Will Smith initially refused to do the memorable Ellis Island scene in 'Hitch,' the director says

• Director Andy Tennant had creative differences with star Will Smith on the 2005 rom-com "Hitch."
• Smith rejected a scene on Ellis Island because he thought Black people didn't immigrate via the historic landmark.
• The star agreed to film after learning relatives of his producing partner, who is Black, came through Ellis Island.

Twenty years after its 2005 debut, "Hitch" has become a beloved romantic comedy thanks to the chemistry between Will Smith and Eva Mendes, as well as Kevin James' physical comedy.

But director Andy Tennant ("Sweet Home Alabama") revealed to Business Insider that the process of making the movie wasn't as warm and fuzzy as the story itself.

"It was a battle," Tennant told BI of his creative struggles with Smith on 'Hitch."

In fact, one memorable scene almost didn't happen because Smith initially refused to shoot it.

In the middle of the movie, date doctor Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Smith) goes on a date with Sara (Eva Mendes) to Ellis Island. The date goes horribly wrong after Hitch accidentally kicks Sara in the face trying to get on her Jet Ski. Things get worse when they go to Ellis Island, where Sara learns that her great-great-grandfather, who came through Ellis Island, was a murderer nicknamed the Butcher of Cádiz.

Though the sequence is a highlight of the movie, Tennant told BI that Smith at first refused to do the scene because he thought Black people didn't come through Ellis Island while immigrating to the United States. (Though the island is largely known for being a processing hub for European and Asian immigrants, Black immigrants from the Caribbean also came to the country through Ellis Island.)

"I begged him to come out to Ellis Island so I could at least pitch it," Tennant recalled.

Smith obliged, bringing along some other production people, including his producing partner and best friend James Lassiter, who is Black.

"I'm trying to save the sequence, and lo and behold, we find out that James' family came through Ellis Island," Tennant continued. "So that's why that scene is in the movie."

Reps for Smith did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Tennant said the tension between him and Smith was so high during filming that Smith walked off the movie after production wrapped without saying goodbye.

"I swear to god, when we wrapped that movie, I called my wife and said, 'I've just ruined my career, and I've ruined Will Smith's career,'" Tennant said.

That didn't turn out to be the case. The $70 million comedy had the biggest opening weekend ever for a rom-com at the time and went on to earn over $371 million worldwide.

Though he and Smith clashed creatively, Tennant said collaborating was key to the movie's success.

"The movie I wanted to make and the movie Will wanted to make, neither one of those movies is as good as the movie we made together," he said.