate with everyone, for Smith, the ideas, his performance, and the movie as a whole were deeply personal.