Will Smith is one of the best actors of his generation, having delivered numerous iconic performances across different genres.

From resonating with so many hardworking and struggling individuals with his portrayal of Christopher Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness to brilliantly documenting dramatic ten years in the life of the iconic boxer Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali, the 54-year-old has time and again shown that he is a master of his craft. After multiple Oscar nominations, he finally got his hands on the elusive prize in 2022 for his performance in King Richard.

Will Smith in a still from Ali.
Amid all these high-profile movies, fans often forget about his character Paul, who perhaps influenced Smith’s real life more than any other of his portrayals.

How Will Smith Ended Up Falling in Love With Co-star Stockard Channing

Six Degrees of Separation is the story about Paul (Will Smith), who charms his way into the house of an affluent New York City couple, Flan (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa (Stockard Channing). Paul is kicked out of the house after his identity is revealed, but the way he touches the couple’s life leaves an engrossing impact on them.
Will Smith in Six Degrees of Separation.
The movie, which was made with a budget of $15 million, bombed at the box office, but did well to highlight Smith’s acting prowess. In the plot, the couple found it hard to shake his presence, in the media, critics found it hard to ignore his performance, and in his own personal life, Smith found it hard to draw a line between his and his character’s feelings – all thanks to his method acting approach.

During an interview with Esquire in 2015, he was asked to share his thoughts on the emotionality of acting, to which he replied:
“With Six Degrees of Separation, I got a taste early of the dangers of going too far for a character. My character was in love with Stockard Channing’s character. And I actually fell in love with Stockard Channing.”
He elaborated:

“So the movie was over and I went home, and I was dying to see Stockard. I was like, “Oh no! What have I done?” That was my last experience with Method acting, where you’re reprogramming your mind.”
Smith, who was married to Sheree Zampino at the time, was spending a lot of days in character (Paul) before shooting and didn’t realize when the two separate minds merged. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star learned his lesson and after that experience, vowed to not employ the technique of method acting.

Falling in Love With Stockard Channing Affected Will Smith’s Personal Life

In 2021, an excerpt from his memoir put more light on what went off camera with Smith after he went too far with his method acting. The young actor, who had just welcomed son Trey with his then-wife, Zampino, didn’t completely get out of his character even when he was not on the set.
Stockard Channing.
He wrote in his memoir (via PEOPLE):
“Sheree and I were in the first few months of our marriage with a brand-new baby and for Sheree, I can imagine that this experience was unsettling to say the least.”
Smith’s relationship with his co-star remained professional, but he added that his wife had “married a guy named Will Smith and now she was living with a guy named Paul Poitier.”

The Bad Boys actor moved back to LA with his family after the film wrapped but his marriage was off to a rocky start, as he found himself yearning to see Channing.