Will Smith took the stage to accept the Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards for his role in Emancipation March 1. The moment marked his first award show show since the 2022 Oscars, where he slapped Chris Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. And while picking up the honor, Will reflected on the toll the Apple TV+ film—in which he portrays an enslaved man named Peter in the 1860s—took on him.