Director Barry Sonnenfeld recently recounted a hilarious behind-the-scenes moment during the filming of the iconic 1997 sci-fi comedy Men in Black. In a candid interview, Sonnenfeld shared how a particularly powerful fart from star Will Smith caused a three-hour pause on set, leaving cast and crew in fits of laughter—and scrambling for fresh air.
While shooting a scene with co-star Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith accidentally let out what Sonnenfeld referred to as a "nuclear fart," forcing an unexpected evacuation. The chaos started when the director gave the command to "Roll camera," only to be interrupted by Smith's apologetic exclamation, “Oh Jesus, so sorry. Tommy, so sorry. Baz, get the ladder.” In typical deadpan fashion, Tommy Lee Jones responded, “That’s fine, Will. No worries, Will. Don’t worry, Will.”
Sonnenfeld humorously described how Jones quickly made his exit, removing himself from the set as the ladder was brought over. “Tommy reaches his leg out as the ladder is coming over [and] races down the stairs,” Sonnenfeld said. The rest of the crew, too, had to clear the area as they waited for the atmosphere to settle.
The incident has since become a memorable piece of trivia from the production of Men in Black. Sonnenfeld summed it up in his own unique way, saying, “What happened was [that] Will Smith is a farter. It’s just some people are.”
Despite the laughter and the unexpected pause in filming, Smith’s fart became an unforgettable story that the cast and crew could look back on with amusement. It’s not every day that a blockbuster film comes to a standstill due to a star’s gastrointestinal mishap, but in true Will Smith fashion, even an on-set fart became the stuff of Hollywood legend.