Will Smith Shares Provocative Throwback Photo to Mark 26th Anniversary of “Wild Wild West”

Will Smith caused a stir with a daring flashback to his 1999 film, “Wild Wild West,” posting a photo where he is wearing only a cowboy hat. The image, shared on his Instagram, shows Smith covering himself with the hat, referencing a memorable scene from the steampunk western directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

In the caption, Smith joked, “The only photo that matters 🤤,” acknowledging that it’s the sole picture he could find of that era. Fans quickly responded, praising his fit physique, with comments like “Let me go frame this 😂” and “This is the movie that made me realize you are sexy.” Others humorously demanded, “MOVE THE HAT!!” and expressed admiration for his appearance, calling him “sexy” and sharing their favorite scene from the film.

The film featured Smith alongside Salma Hayek and Kevin Kline, where they played secret service agents protecting President Ulysses S. Grant. Despite an impressive $170 million budget, the movie was both a commercial and critical failure, grossing just over $222 million worldwide. It was also heavily criticized, earning eight Razzie nominations and winning worst picture and worst original song.

Smith later revealed that “Wild Wild West” was his least favorite role, describing it as “a thorn” in his side. Interestingly, he had turned down the iconic role in “The Matrix” to star in this project, a decision he now regrets, given the film’s poor reception and his own disdain for the part.