Will Smith Recalls an "Emancipation" Costar Spitting on Him While Filming: "I Was Like, Whoa"

Will Smith's role in his new period drama, "Emancipation," has already garnered award-season buzz for the 54-year-old actor (despite his Oscars controversy), but apparently he's not the only one who gave a passionate performance in the movie. During the latest episode of "Red Table Talk," which dropped on Dec. 14, Smith shared that his costar, Steven Ogg, once "ad-libbed" in one of their scenes together and spit on him during filming.

"One of the first days on set, there is a scene with one of the actors and he leans down in my face and says, 'You a cold one, ain't you?' and then he ad-libbed," Smith recalled to his three kids — Trey, 30; Jaden, 24; and Willow, 22 — simulating a spitting motion and showing his shocked reaction. "Ahhhhhh, I was like, 'Makeup!'" he joked. "No, but . . . I was like, whoa, every actor on this set was taking it really, really seriously."

"Emancipation" is a historical film inspired by the true story of an enslaved man named Peter (Smith) who escaped a plantation during the Civil War, later becoming a living rallying point for the abolitionist cause. Of starring in the powerful flick, Smith explained on "Red Table Talk," "I've gotten more and more locked into these characters for longer periods of time. And it's just the weight of this story, the weight of these experiences — the quality of these actors. It was emotionally, it was physically, it was spiritually taxing."

Throughout the rest of the episode, Smith discussed some of his biggest revelations and how he recovered from the trauma of playing such an intense role. See the full "Red Table Talk" episode ahead.