Will Smith Says He Was ‘Humbled’ To Take Part In Muhammad Ali’s Funeral

Will Smith has said that he learnt a ‘valuable lesson’ yesterday and that he was 'stunned’ by the 'outpouring of love’ at boxing icon Muhammad Ali’s funeral.

The 47-year-old, who played the sports star in the biographical film, served as a pallbearer at the funeral, which took place in Louisville, Kentucky – Ali’s home town.

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The actor drove through the town with Ali’s family as well as other pallbearers such as British boxing legend Lennox Lewis.

Speaking to the folks at Entertainment Tonight, the actor said: “It’s absolutely beautiful. We did a two-hour procession through the state … the outpouring of love…”

“I learned a really valuable lesson about how the moment of the end of a life illuminates how it was lived. And every day you have to focus and concentrate on making sure you’re living your life in a way that it illuminates the things you want to be illuminated, and the things that were illuminated today were his love, and his heart, and his unconditional appreciation for all people of every race and colour.”

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“Every age was out there. It was beautiful. It was absolutely … 'celebration’ is the right word.”

“We all sat around, you know - Tyson, Lewis, and a lot of Ali’s family and me - for about an hour.

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"We all just told the stories and our memories. You know, for me, it’s just humbling to be able to be here with the family in this time of need. He lived the perfect example of how a human being is supposed to live their life. It was beautiful.”

Politicians, sporting champions and celebrities were out in force to pay tribute to the icon and civil rights activist yesterday, including former US President Bill Clinton, David Beckham and Arnold Schwarzenegger.