Gettin' Jiggy with Holiday Giving at Will Smith's Dallas Premiere

By Patrick Michels Wed., Nov. 19 2008 at 9:51 AM

Categories: Film

Patrick Michels

Will Smith pulls off the jersey and tie almost as heroically as Mayor Tom Leppert.

Will Smith is all about good deeds these days, so if you wanted to catch the Dallas premiere of his new feel-good thriller Seven Pounds, you had to come with cans. Which was was cool with hundreds of fans, who began lining up outside the Cinemark 17 theaters before noon Tuesday, toting canned food donations for the North Texas Food Bank.

The Fresh Prince (Big Willie, if you prefer) took to the stage a little after 7, announcing he’d contributed 300 turkeys to the cause. As great as that photo op could’ve been, Smith’s entourage for the night was strictly human. His grab bag of friends for the night included food bank director Jan Pruitt, City Council member Pauline Medrano and a Tom Hicks hospitality crew of Stars Sean Avery, Marty Turco and Brenden Morrow and Rangers third baseman Travis Metcalf.

Smith planted a big kiss on Pruitt -- “That’s my tabloid shot,” he told the crowd as she backed off, embarrassed -- and even put on a Stars jersey over his shirt and tie (gotta think Mayor Tom’s just a little bit jealous).

Then Smith got deep with the crowd, asking everyone out there -- the kids who skipped school to wait in line, the photo crews throwing elbows along the rope line, and the girls balanced high on metal barricades -- to find someone else in the crowd and think of a way to help them out.

“Make someone’s life better,” Smith said. “I made a decision that I didn’t want to do anything, or be a part of anything, that doesn’t make the world a better place.”

Couldn’t agree more. We’ll start by sending our commemorative set of Bagger Vance clubs to someone who really needs them.

For more photos from the night, check out our slide show here. --Patrick Michels

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