Ask Will Smith to explain the secret of his success, and you may get a surprising answer. As Smith explained during an interview with “60 Minutes” (via YouTube), the actor never viewed his stardom as a result of his ability since he’s never considered himself to be anything more than “slightly above average” in the talent department. His secret weapon, he revealed, is not his capability as a performer, but rather his “ridiculous, sickening work ethic.”
During another interview about his drive, Smith put it even more bluntly. “I will not be outworked — period.” To make his point, Smith used the example of exercising on a treadmill alongside a competitor. “There’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m gonna die,” he said. “It’s really that simple.”
During a conversation with the “Rap Radar” podcast (via CNBC), Smith detailed the philosophy underlying the work ethic that has taken him to the upper echelons of show business. “For the most part, I don’t live in a space of ‘I can’t,” he said. “I live in a space of ‘I feel confident that if I put in my 10,000 hours I can achieve anything.”
