Chris Rock Reveals What It Would Take to Return to the Oscars After the Will Smith Slap

Chris Rock has spent years trying to move past one of the biggest moments of his career, but the Oscars still seem to follow him wherever he goes. The comedian has talked about the infamous 2022 incident many times, mostly through his stand-up, but his latest comments sound very different. In a new interview with Variety, Rock opened up about the possibility of returning to the Academy Awards while making it clear that he would rather focus on his new movie, Misty Green.

Rock’s interview comes as he prepares to return to directing for the first time in more than a decade. Misty Green stars Rosalind Eleazar as a former actress who is dealing with the reality of no longer being the star she once was. The movie is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, making it an important new chapter for Rock as a filmmaker. Instead of simply returning to comedy, he is stepping back into the director’s chair with a dramatic story that puts another actor at the center.

Naturally, Variety asked Rock about the Oscars incident. Four years later, the subject still comes up whenever he gives a major interview, even when he is promoting something completely different. This time, however, Rock did not seem interested in turning the conversation into another long discussion about what happened. His response was much more tired and reflective than some of his earlier comments.

“Hey, man. You know, to answer your question a little bit, I wish nothing would have happened,” Rock told Variety. He then quickly shifted the conversation back toward Eleazar and the work she has done in Misty Green. Rock made it clear that he does not want the controversy surrounding him to take attention away from his new film or its leading actress.

“And also, I don’t want to say anything that takes any attention away from Rosalind and how good she is in this movie,” he added. Rock then explained why he has a different view of the situation now, pointing out that there are much bigger problems in the world. “It’s a crazy world. We walk by homeless people. There’s all sorts of shit going on right now. Me having a bad day is not the biggest — it’s not that important.”

That attitude is a big change from the way Rock handled the situation in the years immediately after it happened. He used the incident as material for his comedy, especially in his 2023 Netflix special Selective Outrage. At the time, Rock spoke about the situation in a much more direct and angry way. Now, his comments suggest that he may simply be tired of giving the moment more attention than he thinks it deserves.

Still, Rock has not completely closed the door on the Oscars. According to the Variety interview, he discussed what would need to happen for him to consider returning to the ceremony. That is interesting because Rock has stayed away from the Academy Awards since the incident, making any possible return a major talking point for fans and Hollywood.

Whether that return actually happens remains unknown. Rock does not appear eager to make the Oscars the center of his career again, especially when he has a new movie that he clearly wants people to see. His decision to focus attention on Misty Green shows that he has other things he wants audiences to talk about.

The film itself is a major project for Rock. It is his first time directing a feature in more than twelve years, so the movie gives him a chance to show a different side of his work. Eleazar leads the cast, and the story follows a former actress as she faces the difficult reality of trying to understand who she is after her time in the spotlight. That subject also gives the movie an interesting connection to the world of fame that Rock knows so well.

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