Donald Glover is taking on Brad Pitt’s iconic role as John Smith in a new series adaptation of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and he wasn’t afraid to ask the Hollywood veteran for advice.
Glover, 40, said on Wednesday, January 31, that he “reached out to Brad” for tips on the new series while speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the show’s New York City premiere. The actor — who also created and starred in the Emmy-winning FX show Atlanta — cocreated the series with Francesca Sloane. Also titled Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the Prime Video show follows the same basic premise as the 2005 movie, which starred Pitt, 60, and his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
“He just Brad Pitt-ed his way out of it,” Glover said of his request for Pitt’s advice. “I was like, ‘I just need some tips,’ and [Brad] just charmed his way out of it. He was like, ‘Oh, you’ll do great, kid.’ That kind of thing.” While Pitt was initially evasive, Glover noted that the movie star “was very, very sweet and nice” during their chat.
“I just wanted to get a good understanding,” Glover continued. “It was great. He gave me good advice.”
Pitt and Jolie — who were married for five years and share six children — met while filming the movie, and their high-profile romance only enhanced the film’s popularity.
While the movie follows a husband and wife who are unaware of each other’s occupations as assassins, the new show chronicles the adventures of two strangers who adopt new identities as a married couple as part of their jobs at a spy agency. The series also stars Maya Erskine as Jane Smith, with Parker Posey, Paul Dano, Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Sarah Paulson, Wagner Moura, Michaela Coel, John Turturro and Ron Perlman stepping into supporting roles. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was originally supposed to play Jane, but the actress exited the project in September 2021 due to creative differences.
While Glover isn’t usually a fan of remakes, the romantic nature of the project inspired him to work on the new adaptation.
“Once I saw the original, I was like, ‘This is a good date movie,’” Glover told ET. “And I was like, ‘Maybe I could make a good date show out of it?’ … You know, something me and my wife could watch together.”
Glover’s longtime partner, Michelle White, attended the show’s premiere alongside him. Admitting White hadn’t seen the show yet, Glover said he’d planned a post-premiere surprise for her.
“I’m leaving halfway through,” he said. “When she gets home, there’s, like, flowers and stuff. [I’m] buttering her up for the fact that a lot of [the show] was actually inspired by me and Maya’s marriages.”
Mr. & Mrs. Smith premieres on Prime Video Friday, February 2.
