Almost a year after the infamous Oscar slap. Chris Rock, Will Smith returned to the stage at the African American Film Critics Association Awards on Wednesday night.

The 54-year-old actor received the Beacon Award at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Smith’s appearance came hours after reports claimed Chris Rock’s new Netflix special addresses a slap.

He was joined on stage by Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua, who opened his speech by opening: “Emancipation was the hardest film of my entire career” before joking: “It’s true, it was all on the street.”

“I remember it was the second day of shooting, and it’s very difficult for the modern mind to go back to that time period. It’s hard to imagine that level of inhumanity,” Smith said.

Speech: The 54-year-old actor accepted the Beacon Award at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Will and Antoine: The 54-year-old actor accepted the Beacon Award at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

“I remember it was like 110 degrees and we’re there and I’m in a scene with one of the white actors. We had our line and the actor decided to add it,” Smith continued.

“So we’re doing a scene and I’m doing my line and he’s doing his line and then I’m going to commercial … spitting on my chest,” he said as the audience gasped.

Smith himself jokingly gasped, adding, “If I had pearls on, I’d definitely grab them,” adding that he wanted to yell at his director, Fuqua, but he stopped himself.

“I stopped and realized that Peter couldn’t have called the director,” Smith said, referring to his character known as “Whipped Peter,” whose famous flogging photo was published in 1863 and revealed the horrors of slavery.

“So I sat there, took a deep breath, and we did take 2, and the actor felt the ad went well… I do my line, he does his line, and he spits in the middle of my chest again. I was just holding on to that moment, and there was a part of me that was grateful that I actually got it, Smith said.

He then joked that he heard director Fuqua’s voice yelling, “Hey, let’s do a no-spit take,” adding, “And at that moment … I knew God was real.”

Smith then addressed his fellow black artists in the crowd, saying that they are the people who really “suffer for the art to bring these stories to the screen and convey them in a way that has an emotional impact on the telling of our stories and hopefully just a subtle opportunity to change hearts or change minds.’

He went on to thank everyone in attendance “for what you do to preserve our stories” and also thanked Apple, saying they “never flinched” as the budget kept increasing.

Ad-lib: “I remember it was 110 degrees and we’re there and I’m in a scene with one of the white actors. We had our line and the actor decided to add it,” Smith continued

“So we’re doing a scene and I’m doing my line and he’s doing his line and then I’m going to commercial … spitting on my chest,” he said as the audience gasped.

Pearls: Smith himself jokingly gasped, adding, “If I had pearls on, I’d definitely grab them,” adding that he wanted to shout out to his director Fuqua, but he stopped himself

Peter couldn’t: “I stopped and realized that Peter couldn’t call the director,” Smith said, referring to his character known as “Whipped Peter,” whose famous whipping photo was published in 1863 and revealed the horrors of slavery.

“That was the first time I heard from a studio, ‘The story is more important than what it costs to make it,'” Smith said to applause, before joking, “Then we added some more things that we wanted.”

He concluded his speech by adding, “Most of all, I want to thank my brother Antoine Fuqua. He did not compromise with one shot.”

“His heart, his mind, his desire to bring this story to all of you and the world, I was amazed that he was willing to make me go through to show this film. I appreciate all of you. “Peter changed my life,” Smith concluded.

Director Antion Fuqua also spoke on stage, starting with the importance of the award they received.

“The Beacon Award is designed to highlight films that insightfully address complex topics while also engaging audiences,” he said.

“We hoped that Emancipation would be able to embody Peter’s triumphant story, his steadfast faith and his deep love for his family,” added Fuqua.

Smith has a number of projects in development, though it’s unclear what his first post-Oscar film will be.

The first time: “It was the first time I heard from the studio, ‘The story is more important than what it costs to make it,'” Smith said to applause, before joking, “Then we added some other things that we wanted.’

Credit to Antoine: He concluded his speech by adding: “Most of all I want to thank my brother Antoine Fuqua. He did not compromise with one shot

Importance: Director Antione Fuqua also took to the stage, starting with the importance of the award they received

Our hope: “We hoped that Emancipation would be able to bring to life Peter’s triumphant story, unwavering faith and deep love for his family,” added Fuqua.