Will Smith: We Are Talking About Race in This Country More Clearly Than Ever Before

Will Smith is hopeful about the state of American society in the final months of the Obama administration, even with the looming awful possibility of a Trump presidency. Smith, who slammed the GOP nominee this week over his remarks on women, isn't buying the Republican message that America has gotten worse, particularly when it comes to race relations.

"I always look at these things in terms of a marriage," Smith said. "So, I've done my 10,000 hours of marriage counseling. So, Jada [Pinkett Smith] and I have worked really hard to develop a successful relationship. I always look at things in terms of relationships," he told "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert, when asked what he thinks of the current racial tension in this country.

"There's a thing that happens before things are cleaned up. There's a darkness before the dawn that is always difficult," Smith said.

The crowd applauded.

"When I hear people say, 'it's worse than it's ever been,' I really disagree completely," Smith explained, adding, "It's clearly not worse than it was in the '60s. And it's certainly not as bad as it was in the 1860s. ... We are talking about race in this country more clearly and openly than we have almost ever in the history of this country. It's on the table," Smith told Colbert. 

Another huge difference? Technology.

"Racism is not getting worse; it's getting filmed," Smith pointed out. 

"The revolution may not be televised, but it's being tweeted," Colbert offered. 

"It's being tweeted for sure," agreed Smith.

"I really think this darkness, as bad as it is and as difficult as it is, the problems are on the table, you know," Smith continued. "So I view that in the same way as Jada and I had to work through things in our marriage. And I think there's an opportunity more than ever for a level of understanding that we've never had before. "

"That's a very hopeful way of looking at it," Colbert responded.

As for Smith playing Obama in a soon-to-be-classic but as-yet-hypothetical film? Smith and the president discussed it, but Jada said, "Hell, no."

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