LOS ANGELES — Nominated twice before for best actor (for “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness”), Will Smith appears a lock to win his first Academy Award.

Smith’s performance as Richard Williams, father to Venus and Serena, in “King Richard” has remained the most likely choice throughout the season. And the speech by the exuberant 53-year-old star should be one of the most lively of the night.

A win, though, will have to come over some formidable competition — including the actor who bested Smith’s “Ali” performance 20 years ago: Denzel Washington, a winner then for “Training Day” and a threat this time for “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”

Smith’s already scored top acting honors at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics Choice Awards and British Academy of Film and TV Awards, and was recognized with an Image Award from the NAACP.

But he told WABC’s Sandy Kenyon that even with this momentum, he’s not setting any expectations for the Oscars.

“I’m not even thinking about it like that … It always sounds like actors trying to be humble saying, ‘Well, you know, I don’t think about awards in that way. I’m about the work. I stay focused on the work,'” he said. “It’s not that.”

His focus is instead on the power of “King Richard’s” ensemble and story of the Williams family.

“I’m finding myself with the attention being on the hearts and the experience the people around me rather than where or not my name gets called,” Smith said.

The 94th Academy Awards will return to their usual home, Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, and be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.