Naomie Harris ´Tormented´ By Will Smith On Collateral Beauty

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Wed Nov 30, 2016 01:16AM

Will Smith constantly teased Naomie Harris about cutting her from the final edit of Collateral Beauty after she shared a tale about her first nightmare movie shoot.

The Skyfall star was once replaced without notice in one of her earliest stints as an actress, and after making the confession to Will, he decided to use the information to jokingly "torment" her as they filmed their new drama.

"In one of the first movies that I´d ever done, I turned up at a premiere and I´d been replaced by another actress in the movie," she recalled on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America. "I stupidly told Will this story, and so in between takes, he would say to me, ´Act away Naomie, but you´re gonna be replaced. You´re gonna turn up at the cinema, and it´s gonna be (co-star) Keira Knightley playing your role!´ That was my life on set with Will!"

"It was a nightmare, it was a real nightmare!" the Brit joked, before likening the Suicide Squad actor to a big brother, adding: "He loves to torment me, it´s great."

Collateral Beauty also stars Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, and Michael Pena, and follows a top New York advertising executive whose employees hatch an unconventional plan to lift him out of a deep depression following a tragedy.

Smith´s leading role had initially been pitched to Hugh Jackman, but the Australian actor had to bow out of the project last year (15) due to scheduling conflicts. Johnny Depp was then considered for the job, before Will entered the frame in August, 2015.

It wasn´t the movie´s only shake up - Knightley replaced original female lead Rooney Mara, while David Frankel replaced Alfonso Gomez-Rejon as director just two months after Will was cast.

Collateral Beauty is set for release from 15 December (16).