The crowd fell silent as the car stopped .
The people surged forward to touch the flower - strewn hearse and the hand of Hollywood actor Will Smith , one of Ali 's pallbearers who played him in the 2001 film biopic .
The crowd fell silent as the car stopped and the people surged forward to touch the flower - strewn hearse and the hand of Hollywood actor Will Smith , one of Ali 's pallbearers who played him in the 2001 film biopic .