Will Smith Talks Biggest Marriage Struggle

It's no secret that Will Smith is considered one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars, and when I had the opportunity to speak with him at the red carpet for his film, Focus, I found out why. Smith approached the TLC Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and immediately approached a swarming of fans. He took the time to greet his fans — shake their hands, sign their photographs — and even kiss their cheeks. He laughed at their jokes and engaged with them, proving himself to be a true man of the people movie star, just like we imagined since his days on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

His latest venture, Focus, is about a veteran con-man (Smith) in the midst of his latest scheme, when a woman from his past (The Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie) shows up to ruin his plans. "He's a really hardcore, smart, powerful young man," Smith says of his character. "He's injured, so he's dedicated his life to lying and deceit. And then he falls in love, and he realizes that lyin' and lovin' don't go together, so he has to pick one."

While he might play a pickpocketing con-man on screen, Smith is well versed in how to avoid them, and that's not just because of the real con-expert who trained him on set. "I grew up in Philly, so it was a prerequisite that you know how to put a little bit of money in your sock, shove it in a pocket on the inside, you never put in somewhere where you could get hit. You just don't have anything in your pocket," he says.

Smith, who showed up to the red carpet with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, opened up about the biggest struggle in their well-publicized marriage. "Jada and I struggle with that a little bit. The problem is one person is in work mode while the other person is in chill mode... and then you realize you're either really committed to having a relationship or you're really committed to coming up. At some point, one or the other is gonna have to suffer."

Focus hits theatres February 27. Watch the trailer below:

Images: Getty