Celebrity / Movies

Here's a look at Willow Smith's sudden decision to quit acting, leading to her dropping out of the 'Annie' remake.

Published on September 14, 2022

Willow Smith, the famous daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, is a household name, particularly in the music industry. Willow was born in 2000, and thanks to her famous parents, she has lived a very public life ever since. The now-21-year-old is a notable TV personality, fashion figure, and civil rights crusader. While she has a reputation for being one of the world’s coolest kids, the Whip My Hair singer admitted in an interview that being a celebrity kid can be excruciatingly unpleasant.

Willow Smith hated that her career began at a young age

Like her older brother Jaden Smith, Willow Smith followed her father into acting. She first appeared in I Am Legend in 2007 and then starred in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl in 2008. Soon after, Willow transitioned into music. The “Time Machine” singer unquestionably picked up her parents’ acting and singing talents. Her single, “Whip My Hair,” released in 2010, went platinum and peaked at No.11 on the Billboard singles list.

Although “Whip My Hair” was well received, the I Am a Legend star was not pleased with its success or her father’s role in facilitating it. Willow, who was 10 at the time, felt she was so young and just wanted to be a kid. During a Red Table Talk episode in December 2018, the “21st Century Girl” singer talked to her mum about her thoughts on starting her career at a young age. Willow said, “I definitely had to forgive you and daddy for that whole ‘Whip My Hair’ thing.”

Willow quit acting after her ‘intuition’ told her to drop out of the ‘Annie’ remake

Many fans were taken aback in 2013 when Willow Smith dropped out of the highly publicized remake of Annie starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, especially since her father, Will Smith, was producing the movie. The young teen explained to Teen Vogue that she didn’t accept the part due to an “intuitive feeling” that she shouldn’t.” She said, “To be honest, something inside me was just, like, Don’t. I’m very connected with my intuition.”

Willow was originally slated to star in the picture when it was revealed in early 2011, but her part went to Quvenzhane Wallis instead, who was just 10 years old then. Wallis made history as the youngest Best Actor Oscar candidate for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Annie was first a successful stage musical before transitioning to the big screen in 1982. The movie follows an orphan as she is adopted by a wealthy businessman and sets out to discover who her birth parents are.

Willow Smith plans to retire from the spotlight soon

Growing up with famous parents can be difficult, and the “Like a Bird” singer knew that. Even though such a way of life may seem ideal to some, for Willow Smith, it can be a living nightmare. She discussed the challenges of having famous parents in an interview with Girlgaze via Vogue. 

Willow admitted to Girlgaze that she would have preferred not to grow up in the spotlight. “To be completely and utterly honest, it’s absolutely terrible,” she said. What’s more, she emphasized how dreadful it is to be a teenager trying to figure out life while everyone else seems to think they have a right to know what’s going on in your life.

Willow and her brother Jaden Smith sat down with Pharrell Williams for a joint interview with Interview Magazine in 2016 and discussed their hopes and plans for the future. The siblings said they plan to retire to the mountains in a few years and live out their days in peace, away from the prying eyes of the media.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLTEmqusoJWawW%2BvzqZmnqakmr%2B1rcinpJ6mpGTEqrjLqK5mq52ewal50K6grWWRmMGqusZmoKespZ7BqrvNZquopJRisbO7z2aYp6aZmnqzscyaop5mmKm6rXs%3D