Comedian Paul Rodriguez had some fightin’ words for Will Smith, who he co-starred with in the 2001 film Ali and hasn’t seen since.
Rodriguez, who played Ali’s former physician Dr. Ferdie Pacheco in the movie, spoke with San Diego radio station KIOZ Friday about his gripes with the A-list actor.
“I’ve done a couple of films with him and this time we didn’t end up so good.
I’d never work with him (Will Smith) again, he was an A-hole.”
Rodriguez claims Smith’s animosity toward him came in the wake of a confrontation Smith had with the real Ferdie Pacheco on set. Pacheco was allegedly ‘drunk as a skunk’ and burst into Smith’s dressing room livid about the casting choice of Paul Rodriguez to play him and complaining that his character should have a bigger role in the film.
“He wanted Andy Garcia to play him. It escalated to the point where he started using the N-word to Will … and the police had to escort him off the set. From then on, Will never looked at me the same.”
Here’s a pic of the real Ferdie Pacheco, who may or may not be a giant dickface.
Rodriguez, who is still uncertain why Smith projected the fight onto him, claims Smith said some really offensive things to him.
“He said, ‘You’re a long way from anybody that likes you.’ I said, ‘Where’s that coming from?’
“There was no cause to insult me or berate me.”
Rodriguez inferred that Smith’s hostility may have been rooted in “the steroids he was using to beef up.” When asked by the radio host if he was in fact using steroids, he replied he didn’t “know that for a fact but basically how does a guy… go from a skinny dude to a massive guy?”
Shots fired.
[h/t ROCK1053]