EXCLUSIVE: Will Smith Says Daughter Willow Can 'Handle Herself' When it Comes to Dating

Will Smith's daughter, Willow Smith, turned 16 in October, and with the milestone birthday came a drivers' license and even interested suitors.

The actor walked the red carpet at the New York City premiere of his new drama Collateral Beauty on Monday, and spoke with ET's Nichelle Turner about how Willow "can handle herself" when it comes to young men looking to spark a romance.

"They knock on the door and the first couple of questions that Willow asks sort of shuts it down," Will, 48, shared with a laugh, adding that his daughter gets her tough edge from her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith.

"The Smith ladies are a lot," the actor joked.

WATCH: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Support Son Jaden, Turn EMA Awards Red Carpet Into a Family Affair

Last week, Willow and Jada snapped a chic pic together dressed to the nines as they headed out to Chanel's annual Metiers d'Art collection, where Willow performed. Jada captioned the stylish snapshot, "Mommie Daughter night in Paris."

Her proud father had nothing but praise for his little girl, whose unique fashion sense and avant-garde style has already helped her find a footing in the fashion world and the music industry.

"She loves self-expression, you know. She’s so confident in who she is and what she wants to be and where she's going," Will marveled. "It's just amazing to see that inner energy come out… I'm very proud of her."

WATCH: Jada Pinkett Smith Shares Pic of Chic 'Date Night' With Daughter Willow at Star-Studded Chanel Show

In Collateral Beauty, the Oscar-nominated star plays a man grieving after the death of his young daughter. In real life, the actor's father was diagnosed with cancer not long after he began preparing for the film, which he said was a "beautiful confluence of life and art."

"During the time that I was preparing the character my father was diagnosed," Will shared. "So here I'm playing a character who's studying everything about loss and world religion and all of that, and I was able to share that with my father and we were able to work through the process."

Recently, the Suicide Squad star sat down for a Facebook Live session at the company's headquarters, where he opened up about losing his father to cancer after shooting the film, and how his role as a man in mourning helped him cope with his real-life loss, calling it "the magical work of the universe." Check out the video below to hear more.

Collateral Beauty is in theaters Dec. 16.

Will Smith Says Filming 'Collateral Beauty' While His Father Was Dying Was 'Deeply Personal'

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