There are few movie dogs who have moved people like Abbey, the canine actor who co-starred with Will Smith in the hit film I Am Legend.
Recently, the Oscar-winner shared a heartwarming tribute to his old co-star 
The film, released in 2007, features Smith as seemingly the last human survivor of an apocalyptic virus which has turned many humans into cannibalistic mutants.
His only companion is his German Shepherd Sam, played by an animal actor named Abbey. The on-screen friendship between man and dog is one of the most memorable parts of the film — and one especially hearttugging scene left many audience members in tears.
Will Smith: “I love that dog”
The relationship between Smith and Abbey was just as strong off-screen. Smith said that his co-star helped him overcome his longtime fear of animal attachment.
“When I was little, I was probably 9, and I had a dog that got hit by a car,” Smith told Access Hollywood in 2007. “So I was like, ‘That’s it! I’m not doing it. I’m not doing that whole, fall in love with dogs thing no more.’”
Smith said he “loves that dog” and even asked Abbey’s trainer if he could take her home for good once shooting wrapped up, although he was denied.
“I was begging him,” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Please let me have Abbey. Please, please, please let me have her.’ But you know, she has her own family now so it was just another one of those fleeting Hollywood romances.”
“I didn’t want to see that end badly – you know how a lot of these stars fall in love with their co-stars, and then once they move on to the next picture, they’re off and running,” Abbey’s trainer Steve Berens told LAD Bible.
Even so, he said that Smith took his animal co-star more seriously than many actors do, and that their chemistry is apparent on screen.
“He was a fabulous guy to work with,” he said. “I think that she really liked him, and that made a difference. I think that’s one thing in the film I was very happy with, and very proud of – the relationship was really solid.”
Tribute to Abbey
While Smith didn’t get to adopt Abbey, he never forgot his beloved co-star — and last week, in honor of National Pet Day, he shared a sweet tribute to Abbey on Instagram, calling her “the goodness girl.”
The video consists of footage from the movie as well as photos and clips of Smith and Abbey behind the scenes and on the red carpet.
People were moved by the video, which brought back memories of the heartbreaking film and Abbey’s incredible performance.
“That dog had the most amazing expressions I’ve ever seen,” one comment reads. “That dog was ACTING! And yes I, along with everyone else, cried ugly tears when she died.”
“The last time I cried at a movie was when Samantha died,” another wrote.
“The times I have cried watching this movie! The first time I saw it I was with my dog, and let me tell you I know we both cried.”
Where is Abbey now?
While many audience members are still traumatized by Sam’s death in I Am Legend, they can be consoled by the fact that in real life, Abbey had a good long life.
In 2018, Steve Berens confirmed that more than a decade after her big Hollywood break, she was still living with him and going strong at 13. She appeared in a few more roles before retiring.
“She’s older now and she doesn’t hear hardly anything,” he told LADBible. “But she’s still kicking, she still likes a ball and likes a bone.”
It’s not clear if Abbey is alive today. There were some reports that she was still alive in 2022, citing the official I Am Legend social media account. If she’s still alive in 2024, she would be at least 18, far surpassing the life expectancy of her breed.
Either way, there’s no doubt Abbey lived a long and happy life, and her remarkable performance in I Am Legend continues to move people to this day.
A sequel to I Am Legend, with Smith returning opposite Michael B. Jordan, is reportedly in the works — no word on if the script involves another adorable pet who will break our hearts all over again.
