Gilbert Owuor is a Kenyan-American actor who stars alongside Will Smith in the film Emancipation.
The LA-based actor is also known for his roles as Bash in Reprisal (TV series), Father Anan in Goliath (TV series), Craig in Calls (TV series), Paul Decker in No Man of God, Minus in True Blood, Ronald in The Newsroom (American TV series), among others.
Owuor recently spoke about ‘Emancipation‘, revealing what it’s like to work with Will Smith.
“I have been fortunate to work with many artists who I greatly admire. The list includes Billy Bob Thornton, Marsha Gay Harden, Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgård, Elijah Wood and Rosario Dawson. Through these experiences, I gradually learnt to set aside any preconceived ideas I had, so that I could work effectively with them,” he said in an interview with the Nation.
Owuor added: “I also learnt that the best artists leave their celebrityhood at the door and interact with you as an equal, making everything about the work. This was certainly the case with Will Smith. In fact, and this may sound very strange, it never felt like I was even working with Will Smith. He was so immersed in his role that you would be interacting with him as the character most of the time. I remember a moment where some extras asked him for some advice, and he dropped out of character for a few minutes to impart wisdom. We had been shooting for several days already, yet my mind still went, “Oh wow, that’s Will Smith!”
