Back in 1993, long before the Oscars slap or the "Bad Boys" legacy, Will Smith was a sitcom kid with a massive point to prove. He was the Fresh Prince. He was safe. He was the "benign" Black star that middle America felt comfortable inviting into their living rooms every Monday night. But Smith didn't want to just be a TV star; he wanted to be a "serious" actor. So, he took a risk that almost no other rising leading man in the early '90s would touch. He signed on to play an openly gay con artist in a prestige drama.
The movie was Six Degrees of Separation.
If you've never seen it, you're missing out on arguably the most nuanced performance of Smith's entire career. He plays Paul, a young, charismatic drifter who cons his way into the lives of wealthy New Yorkers by pretending to be the son of legendary actor Sidney Poitier. Paul is elegant, brilliant, and deeply manipulative. He's also queer. For a guy whose image was built on being the "cool kid" from Philly, this was a massive pivot. Honestly, it was a move that could have ended his career before it really began.
Why the Will Smith Gay Film Matters More Than You Think
There is a lot of noise online about Smith’s personal life, especially with the 2026 headlines involving tour violinists and messy legal battles. But if we look strictly at the work, Six Degrees of Separation is a fascinating artifact. It isn't just "that Will Smith gay film"—it’s a biting satire about class, race, and how white liberals use Black bodies to feel sophisticated.
Smith was 25 when he filmed this. He spent three months training with a dialogue coach to lose his Philly accent and adopt the high-society "Mid-Atlantic" lilt required for the role. He didn't just show up; he transformed. Director Fred Schepisi noted at the time that Smith was desperate to prove he could "hang" with heavyweights like Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing. And he did. He’s electric on screen, especially in the monologue where he breaks down The Catcher in the Rye.
🔗 Read more: Cast of Troubled Youth Television Show: Where They Are in 2026
The "Kiss" Controversy That Followed Him for Decades
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the kiss. Or rather, the lack of one.
In the original script, Paul was supposed to share a passionate kiss with a character played by Anthony Michael Hall. Smith froze. He wouldn't do it.
The story goes that Smith sought advice from his mentor, Denzel Washington. Allegedly, Denzel told him, "Don't be kissing no man on screen." Whether that's 100% accurate or just Hollywood lore, the result was the same: Smith refused. To get around it, Schepisi had to use a stand-in and clever camera angles—filming from behind the head to create an "illusion" of a kiss. It’s one of the most famously botched "cheats" in cinema history.
Years later, Smith admitted he regretted the decision. He called himself "immature" and confessed he wasn't "emotionally stable enough" to handle how his friends back in Philadelphia would react. It’s a classic example of the "tough guy" image clashing with the vulnerability required for great art.
💡 You might also like: Cast of Buddy 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
Sir Ian McKellen, who also starred in the film, didn't let him off the hook easily. At the London premiere, McKellen reportedly walked up to Smith and gave him a big, public kiss on the lips just to make a point. Classic Sir Ian.
Breaking Down the "Risky" Career Move
Playing gay in 1993 wasn't like playing gay today. Back then, it was often seen as "career suicide" for a leading man. While Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix had recently done My Own Private Idaho, they were "indie" darlings. Smith was trying to be a global blockbuster star.
- The Naked Truth: Despite the kiss refusal, Smith didn't shy away from other sexual aspects of the role. There’s a scene where he’s caught in bed with a male hustler, and another where his character has a sexual encounter in the back of a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park.
- The Psychological Toll: Smith famously used "Method acting" for the role, later claiming in his memoir Will that he actually fell in love with his co-star Stockard Channing. He got so deep into Paul's psyche that it strained his first marriage to Sheree Zampino.
- The Legacy: Many critics believe this performance is what convinced Hollywood he could lead movies like Independence Day. It showed he had range, even if he had "boundaries" that feel dated by today's standards.
Real Examples of the "Paul Poitier" Effect
The film is based on the real-life story of David Hampton, a con artist who actually did trick a bunch of elite New Yorkers in the early '80s. The brilliance of Smith’s portrayal is that he makes you want to be conned. He is so charming that you ignore the red flags.
When you watch the movie now, the "gayness" of the character isn't the shocker. The shocker is seeing Will Smith act with a vulnerability we haven't seen from him in twenty years. Before he became a "brand," he was a raw, hungry actor willing to play a "risk, a weird choice," as he told The Advocate in 1994.
📖 Related: Carrie Bradshaw apt NYC: Why Fans Still Flock to Perry Street
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Smith "hated" the role or was homophobic during production. By all accounts, he loved the character of Paul. His hesitation was purely about his public image as a Black man from a specific neighborhood in Philly. He was terrified of losing his "cool."
If you look at his son Jaden Smith’s career—specifically his role in The Get Down where he has a prominent same-sex kiss—it’s clear the family's approach to these themes has evolved. Jaden essentially did what his father was too afraid to do thirty years prior.
Actionable Insights for Film Buffs and Will Smith Fans
If you want to understand the "true" Will Smith beyond the tabloid headlines of 2026, you have to go back to this performance. Here is how to actually digest this piece of cinema history:
- Watch for the "Seduction": Pay attention to the kitchen scene where Smith first arrives. Watch his eyes. He isn't just acting; he's hunting for what these people want to hear.
- Compare it to "King Richard": Look at how he uses his physicality. In Six Degrees, he is lean, lithe, and almost feline. It’s the antithesis of the heavy, grounded characters he played later.
- Read the Play: The movie is a very faithful adaptation of John Guare's play. Reading the text helps you see where Smith added his own "Prince" flair to an otherwise very "stagey" role.
- Ignore the "Cheat": When the "kiss" scene happens, don't just laugh at the bad editing. Think about what it says about Hollywood in 1993. Even the biggest rising star was terrified of a 2-second lip lock.
Six Degrees of Separation remains a masterclass in screen presence. It proves that even when an actor is "immature" or afraid of a specific scene, they can still produce something that resonates decades later. Whether you're here for the "will smith gay film" trivia or you're a student of 90s cinema, this movie is the definitive proof that Will Smith was always more than just a rapper with a sitcom. He was an artist who, for a brief moment, wasn't afraid to be someone else entirely.