Hollywood star Will Smith has spoken about how he has learned to "trust himself and God".
Speaking with the American Christian rapper Lacrae the actor said he'd done a lot of "inward work" and realised that there could still be a great emptiness, despite fame and success.
The Men in Black star was speaking on a new podcast entitled The Deep End with Lacrae which 'dives into the hard things no one else will face'. The rapper's Christian identity is a backdrop to his interviews.
In 2022, 56-year-old Smith faced a media backlash after slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards, after he told a joke about his wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith's lack of hair. As a result, he was given a 10 year ban from attending the Oscars.
Smith told Lecrae that he had to "trust himself and God" to "let go" of things in his life that weren't serving him and believed that there was a bigger plan.
Smith said he acknowledged he had been "blessed" in his life, but said buying things had its limits.
"It is such a rare gift to reach the end of the material world...to reach the end of money where you can buy anything you want. Whereas buying things used to scratch an itch... to have had all the sex you want to have. How many more number one movies do I need, how many more Grammys? It's a rare gift to get to the end of the material world where only God is left."
"There's a corresponding place to rock bottom that I call cliff top," added Smith. "Inward is the only place left. There's no new country you can go to, no job, no new relationship you can start. It's excruciating, but I would wish that on everybody. I wish everybody could have everything they want to see that it doesn't satisfy."
Smith is not a Christian, though he has explored many religious traditions and describes his religion as 'love'. As a child, he was raised in a Christian household. In previous interviews, he has talked about his upbringing, particularly being raised Baptist.
Smith just released a new album Based on a True Story, his first full album in 20 years. Songs The Reverend and You Can Make It include music from a Sunday Service Choir.