Actor Calls for Will Smith to Give Best Actor Oscar Back to ‘Restore the Award’s Honor’

The saga surrounding Will Smith slapping Chris Rock continues. While the Academy has already taken action against Smith, one actor wants them to take it a step further. In an op-ed for Variety, Harry Lennix — whose credits include Man of Steel and Ray — wrote that Smith should have to return his Oscar in order to restore “honor” to the award. 

Lennix did address the Academy’s decision to ban Smith from Oscar ceremonies and events for the next 10 years. The actor wrote that this punishment was a “toothless penalty.” He wants the Academy to take their punishment to the next level by having Smith return the Oscar that he won for King Richard, which he was awarded shortly after he took to the stage to slap presenter Rock. Lennix wrote that the only one who could remedy the situation is Smith himself. 

The actor suggested that Smith return his Oscar and “state something to the effect of: “Out of respect for the 94 years of honor conferred upon this award, I do not in good conscience feel worthy of being its custodian.” Lennix continued to go so far as to say that “Smith’s brutality” placed a dark cloud on the “prestige” of the Oscars. He ended his essay by writing that this isn’t a situation that can be “easily remediated,” adding, “The only hope for a justifiable grace must involve Smith voluntarily returning his award for best actor.”

This whole matter began during the Oscars ceremony when Rock, who was presenting, shared a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and said that he looked forward to seeing her in G.I. Jane 2 in reference to her baldness. Soon enough, Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock. He later told the comedian from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.” In the days since the incident, the Academy and Smith have both taken action. 

On April 1, Smith announced that he would be resigning from AMPAS (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). A week later, the Academy announced that they were banning the King Richard star from attending any Oscars ceremonies or events for the next 10 years. Although, he could still be nominated for an Academy Award in the future. Following the announcement, Smith issued a statement to Page Six, which read, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”