Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in publicity portrait for the film 'Men In Black II', 2002.
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2005
Hollywood, California, USA
Hosts Will and Jada Pinkett Smith speak onstage at the BET Awards 05 at the Kodak Theatre on June 28, 2005, in Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2007
Los Angeles, California, USA
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2013
3934 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403, USA
Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Trey Smith attend the "After Earth" premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on May 29, 2013 in New York City.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Los Angeles, California, USA
Actors Will Smith, son Jaden Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith pose at the after-party for the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Focus" at the W Hotel on February 24, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Hollywood, California, USA
Actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Los Angeles World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures 'Focus' at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015, in Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Jada Pinkett-Smith (L) and Will Smith pose backstage at "Black Girls Rock!" BET Special at NJPAC Prudential Hall on March 28, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Actor Will Smith (R) presents his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith with the Star Power award onstage during 2015 'Black Girls Rock!' BET Special at NJ Performing Arts Center on March 28, 2015, in Newark, New Jersey.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Santa Monica, California, USA
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 2nd Annual Diamond Ball hosted by Rihanna and The Clara Lionel Foundation at The Barker Hanger on December 10, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2015
Santa Monica, California, USA
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and actor Will Smith attend The Diamond Ball II with D'USSE and Armand de Brignac at The Barker Hanger on December 10, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
Beverly Hills, California, USA
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016, in Pasadena, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
Actors Will Smith (R) and Jada Pinkett Smith
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
Actors Will Smith (L) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Pasadena, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
Washington, DC., USA
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on April 30, 2016, in Washington, DC.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
Cloth Fair, Barbican, London EC1A 7JQ, UK
Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith attend the VH1 "Dear Mama" taping at St. Bartholomew's Church on May 3, 2016, in New York City.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
Cloth Fair, Barbican, London EC1A 7JQ, UK
Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith attend the VH1 "Dear Mama" taping at St. Bartholomew's Church on May 3, 2016, in New York City.
Gallery of Will Smith
2016
Burbank, California, USA
(L-R) Actors Trey Smith and Jaden Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, singer Willow Smith and actor Will Smith attend the Environmental Media Association 26th Annual EMA Awards Presented By Toyota, Lexus And Calvert at Warner Bros. Studios on October 22, 2016, in Burbank, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2017
Westwood, California, USA
Will Smith and Jaden Smith attend the Premiere Of Netflix's "Bright" at Regency Village Theatre on December 13, 2017, in Westwood, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
2019
Los Angeles, California, USA
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the premiere of Disney's "Aladdin" at El Capitan Theatre on May 21, 2019, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Will Smith
165 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023, United States
Will Smith arrives at the "Enemy of the State" film premiere at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York City November 18, 1999. (Photo by Diane Freed)
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Will Smith
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Via Vittorio Veneto, 125, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
Will Smith attends the 'Pursuit Of Happyness' photocall at the Hotel Excelsior on January 11, 2007 in Rome, Italy. (Photo Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
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Photo of Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Plaza de Isabel II, s/n, 28013 Madrid, Spain
Will Smith attends "Seven Pounds" photocall at Teatro Real on January 13, 2009, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
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6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Will Smith arrives at the Los Angeles World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures 'Focus' at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
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4200 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States
Will Smith attends Variety's Creative Impact Awards and 10 Directors To Watch Brunch at the Parker Palm Springs on January 3, 2016 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images,)
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Actor Will Smith at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International.
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Smith hosting the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting.
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Smith at the Emmy Awards in 1993.
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Smith performed the soccer 2018 World Cup's official song "Live It Up".
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Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow.
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Will Smith
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Hollywood, California, USA
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and actor Will Smith attend The 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons Restaurant, February 29, 2004, in Hollywood, California.
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Married actors Jada Pinkett and Will Smith.
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Rap artist Will Smith.
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Will Smith as William 'Will' Smith
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Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones aiming their weapons towards the sky in a scene from the film 'Men In Black', 1997.
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Martin Lawrence and Will Smith yelling at each other while holding machine guns to defend themselves in a scene from the film 'Bad Boys', 1995.
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Achievements
Membership
Awards
American Music Awards
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Will Smith at the American Music Awards displaying his two awards, one for 'Favorite Male Artist' and the other for 'Favorite Soundtrack' (for director Barry Sonnenfeld's film, 'Wild Wild West,' in which Smith also starred), Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Fotos International/Getty Images)
Grammy Awards
1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Will Smith holding his award in Press Room at Grammy Awards. (Photo by Marion Curtis/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)
MTV Video Music Awards
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
Will Smith attends the 15th Annual MTV Video Music Awards on September 10, 1998 at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)
World Music Awards
Monte Carlo, Monaco
The "1999 World Music Awards" in Monte Carlo, Monaco in May, 1999 - Will Smith. (Photo by Pool BENAINOUS/SCORCELLETTI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Hollywood Film Awards
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Will Smith, winner of the Hollywood Actor Award for 'Concussion', attends the 19th Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 1, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/HFA2015/Getty Images for dcp)
MTV Movie Awards
461 S California St, Burbank, CA 91505, United States
Will Smith accepts the MTV Generation Award onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California. MTV Movie Awards airs April 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
NAACP Image Awards
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Will Smith accept the Outstanding Actor In A Motion Picture Award for "Seven Pounds" during the 40th NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on February 12, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP)
Teen Choice Awards
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
Will Smith accepts the Choice Movie award for 'I Am Legend' onstage during the 2008 Teen Choice Awards at Gibson Amphitheater on August 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by K Winter/TCA 2008/Getty Images for Fox)
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
3021 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, United States
Will Smith accepts the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award.
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.
Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Trey Smith attend the "After Earth" premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on May 29, 2013 in New York City.
Actors Will Smith, son Jaden Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith pose at the after-party for the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Focus" at the W Hotel on February 24, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Los Angeles World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures 'Focus' at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015, in Hollywood, California.
Jada Pinkett-Smith (L) and Will Smith pose backstage at "Black Girls Rock!" BET Special at NJPAC Prudential Hall on March 28, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey.
Actor Will Smith (R) presents his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith with the Star Power award onstage during 2015 'Black Girls Rock!' BET Special at NJ Performing Arts Center on March 28, 2015, in Newark, New Jersey.
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 2nd Annual Diamond Ball hosted by Rihanna and The Clara Lionel Foundation at The Barker Hanger on December 10, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and actor Will Smith attend The Diamond Ball II with D'USSE and Armand de Brignac at The Barker Hanger on December 10, 2015, in Santa Monica, California.
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.
Actor Will Smith (L) and actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016, in Pasadena, California.
Actors Will Smith (L) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Pasadena, California.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith attend the VH1 "Dear Mama" taping at St. Bartholomew's Church on May 3, 2016, in New York City.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith attend the VH1 "Dear Mama" taping at St. Bartholomew's Church on May 3, 2016, in New York City.
(L-R) Actors Trey Smith and Jaden Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, singer Willow Smith and actor Will Smith attend the Environmental Media Association 26th Annual EMA Awards Presented By Toyota, Lexus And Calvert at Warner Bros. Studios on October 22, 2016, in Burbank, California.
1 TIAA Bank Field Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202, United States
Will Smith presents Alicia Keys during the XXXIX Superbowl pregame show at Alltel Stadium on February 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
Will Smith attends the 'Pursuit Of Happyness' photocall at the Hotel Excelsior on January 11, 2007 in Rome, Italy. (Photo Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Will Smith arrives at the Los Angeles World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures 'Focus' at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
4200 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States
Will Smith attends Variety's Creative Impact Awards and 10 Directors To Watch Brunch at the Parker Palm Springs on January 3, 2016 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images,)
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Will Smith at the American Music Awards displaying his two awards, one for 'Favorite Male Artist' and the other for 'Favorite Soundtrack' (for director Barry Sonnenfeld's film, 'Wild Wild West,' in which Smith also starred), Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Fotos International/Getty Images)
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
Will Smith attends the 15th Annual MTV Video Music Awards on September 10, 1998 at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Will Smith, winner of the Hollywood Actor Award for 'Concussion', attends the 19th Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 1, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/HFA2015/Getty Images for dcp)
461 S California St, Burbank, CA 91505, United States
Will Smith accepts the MTV Generation Award onstage during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California. MTV Movie Awards airs April 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Will Smith accept the Outstanding Actor In A Motion Picture Award for "Seven Pounds" during the 40th NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on February 12, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP)
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
Will Smith accepts the Choice Movie award for 'I Am Legend' onstage during the 2008 Teen Choice Awards at Gibson Amphitheater on August 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by K Winter/TCA 2008/Getty Images for Fox)
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and actor Will Smith attend The 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons Restaurant, February 29, 2004, in Hollywood, California.
(When compassionate Manhattan art dealers Stockard Channin...)
When compassionate Manhattan art dealers Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland take in a young man (Will Smith) who has been stabbed in Central Park, their world turns amusingly upside down.
(On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent in...)
On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. First thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species who have set out to launch an attack throughout the globe.
(A sci-fi adventure comedy about two top secret agents (To...)
A sci-fi adventure comedy about two top secret agents (Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith) with the everyday mission of policing alien activities on planet Earth. The Men in Black's current assignment: to stop an intergalactic terrorist from making Earth his next victim.
(An attorney finds his life threatened when he becomes the...)
An attorney finds his life threatened when he becomes the target of the NSA's surveillance apparatus. Stripped of his identity, he learns to fight back using the technology that the NSA is using against him
(Something happened near the town of Rosewell. This event ...)
Something happened near the town of Rosewell. This event came to be known as the Rosewell incident. The town has since become synonymous with flying saucers crashes, alien visitation, government cover-up, or what many say, a jump to conclusions and a gross distortion of facts.
(A disillusioned war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah (Matt D...)
A disillusioned war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah (Matt Damon), reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. He finds the game futile until his caddy, Bagger Vance (Will Smith), teaches him the secret of the authentic golf stroke which turns out also to be the secret to mastering any challenge and finding meaning in life.
(Will Smith puts on the gloves and steps between the ropes...)
Will Smith puts on the gloves and steps between the ropes as "Ali, " arguably the most facinating personality in sports history in this biopic from Academy Award nominated director Michael Mann.
(Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are back in black as the s...)
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are back in black as the scum-fighting super-agents Kay and Jay - regulators of all things alien on planet earth. Their latest mission: to save the world from a total intergalactic disaster!
(The action and comedy never stop when superstars Martin L...)
The action and comedy never stop when superstars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite as out-of-control trash-talking buddy cops. Bullets fly, cars crash, and laughs explode as they pursue a whacked-out drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba.
(New York "date doctor" Alex Hitchens (Will Smith) tries t...)
New York "date doctor" Alex Hitchens (Will Smith) tries to charm gossip columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes) at the same time he is coaching shy Albert (Kevin James) on how to win the love of beautiful heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta).
(Will Smith stars in this moving tale inspired by the true...)
Will Smith stars in this moving tale inspired by the true story about a struggling single father who dreams of a better life for his young son. Finding themselves homeless, he risks everything by embarking on an unpaid internship in a highly competitive stockbroker training program where only one in twenty interns make the grade.
(Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he coul...)
Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable. Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of the world.
(Academy Award nominee Will Smith (Best Actor, The Pursuit...)
Academy Award nominee Will Smith (Best Actor, The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006) stars in this action-packed comedy as Hancock, a sarcastic, hard-living and misunderstood superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public.
(Will Smith stars in this drama, re-teaming with the direc...)
Will Smith stars in this drama, re-teaming with the director and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for the emotional story of a man who will change the lives of seven strangers.
(Will Smith stars as Nicky, a seasoned master of misdirect...)
Will Smith stars as Nicky, a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess (Margot Robbie) as he's teaching her the tricks of the trade.
(A man reaches out to the universe after a tragedy. Receiv...)
A man reaches out to the universe after a tragedy. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.
(Will moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh ...)
Will moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to live with his Uncle Philip, Aunt Vivian, his cousins- spoiled Hilary, preppy Carlton and young Ashley- and their sophisticated British butler, Geoffrey. Though Will's antics and upbringing contrast greatly with the upper-class lifestyle of his extended relatives, he soon finds himself right at home as a loved part of the family.
Willard Carroll "Will" Smith, II is an American actor, comedian, producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. He is well-known for his roles in Men in Black, Independence Day, Hitch, Bad Boys, Ali and I Am Legend.
Background
Ethnicity:
Smith is of both African American and Native American heritage.
Willard Carroll "Will" Smith, II was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Caroline (Bright), a Philadelphia school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith I, United States Air Force veteran and refrigeration engineer. He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood. He has three siblings, sister Pamela, who is four years older, and twins Harry and Ellen, who are three years younger. His parents separated when he was 13, but did not actually divorce until around 2000.
Education
Smith attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia and Overbrook High School. It has been stated that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). However, he never applied. Smith was a good student with high SAT scores and was admitted to a “pre-engineering program” at MIT. Smith has reported that he never had intentions of attending college.
Smith met Jeff Townes at age 16, the duo launched a highly successful rap career as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. As teens, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince began producing music but steered clear of the gangsta rap sound that was emerging from the West Coast by groups like N.W.A. The Fresh Prince rapped about teenage preoccupations in a clean, curse-free style that middle America found safe and entertaining. The pair's first single, Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble, was a hit in 1986. Their 1987 debut album, Rock the House, hit the Billboard Top 200 and made Smith a millionaire before the age of 18. The early success put any thoughts of attending college out of Smith's mind.
In 1988 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince continued their success with the album He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper. Featuring the radio-friendly singles Parents Just Don't Understand, Brand New Funk, and Nightmare on My Street, the album won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. It was followed in 1989 by And In This Corner..., which continued the pair's rise to stardom.
Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990. Spending his time around wealth and popularity had made Smith got bored and tried to find something new and challenging. The answer came to him when he met Benny Medina, who had an idea to produce a sitcom based on his life in Beverly Hills. The smart idea resulted in the 6 years lasted series of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, aired by NBC in 1990 and which plot was simple with Smith basically played himself; a street-smart West Philly kid transplanted to Beverly Hills. Playing on his rapper persona, and at times featuring his friend Towne, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a huge success that ran for six seasons.
Meanwhile, Smith and Towne continued producing music, their 1991 album Homebase producing the hits Summertime and Ring My Bell. Their final album together, 1993's Code Red, was notable for Boom! Shake the Room.
While still making The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith began a second crossover into movies. Small roles in the drama Where The Day Takes You (1992) and the comedy Made In America (1993).
Since then Smith tried to explore his acting ability playing in some movies until the movie critics recognized his performance through a 1993 critically acclaimed film based on the John Guare play Six Degrees of Separation, which explores the premise that everyone in the world is connected to one another by a chain of only 6 acquaintances. Holding his own alongside Donald Sutherland, Stockard Channing and Ian McKellen, Smith played a street-wise gay hustler who cons his way through elite circles.
Smith's first steps into superstardom came with his next film, Bad Boys (1995). The high-budget cop movie saw him team up with comic Martin Lawrence, breaking away from the black-cop-white-cop formula that had been so successful for Beverly Hills Cop and the Lethal Weapon series. The two black leads proved an instant success and Smith - playing the smooth lady killer to Lawrence's clown - was established as leading man material.
Smith’s big jump from television to film came with his role in the 1996 film Independence Day. The movie was a huge blockbuster. Independence Day was the second highest grossing film in history at the time and established Smith’s reputation as a box office draw. He played an Air Force pilot leading the counterattack against invading alien forces, and his comedic talents effortlessly transformed into the pithy one-liners all action heroes need to be able to drop while dispatching their enemies.
Smith went on to play in a 1997 science fiction comedy action film Men in Black directed by Barry Sonnenfeld where he played as NYPD officer who becomes a part MiB holding its first major mission and continued taking part in its sequel entitled Men in Black II released in 2002. Playing opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Smith also rapped the theme song, and its inclusion on his 1997 solo album, Big Willie Style, brought the multi-talented actor more success. Another blockbuster followed with the slick conspiracy thriller Enemy of the State (1998), which earned Smith an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
The string of hits came to an end in 1999 with Wild Wild West, a sci-fi cowboy Western co-starring Kevin Kline. Despite the film's lackluster box-office performance, the track Smith cut for the film became a hit on his 1999 album, Willennium. He turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West (1999). Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved, although in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West he stated that he "made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better." The golf movie The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) was his next big film, with Smith playing the caddie to Matt Damon's out-of-sorts swinger.
The 2001 biopic Ali, based on boxing legend Muhammad Ali, gave Smith the opportunity to regain his big-screen swagger. His turn as the charismatic boxing great saw Smith put in the performance of his life, training and disciplining himself to extraordinary lengths to do justice to the athleticism - and ego - of the titular character. The film underwhelmed at the box office despite a record-breaking opening day, but Smith's performance was strong enough to garner him his first Academy Award nomination.
Smith moved on to I, Robot in 2004. The Isaac Asimov adaptation featured Smith as a futuristic cop investigating a murder by a robot and then battling a robot insurgency. The film performed well, grossing more than $144 million domestically.
Smith starred in a comedy Hitch, playing a dating consultant who helps luckless guys with their romantic moves. Smith also penned the theme song and included it on his 2005 album, Lost and Found. Hitch was a massive success, and it was followed in 2006 by another critical and financial hit, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Starring alongside his real-life son Jaden, Smith captivated audiences with the story of a single father who has to build a life from scratch. He received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance.
In 2007 Smith starred in I Am Legend, a remake of the Charlton Heston film Omega Man, in which he battled bloodthirsty vampires. The film became a national and international hit.
Smith then took on the dual role of actor and producer for Hancock (2008), in which he played an alcoholic anti-superhero, and for Seven Pounds (2008), about a man who sets out to change the lives of seven people. He also helped produce two more films released that year, Lakeview Terrace and The Secret Life of Bees.
After a hiatus, Smith returned to the big screen in 2012 with Men in Black 3, followed by a turn as a military commander in the critically panned M. Night Shyamalan sci-fi flick After Earth, which co-starred Smith's son Jaden. He then made a cameo as Lucifer in the film Winter's Tale (2014).
Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama Focus. He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Focus was released on February 27, 2015. Smith was set to star in the Sci-Fic thriller Brilliance, an adaptation of Marcus Sakey's novel of the same name scripted by Jurassic Park writer David Koepp. But he left the project. Later in the year, he starred as Dr. Bennet Omalu in the sports drama Concussion, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his role as a doctor fighting to raise awareness about head trauma in NFL players.
In 2016 Smith starred in the DC Comics blockbuster hit Suicide Squad, which became his most successful film since 1996's Independence Day. The same year, he also took on a more somber role as a father who loses his young daughter in the drama Collateral Beauty. Although a follow-up endeavor, Bright (2017), was thoroughly panned by critics, audiences responded more positively to the urban fantasy crime flick.
In February 2019, Smith announced that he would not be returning for the Suicide Squad sequel. Around that time, a commercial during the Grammy Awards revealed that he would be starring as Genie in Guy Ritchie's live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin in May 2019.
(Will moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh ...)
1991
Religion
Will Smith was raised Baptist and went to a Catholic school. He’s known for respecting his friends and colleagues in the industry despite their differences in faith while staying strong in his own. According to Smith: "You don’t have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don’t have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don’t have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise…I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."
His faith has remained with him through his successful music and acting career, but he no longer identifies himself as religious. Though he is not a Scientologist and has denied rumors claiming him as a member of the Church of Scientology, he has spoken favorably about it, saying "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious."
Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel."
Politics
Will Smith supported former president Barack Obama since the very beginning of Obama’s White House run. Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway to celebrate Obama's winning of the prize.
Smith says America is currently experiencing a “purge,” or cleansing, under President Trump and that it’s only a matter of time before the pendulum swings in the right direction and the country emerges in a new, more evolved light.
Smith is also vocal on his views of race relations, particularly black relations in America. Smith has stated before that if he were committed enough to something, nothing could stop him from becoming president. “In my mind, if Ronald Reagan can become President, then why not Will Smith?“, he quipped to the press.
Views
Will Smith is against some traditional education because he believes that there are many ways to learn a skill. He once stated: “I know how to learn anything I want to learn. I absolutely know that I could learn how to fly the space shuttle because someone else knows how to fly it, and they put it in a book. Give me the book, and I do not need somebody to stand up in front of the class.”
In 2012, Smith stated he supported legalizing same-sex marriage.
Quotations:
"People laugh, but if I set my mind to it, within the next 15 years I would be president."
"I love being black in America, and especially being black in Hollywood."
"It's a whole different thing being an actor. A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are. You make yourself a different person. You become a different person."
"Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity."
"I love to create. There's something about making movies that just really gets me excited. It's not the movie-making probably as much as the storytelling. I love people being wrapped in a story and being able to deliver that emotional punch line at the end of the story."
"Give me a problem, I'll give you a solution. I just love living. That's a feeling you can't fake. I'm glad every single day. I think that even the camera can feel that I'm a happy man."
Personality
In High School, Will Smith was nicknamed “The Prince” because he would goof off and get into trouble, but then use his fast-talking charm to convince the teachers to let him off with a warning. Despite the fact that he never went to college, Will Smith is a very intelligent person. He is fluent in Spanish, and he loves to play chess. He has solved Rubik's cubes in both The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The Pursuit of Happiness. This is a real talent of his; he has shown on live TV that he can solve a Rubik's Cube in under 55 seconds.
Will Smith is often called "Mr. July" by the media due to the fact that most of his summer blockbusters open in July.
Will Smith has a powerful personality and possesses great potential for success, but this power is delicate and conditioned by a strong commitment of his to his ideas and vision, which must be used to inspire others to join him in his dream. Will Smith has an exceptional sense of justice and he does everything in his power to keep the harmony. He is even willing to sacrifice his personal desires for the sake of others. Will Smith is hospitable and domestic. He loves children and is a good parent. He is generally kind and friendly to others and often gets himself into unprotected situations others sometimes abuse to their advantage.
Smith has an impressive car collection. He is the proud owner of a Mercedes GL450 SUV, with Cruise control and strong acceleration from the V8 engine included. He also owns a Cadillac Escalade with a stiff, fully boxed frame, high-quality interiors and a coil-spring front suspension for a smoother ride. In his car collection, you can find a classic 1965 Ford Mustang convertible in red shiny color.
Physical Characteristics:
The actor has dark brown eyes, black hair, and ears that people have referred to as ‘Dumbo ears’. Will Smith stands tall at 6 feet 2 inches.
Smith's chest is 42 inches, his waist is 33 inches and his biceps are 16 inches. The actor wears a US size 11, a European size 44 and a UK size 10.5. He was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
Quotes from others about the person
"He knows so many things. He's into mathematics, so when he sees me getting into maths and sees me building, working power tools and learning how to cut angles he's like, 'Wow,' and that makes me feel really good." - Jaden Smith
Interests
Chess
Politicians
Barack Obama
Writers
Paulo Coelho, Malcolm Gladwell, Robert T. Kiyosaki
Sport & Clubs
Wrestling, basketball, Philadelphia 76ers
Music & Bands
Michael Bolton, Soilwork
Connections
Smith has been married twice. His first marriage, to Sheree Zampino in 1992, lasted only three years. Their son Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III was born on November 11, 1992. Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett in 1997. Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, born on July 8, 1998, his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth; and Willow Camille Reign Smith, born on October 31, 2000, who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend.