They make an adorable acting duo, but Jaden Smith was keen to keep his cool as his dad Will Smith kissed him on Tuesday night. Starring in M Night Shyamalan's fururistic science thriller After Earth, the pair attended a launch party for the party in Cancun, where Will decided to give his son, 14, a peck on the cheek. The fatherly affection brought a mixed reaction from teen star Jaden, who seemed mildly embarrassed in front of the cameras.
Jaden didn't stay embarrassed for long, however, and he kept his cool and walked down the red carpet with his beloved dad. Although his gestures may go unappreciated, Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith praised her husband's parenting efforts. "There are some men who feel like, 'Listen, I take care of the house and the home. That's all I need to do’," said Jada. "What makes Will the best father in the world to me is that he's there, not just there in a way that's traditional. The emotional support he offers his children is immeasurable." Opting for a more unique parenting style, Will and Jada have said that they don’t believe in punshing Jaden and his sister Willow, 12. "We don’t do punishment," said I Am Legend star Will. "The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives. Our concept is, as young as possible, give them as much control over their lives as possible and the concept of punishment, our experience has been—it has a little too much of a negative quality. "So when they do things—and you know, Jaden, he's done things—you can do anything you want as long as you can explain to me why that was the right thing to do for your life." Respectful of his parents, Jaden admits that their method "works pretty well".
"Other teenagers go to parties and sometimes I be like, 'Why am I here right now?' And most of the time, I just leave right then and there," revealed the star. "Some things I don't like to do, that other teenagers do. Everyone thinks that since you make movies, you go to parties, and I like to party, but not normal teenage parties." Starring with his father in The Pursuit Of Happyness when he was seven, Jaden has led an impressive acting career to date. Portraying Dre Parker in a remake of The Karate Kid when he was 12, the star has also featured in Justin Bieber’s documentary Never Say Never. Will and Jaden's latest feature also explores the unique bond between a father and son. After Earth sees the pair explore family difficulties in a thousand years time as they fight to be reunited.
