diff --git "a/acb8f3ec-474b-45e1-aea2-c3d8d23910b0.json" "b/acb8f3ec-474b-45e1-aea2-c3d8d23910b0.json" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/acb8f3ec-474b-45e1-aea2-c3d8d23910b0.json" @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +{ + "interaction_id": "acb8f3ec-474b-45e1-aea2-c3d8d23910b0", + "search_results": [ + { + "page_name": "Who is Will Smith? Everything You Need to Know", + "page_url": "https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/willard-christopher-smith-jr-3182.php", + "page_snippet": "Will Smith is an extremely popular American actor, who began his career as a rap artist, teaming up with turntabler DJ Jazzy Jeff and beat boxer Ready Rock C. He was known to be a bright student hailing from the Philadelphia's 'Overbrook High School', who decided against attending college, ...Will Smith is an extremely popular American actor, who began his career as a rap artist, teaming up with turntabler DJ Jazzy Jeff and beat boxer Ready Rock C. He was known to be a bright student hailing from the Philadelphia's 'Overbrook High School', who decided against attending college, so that he could pursue a career in music. A behind-the-scene look at the life of Will Smith. With blockbuster movies like 'Independence Day', 'I, Robot', 'I Am Legend,' 'Enemy of the State', 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' 'Ali', and 'King Richard,' Will Smith has won several awards and accolades, including an 'Academy Award,' a 'Critics' Choice Movie Award,' a 'British Academy Film Award,' a 'Screen Actors Guild Award,' four 'Grammy Awards' and a 'Golden Globe Award.' His power packed performances show versatility and promise that this star is here to stay. In the opinion of many directors, the actor was like a breath of fresh air and essayed emotional roles with as much ease as he would portray an action hero. Amongst his several brilliant films, \u2018Men in Black\u2019 a sci-fi comedy, was one movie that became a roaring hit with moviegoers all over the world. The popularity of the first movie inspired the sequels in the \u2018Men in Black\u2019 series, which were lauded by fans and critics alike. ... Spouse/Ex-: Jada Pinkett Smith (m. 1997), Sheree Zampino (m. 1992\u20131995)", + "page_result": "\n\n\n\nWill Smith Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
TheFamousPeople
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Will Smith Biography

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(American Actor and Rapper)
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Birthday: September 25, 1968 (Libra)

Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Will Smith is an extremely popular American actor, who began his career as a rap artist, teaming up with turntabler DJ Jazzy Jeff and beat boxer Ready Rock C. He was known to be a bright student hailing from the Philadelphia's 'Overbrook High School', who decided against attending college, so that he could pursue a career in music. He was successful as a singer, and is also a 'Grammy Award' recipient. At the age of 25, this young man ventured in movies, and debuted with the famous movie 'Six Degree of Separation'. From then on, there was no looking back for this talented young star. With blockbuster movies like 'Independence Day', 'I, Robot', 'I Am Legend,' 'Enemy of the State', 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' 'Ali', and 'King Richard,' Will Smith has won several awards and accolades, including an 'Academy Award,' a 'Critics' Choice Movie Award,' a 'British Academy Film Award,' a 'Screen Actors Guild Award,' four 'Grammy Awards' and a 'Golden Globe Award.' His power packed performances show versatility and promise that this star is here to stay. In the opinion of many directors, the actor was like a breath of fresh air and essayed emotional roles with as much ease as he would portray an action hero. Amongst his several brilliant films, ‘Men in Black’ a sci-fi comedy, was one movie that became a roaring hit with moviegoers all over the world. The popularity of the first movie inspired the sequels in the ‘Men in Black’ series, which were lauded by fans and critics alike. 

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(Photographer:Janet Mayer)
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\nhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/36102114036/
(Gage Skidmore)
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\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tV0zeIUv7g
( The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
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\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OCDJEK6G_g
(The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
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Birthday: September 25, 1968 (Libra)

Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Quick Facts
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Nick Name: The Fresh Prince

Also Known As: Willard Carroll Smith II

Age: 55 Years, 55 Year Old Males

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Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Jada Pinkett Smith (m. 1997), Sheree Zampino (m. 1992\u20131995)

father: Willard Christopher Smith Sr.

mother: Caroline Bright

siblings: Ellen Smith, Harry Smith, Pam Smith

children: Jaden Smith, Trey Smith, Willow Smith

Born Country: United States

\nQuotes By Will Smith \n\nActors \n

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

U.S. State: Pennsylvania, African-American From Pennsylvania

Personality: ENFP

City: Philadelphia

Founder/Co-Founder: Treyball Development Inc., Overbrook Entertainment, New Village Leadership Academy

Humanitarian Work: Established the 'New Village Leadership Academy' elementary school

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Childhood & Early Life
Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. was born on September 25, 1968, to Willard C. Smith, Sr., the proprietor of a refrigeration company, and Caroline, a member of the 'School Board of Philadelphia', in Pennsylvania.
He was brought up in the neighbourhood of Wynnefield, along with younger siblings Harry and Ellen, as well as an older sister Pamela.
The young child had a Baptist upbringing at home, but received his elementary education from a Catholic institution named 'Our Lady of Lourdes'. After his parents parted ways, he was educated at the 'Overbrook High School' in Philadelphia.
On completing high school, Will decided to pursue music as a career, instead of attending college.
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Quotes: Life
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Career
Smith met record producer and musician, Jeffrey Townes, popularly called DJ Jazzy Jeff, at a party, and the two music lovers instantly hit it off. The aspiring rapper called himself \"The Fresh Prince\", and formed a group with DJ Jeff, and another friend, beat boxer, Ready Rock C.
'DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince' became quite popular after producing light-hearted songs 'Summertime' and 'Parents Just Don't Understand'.
During 1988-89, the popular singer fell into trouble with the 'Internal Revenue Service', after paying less than the stipulated tax. As a result of $2.8 million of unpaid taxes, his possessions were confiscated, and Will almost went bankrupt.
When the singer was struggling to recover from the financial crisis, he was hired for a sitcom titled 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air', in 1990, by the NBC broadcasting network. With the success of the TV program, which was about himself, Smith gained recognition as an actor.
In 1993, Will made his debut in feature films with the movie Six Degrees of Separation', co-starring Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland. With the success of the movie, he was cast in 'Bad Boys', two years later, an action movie that also featured Martin Lawrence.
By this time, the exceptional actor had already gained immense popularity in Hollywood cinema. In 1996, he played a major role in the movie 'Independence Day', directed by German filmmaker, Roland Emmerich. The movie also starred Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum, amongst others, becoming a huge box-office success.

Next year, in 1997, Smith was chosen by film director Barry Sonnenfeld, to become a part of the cult movie series of 'Men in Black'. The actor was cast opposite celebrated actor Tommy Lee Jones, and he essayed the legendary role of 'Agent J'. The following year, he worked in the hit movie 'Enemy of the State', alongside veteran Gene Hackman.

From 1999-2001, the gifted actor starred in movies like 'Wild Wild West', 'The Legend of Bagger Vance', and 'Ali'. \u2018Ali\u2019 was a movie adapted from boxer Muhammad Ali's life and career and it earned Will an 'Academy Award' nomination for 'Best Actor'.
During the next few years, he acted in movies like 'I, Robot', 'Shark Tale', 'Hitch' and 'Pursuit of Happyness'. The actor won another 'Oscar' nomination for his heart-rending performance in 'Pursuit of Happyness'
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The movies that the accomplished actor has featured in, during the last few years, from 2007-2014, are 'I Am Legend', 'Hancock', 'Seven Pounds', 'After Earth', and 'Winter's Tale'. All of these movies have seen considerable commercial and critical success.

In 2015, Will Smith starred in a movie called 'Focus', where he played the male lead opposite Australian actress Margot Robbie. The same year he starred in 'Concussion', co-starring Alec Baldwin, the film earned positive reviews.

Some of his other noteworthy works also inlcude\u00a0 'Bad Boys For Life,' 'Aladdin,' 'Suicide Squad,' and 'King Richard.'

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Major Works

This star is known for the \u2018Men in Black\u2019 franchise of movies. The science fiction movie features Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as two agents of an organization who manage alien activity on earth.

The sensational actor is also known for his overwhelming performance in the \u2018Pursuit of Happyness\u2019. The movie was nominated for several honours, and has won the prestigious \u2018Capri Award\u2019 in \u2018Movie of the Year\u2019 category.
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Male Singers
Altercation with comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022

During the 2022 Oscar presentation, the presenter, Chris Rock, made a joke about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, hair loss, which infuriated the King Richard star and he went\u00a0to the stage and punched the comedian.Smith later took to social media to apologise for the incident. He posted a statement on Instagram saying that his behavior was\u00a0 \"unacceptable and inexcusable\" and\u00a0\"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.\"\u00a0

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Awards & Achievements
In 1988, 'DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince' were recipients of the 'Grammy Award' for their initial rap songs.
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During the late 1990s, Smith was felicitated with the \u2018Blockbuster Entertainment Award\u2019 in the \u2018Favorite Actor\u2019 category, for 'Independence Day', 'Men in Black' and 'Enemy of the State'
From 2005-2008, he won the 'Teen Choice Awards' for hits like 'Hitch', 'The Pursuit of Happyness', and 'I Am Legend'.
In 2008-2009, the peerless actor was presented the 'BET Award' for his roles in 'Hancock' and 'Seven Pounds'. During this time he also won the 'Saturn Award' for his performance in 'I Am Legend'.

In 2022, he earned the 'Academy Award,' 'Screen Actors Guild Award,' 'Golden Globe Award,' 'Critics' Choice Movie Award,' and\u00a0British Academy Film Award' for Best Actor for his portrayal Richard Williams in 'King Richard.'

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Personal Life & Legacy
In 1992, Will Smith got married to Sheree Elizabeth Zampino, an actress. The couple had a son, nicknamed 'Trey', but the two separated three years after marriage.

The popular actor got married in 1997, to colleague Jada Koren Pinkett, who is best known for the 'Matrix' movie franchise. The two actors have a son, Jaden Christopher Syre and a daughter, Willow Camille Reign.

Jaden has appeared in \u2018The Pursuit of Happyness\u2019, \u2018The Karate Kid\u2019, and more recently, \u2018After Earth\u2019, while Willow is known for her role in the movie, \u2018I Am Legend\u2019.

In 2005, Will Smith actor made it to the \u2018Guinness Book of World Records\u2019, for having gone to three movie premieres in one day.

Will claims that though he has had exposure to tenets of Catholicism and Baptism, he does not follow any religion in particular. Though he finds \u2018Scientology\u2019 fascinating, which is a spiritual rehabilitation through counselling, the actor is not a member of its organization.
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The brilliant actor is known for his philanthropic contributions, where he has donated large sums of money to Christian ministries, schools and churches, a mosque in Los Angeles, and Scientology organisations.
He has also established an elementary school, 'New Village Leadership Academy', in California, along with his wife, Jada, donating 1.2 million dollars to the educational institution.

According to 'Fortune Magazine', Smith has been one of the wealthiest young Americans. In 2008, presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama, Smith donated $4,600. He and his wife also organized the 'Nobel Peace Prize Concert', which was held in 2009, in Oslo as a toast to the prize being awarded to Obama.

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Trivia
This famous American actor was the first choice to play the role of \u2018Neo\u2019 in the Hollywood blockbuster \u2018The Matrix\u2019. After rejecting the offer to act in the movie, which also starred his wife, he was replaced by popular star Keanu Reeves.`
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\nWill Smith Movies

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1. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

 \n(Drama, Biography)\n

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2. Men in Black (1997)

 \n(Family, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy)\n

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3. I Am Legend (2007)

 \n(Thriller, Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror)\n

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4. Seven Pounds (2008)

 \n(Romance, Drama)\n

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5. Enemy of the State (1998)

 \n(Thriller, Action, Mystery, Crime)\n

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6. I, Robot (2004)

 \n(Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Crime, Thriller, Drama)\n

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7. Independence Day (1996)

 \n(Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi)\n

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8. Concussion (2015)

 \n(Biography, Sport, Drama)\n

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9. Bad Boys (1995)

 \n(Thriller, Drama, Action, Comedy, Crime)\n

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10. Men in Black Alien Attack (2000)

 \n(Sci-Fi, Action, Short)\n

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Awards

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MTV Movie & TV Awards
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\n2008\nBest Male Performance\nI Am Legend (2007)
\n2002\nBest Male Performance\nAli (2001)
\n1998\nBest Movie Song\nMen in Black (1997)
\n1998\nBest Fight\nMen in Black (1997)
\n1997\nBest Kiss\nIndependence Day (1996)
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People's Choice Awards
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\n2020\nFavorite Male Movie Star\nBad Boys for Life (2020)
\n2009\nFavorite Male Movie Star\nWinner
\n2009\nFavorite Male Action Star\nWinner
\n2005\nFavorite Male Action Movie Star\nWinner
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Grammy Awards
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\n1999\nBest Rap Solo Performance\nWinner
\n1998\nBest Rap Solo Performance\nMen in Black (1997)
\n1992\nBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group\nWinner
\n1988\nBest Rap Performance\nWinner
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ASCAP Film And Television Music Awards
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\n2000\nMost Performed Songs from Motion Pictures\nWild Wild West (1999)
\n1998\nMost Performed Songs from Motion Pictures\nMen in Black (1997)
\n1994\nTop TV Series\nThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)
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MTV Video Music Awards
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\n1999\nBest Male Video\nWill Smith: Miami (1998)
\n1998\nBest Male Video\nWill Smith: Just the Two of Us (1998)
\n1998\nBest Rap Video\nWill Smith: Gettin' Jiggy Wit It (1997)
\n1997\nBest Video from a Film\nWill Smith: Men in Black (1997)
\n1997\nBest Video from a Film\nMen in Black (1997)
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Follow Will Smith On:

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Recommended Lists:
Singers #243
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\nQuotes By Will Smith |\nQuote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes

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See the events in life of Will Smith in Chronological Order

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How To Cite

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Article Title
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- Will Smith Biography
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- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
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Website
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- https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/willard-christopher-smith-jr-3182.php
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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", + "page_last_modified": " Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:41:01 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Will Smith - Wikipedia", + "page_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith", + "page_snippet": "Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world", ...Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics. In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks; the charges were later dismissed. Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. Smith has often been noted for achieving groundbreaking success throughout his musical career, and with his work as an actor in television and film. He has been cited as one of the \"greatest actors\" of his generation by several publications. Forbes referred to him as the \"biggest movie star of the post-9/11 era\". Smith launched his acting career by starring in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; the show's success is considered to be a watershed moment for Hip-Hop and Black television, with many publications referring to it as one of the \"Greatest Sitcoms of All Time\". Professor Andrew Horton said, \"Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air translated well into commercial box-office appeal. Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper and film producer. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. As of 2024, his films have grossed over ...", + "page_result": "\n\n\n\nWill Smith - Wikipedia\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJump to content\n
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Will Smith

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American actor and rapper (born 1968)
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For his self-titled character, see Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). For other people named Will Smith, see Will Smith (disambiguation).
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\n
Will Smith
Smith in 2019
Born
Willard Carroll Smith II

(1968-09-25) September 25, 1968 (age 55)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other namesThe Fresh Prince
Occupations
  • Actor
  • rapper
  • film producer
Years active1985\u2013present[1]
Works
Spouses
  • \n
    Sheree Zampino
    \n
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1992; div. 1995)​
  • \n
    \n
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1997; sep. 2016)​
Children3, including Jaden and Willow
AwardsFull list
Musical career
GenresPop rap[2]
Labels
\n\n
Formerly ofDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Websitewww.willsmith.com \"Edit
\n
Musical artist
Signature
\n

Willard Carroll Smith II[3] (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper and film producer. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards.[4][5][6] As of 2024, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally,[7] making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.[8][9]\n

Smith began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990\u20131996), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1993 and 1994. He first gained recognition as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he released five studio albums and the US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles \"Parents Just Don't Understand\", \"A Nightmare on My Street\", \"Summertime\", \"Ring My Bell\", and \"Boom! Shake the Room\" from 1984 to 1994. He released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), and Lost and Found (2005), which contained the US number-one singles \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\" and \"Wild Wild West\". He has received four Grammy Awards for his rap performances.[10]\n

Smith achieved wider fame as a leading man for the action film Bad Boys (1995) and the science fiction comedy Men in Black (1997); he later reprised his role in several sequels. After starring in the thrillers Independence Day (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998), he received Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his portrayal as Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001), and as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). His other commercially successful films include I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), Seven Pounds (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Aladdin (2019).[11] \n

For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard (2021), Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor.[12] At the 2022 ceremony, shortly before winning, Smith faced backlash for slapping presenter Chris Rock after Rock made an unscripted joke[13] referencing Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy and was banned from attending all their events for ten years.[14]\n

\n\n

Early life

\n

Willard Carroll Smith II was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, to Caroline (n\u00e9e Bright), a school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr.,[15][16] a US Air Force veteran[17] and refrigeration engineer. His mother graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.[18]\n

He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood[19] and was raised Baptist.[20] He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen.[19] He attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia,[21] and Overbrook High School.[22] His parents separated when he was 13[23] and divorced around the year 2000.[24]\n

Smith began rapping at age 12. When his grandmother found a notebook of his lyrics, which he described as containing \"all [his] little curse words\", she wrote him a note on a page in the book: \"Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use words like this to express themselves. Please show the world that you're as smart as we think you are\". Smith said that this influenced his decision not to use profanity in his music.[25]\n

\n

Career

\n
Further information: Will Smith filmography, Will Smith discography, and List of awards and nominations received by Will Smith
\n

1985\u20131992: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

\n
Smith at the Emmy Awards 1993
\n

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey \"DJ Jazzy Jeff\" Townes as turntablist and producer.[26] Townes and Smith were introduced to each other by chance in 1985, as Townes was performing at a house party only a few doors down from Smith's residence, and he was missing his hype man. Smith decided to fill in. They both felt strong chemistry, and Townes was upset when his hype man finally made it to the party.[27]\n

Soon after, the two decided to collaborate. Smith enlisted a friend to join as the beatboxer of the group, Clarence Holmes aka Ready Rock C, making them a trio. Philadelphia-based Word Records released their first single in 1986 when A&R man Paul Oakenfold[28] introduced them to Champion Records with their single \"Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble,\" a tale of funny misadventures that landed Smith and his former DJ and rap partner Mark Forrest (Lord Supreme) in trouble.[29] The song sampled the theme song of \"I Dream of Jeannie.\" Smith became known for light-hearted story-telling raps and capable, though profanity-free, \"battle\" rhymes. The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.[30]\n

Based on this success, the duo were brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons. The duo's first album, Rock the House, which was first released on Word Up in 1986 debuted on Jive in March 1987. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" (1988), though their most successful single was \"Summertime\" (1991), which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith and Townes are still friends and claim that they never split up, having made songs under Smith's solo performer credit.[31]\n

Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes.[26] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.[32] Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.[26] The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics.[23] In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks; the charges were later dismissed.[33]\n

\n

1993\u20131997: Solo music and film breakthrough

\n

Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. The latter film was commercially successful, grossing $141.4 million worldwide.[34] However, critical reception was generally mixed.[35] In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.[36]\n

In the summer of 1997, he starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the hit Men in Black, playing Agent J. The film was released on July 2 by Columbia Pictures and grossed over $589.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget, becoming the year's third highest-grossing film, with an estimated 54,616,700 tickets sold in the US.[37] It received positive reviews, with critics praising its humor, as well as Jones's and Smith's performances.\n

During the summer of 1997, Smith also began his solo music career with the release of \"Men in Black\", the theme song for the film, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK.[38] \"Men in Black\" (and second single \"Just Cruisin' \") was later included on Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style, which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[39][40] The third single from the album, \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\", became Smith's first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.[41]\n

\n

1998\u20132007: Leading man status

\n
Smith in 1999
\n

In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.[26] The following year, 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 said that he has no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved,[42] although in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West, he said that he \"made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better.\"[43]\n

Smith's second album was again supported by the release of a film theme song as the lead single: \"Wild Wild West\", featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[40][41] The album in question, Willennium, reached number five on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[39][40] \"Will 2K\", the second single from the album, reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[41] Before the end of 1999, a video album was released featuring Smith's seven music videos released to date,[44] which reached number 25 on the UK Music Video Chart.[45] The same year, he was also featured on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Tatyana Ali's single \"Boy You Knock Me Out\", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK R&B Singles Chart.[38][46]\n

Smith portrayed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biopic Ali. For his performance he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Motion Picture Drama.[47][48] In 2002, following a four-year musical hiatus, Smith returned with his third album Born to Reign, which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[39][40] The album's lead single was the theme song from Smith's film Men in Black II, called \"Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)\", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[38] Later in the year, Smith's first compilation album Greatest Hits was released, featuring songs from his three solo albums as well as those produced with DJ Jazzy Jeff.[49]\n

2003 saw Smith return for Bad Boys II, the sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys; the film follows detectives Burnett and Lowrey investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box-office success, grossing $270 million worldwide.[34] In the following year, he starred in the science fiction film I, Robot and the animated film Shark Tale; both films were box office successes despite mixed reviews. Smith's latest album Lost and Found was released in 2005, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200.[39] Lead single \"Switch\" reached the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.[38][41] In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three premieres in a 24-hour time span.[50] Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in the 2006 biographical drama The Pursuit of Happyness. In the film, Smith portrays Chris Gardner. Smith first became interested in making a film about Gardner after seeing him on 20/20 and connected with him during production. The film, along with Smith's performance, received praise.[51][52]\n

\n
Smith hosting the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting
\n

On December 10, 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the theater in front of many fans.[53] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released on December 14, 2007. Alongside marginally positive reviews,[54] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be \"aggressively unique\".[55] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success \"cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood.\"[56] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith was selected as one of America's top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.[57]\n

\n

2008\u20132019: Blockbusters and critical disappointments

\n

In 2008, Smith was reported to be developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he would be starring as Taharqa.[58] Smith later starred in the superhero movie Hancock,[59] which grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and had a worldwide total of $624,386,746.[60] On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to work on his fifth studio album.[61]\n

Smith again reprised his role as Agent J with Men in Black 3, which opened on May 25, 2012, his first major starring role in four years.[62][63] After the release of the film, Smith was content with ending his work with the franchise, saying, \"I think three is enough for me. Three of anything is enough for me. We'll look at it and we'll consider it, but it feels like that it might be time to let someone else do that.\"[64] Men in Black 3, released ten years after Men in Black II (2002), grossed over $624 million worldwide.[65][66] Unadjusted for inflation, it is the highest-grossing film in the series.[67][68]\n

In 2013, Smith starred in After Earth with his son Jaden. The film was a disappointment at the domestic box office and was panned critically.[69] Calling the film \"the most painful failure in my career\", Smith ended up taking a year and a half break as a result.[70]\n

\n
Smith and Suicide Squad co-star Margot Robbie in 2016
\n

Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama Focus, released on February 27, 2015.[71] He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Smith was set to star in the sci-fi 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 to work on the Ridley Scott-produced sports drama Concussion.[72][73]\n

In Concussion, Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu of the Brain Injury Research Institute, the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Smith reported he had doubts about the film early in the production, saying, \"some of my happiest memories are of watching my son catch and throw a football. I didn't want to be the guy who did a movie saying football could be dangerous.\" These views subsided when he met Omalu, whose words about American ideals resonated with Smith.[74] Smith's performance was praised for being \"sensitive [and] understated\".[75]\n

In 2016, Smith played Deadshot in the supervillain team-up action film Suicide Squad.[76] Smith's participation in the film meant choosing it over a role in Independence Day: Resurgence, which he said would be like \"clinging and clawing backwards.\"[77] While Suicide Squad was a massive financial success, earning over $700 million at the box office, the film received negative reviews from critics. Christopher Orr, film critic from The Atlantic wrote that \"the latest offering from the DC Comics superhero universe may be the most disastrous yet\".[78] Later that year, Smith starred in director David Frankel's drama Collateral Beauty, playing a New York advertising executive who succumbs to a deep depression after a personal tragedy.[79] Weeks after signing Smith onto the film, his father was diagnosed with cancer, from which he died in 2016.[80] As part of his role required him to read about religion and the afterlife, he was brought closer to the elder Smith, calling the experience \"a beautiful way to prepare for a movie and an even more majestic way to say goodbye to my father.\"[81] The film marked the lowest box office opening of Will Smith's career.[82] The film also received near universal negative reviews from film critics.[83] Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney criticized Smith's performance writing as \"the least interesting component in a madly overqualified cast\".[84]\n

His film Bright was distributed via Netflix on December 22, 2017. An urban fantasy, it was the most expensive film for Netflix to date. Smith collaborated with his director from Suicide Squad, David Ayer.[85] This would also be another critical disappointment for Smith, with critics panning the movie. Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times criticized the film and Smith's performance writing, \"By the time Will Smith barks [the line, \"Dude, you can't go through elf town!\"] with 100 percent urgency and sincerity in the mindboggling mess that is \"Bright,\" it's clear we are watching a truly terrible, mountainous pile of genre-blending garbage.\"[86]\n

Also in 2017, Smith released the song \"Get Lit\" a collaboration between him and his former group mate Jazzy Jeff[87][88] and launched his own YouTube channel, which as of July 2019[update] has over 6 million subscribers and 294 million total views.[89]\n

\n
Smith performed the soccer 2018 World Cup's official song \"Live It Up\".
\n

Smith performed the official song \"Live It Up\" alongside American singer Nicky Jam and Kosovar singer Era Istrefi at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia.[90] That September, Smith appeared, alongside Bad Bunny, on the Marc Anthony song \"Est\u00e1 Rico\".[91]\n

Smith portrayed The Genie (originally voiced by Robin Williams) in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. He also participated in the soundtracks by recording singles: \"Arabian Nights (2019)\", \"Friend Like Me\" and \"Prince Ali\".[92] The film was released on May 24, 2019.[93] Aladdin grossed over $1 billion worldwide to become Smith's highest-grossing film, surpassing Independence Day.[94] Smith was also featured on rapper Logic's song \"Don't Be Afraid To Be Different\" (2019), from his fifth studio album Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.[95]\n

Smith appeared as an assassin who faces off against a younger clone of himself in Ang Lee's Gemini Man, released on October 11, 2019.[96] The film was a box office bomb and received negative reviews from critics. Variety's Peter DeBruge called the film \"a high-concept misfire\" and wrote: \"In practice, it's been a nearly impossible project to get made, passing through the hands of countless actors and falling through multiple times because the technology wasn't there yet. At least, that's been the excuse, although judging by the finished product, it was the script that never lived up to the promise of its premise.\"[97]\n

Later that year, Smith had his second starring role in an animated film, in Spies in Disguise, opposite Tom Holland. Smith voiced Lance Sterling, a spy who teams up with the nerdy inventor who creates his gadgets (Holland).[98] In 2020, he reteamed with Martin Lawrence for the third film in their franchise, Bad Boys for Life. In 2019, Smith invested $46 million in esports organization Gen.G with Smith's Dreamers Fund, which he co-founded with Keisuke Honda.[99] In June 2020, it was announced that Smith would star in Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, in which he portrays Peter, a runaway slave, who outsmarts hunters and the Louisiana swamp on a journey to the Union Army.[100]\n

\n

2020\u2013present: Memoir and King Richard

\n

Smith's memoir Will, which was written with Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, was published on November 9, 2021, and promoted with a tour.[101][102] The book is a journey of self-knowledge recalling childhood traumas, his relationship with his father, and his experiences with ayahuasca.[103][104] In the same year, he and his Westbrook Studios company signed a deal with National Geographic.[105]\n

Smith portrayed Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the 2021 film King Richard. For his performance, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor,[106] Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Motion Picture Drama, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.[107]\n

On February 7, 2022, National Geographic announced that Smith would star in a series titled Pole to Pole, which will stream on Disney+. The show will follow Smith and his film crew as they go on a 26,000-mile (42,000 km) trek from the South Pole to the North Pole, crossing all of Earth's biomes and spending time in communities along the way.[108] Part of the filming took place during an expedition in the Ecuadorian Amazon which helped discover the northern green anaconda.[109]\n

\n

2022 Oscars confrontation

\n
Main article: Chris Rock\u2013Will Smith slapping incident
\n
Further information: 94th Academy Awards
\n

During the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Smith walked onstage and slapped presenter and comedian Chris Rock who had made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head[110] with a reference to the main protagonist in the film G.I. Jane. Smith then returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, twice saying \"Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!\"[111][112][113] Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018 and would later shave her head due to the condition.[114][115] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony but he refused.[116] Later in the night, Smith was named Best Actor for King Richard and apologized to the Academy and the other nominees, but not to Rock, in his acceptance speech.[117][118][119] Following public backlash, Smith issued a formal apology via a public Instagram post.[120][121] ABC, AMPAS, and the Screen Actors Guild condemned Smith following the incident, prompting an investigation by the Academy's Board of Governors.[122] Rock declined to press charges against Smith, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.[123] On April 1, 2022, Smith tendered his resignation from the Academy, writing in part:\n

\n

I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.

\n

The AMPAS President David Rubin accepted the resignation in an official statement but said they would continue their investigation.[124] Smith's resignation means he is no longer able to vote on Oscar nominations as a member of the Academy.[125] Commentators have speculated that Smith's resignation from the Academy and other related fallout from the slap would damage his \"family brand\".[126]\n

On April 8, 2022, the Academy announced its decision to ban Smith from future Oscars galas and associated events for a period of 10 years.[127] Several film projects that Smith had been involved in were put on hold as a result of the controversy.[128] In a statement to CNN, Smith stated: \"I accept and respect the Academy's decision.\"[129][130] Smith offered an on camera apology on July 29, saying he was \"deeply remorseful\" for his actions.[131]\n

\n

Personal life

\n

Relationships and family

\n
Smith at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway with his family (left to right: son Jaden, wife Jada, Smith, daughter Willow)
\n

Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their son Willard Carroll \"Trey\" Smith III was born on November 11, 1992.[132] The two divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single \"Just the Two of Us\". He also acted in two episodes of the sitcom All of Us, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the David Blaine: Real or Magic TV special.[133]\n

During the late-1980s, Smith confirmed he briefly dated Sandra Denton, better known as Pepa of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa.[134]\n

Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on December 31, 1997.[135] They met when Pinkett auditioned for a role as Smith's character's girlfriend in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The pair produce films through their joint production company Overbrook Entertainment and Westbrook Inc.[136][137] Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (b. 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth; and Willow Camille Reign Smith (b. 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend.\n

Smith and his wife Jada have expressed unconventional practices in their marriage, jokingly calling their commitment \"bad marriage for life\".[138] Both he and Pinkett Smith have admitted to having extramarital relationships and believing in the freedom to pursue them. Smith has said he wanted a polyamorous relationship with actress Halle Berry and ballerina Misty Copeland but ultimately abandoned the idea after therapy.[139]\n

In October 2023, Pinkett Smith stated that she and Smith had been separated since 2016, though they have no intention to legally divorce.[140]\n

\n

Business

\n

Smith and his brother Harry own Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills\u2013based company named after Trey Smith, and his family resides in Los Angeles, California.[141] In 2018, Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by performing a bungee jump from a helicopter in the Grand Canyon.[142] Smith was insured by Lloyd's of London for $200 million for the jump, which raised money for the charity Global Citizen.[143]\n

\n

Religious and political views

\n

Smith was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Baptist church and Catholic school. In a 2013 interview, he said he did not identify as religious.[144][145] In 2015, Smith said in an interview with The Christian Post that his Christian faith, which was instilled in him by his grandmother, helped him to accurately portray Bennet Omalu in Concussion, saying: \"She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter presentations and putting on the Christmas plays and her kids and grandkids had to be first. She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying she was happy, like she was really excited about going to heaven.\"[146] In 2018, Smith performed the Hindu rite of abhisheka of Shiva at Haridwar, India. He also performed an arti of the holy river Ganga. He has said that he feels a deep connection to Hindu spirituality and Indian astrology.[147] Smith and his family also met and spent time with the Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, stating that he enjoyed the heartfelt conversations between them.[148]\n

Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.[149] 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.[150] In 2012, Smith said he supported legalizing same-sex marriage.[151] In 2021, Smith announced that production of his upcoming film, Emancipation, was being pulled from the U.S. state of Georgia because of the recent passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which critics viewed as a restrictive voting law, negatively impacting non-white voters. Smith and director Antoine Fuqua released a joint statement: \"We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access\".[152][153]\n

\n

Public image and legacy

\n

Smith has often been noted for achieving groundbreaking success throughout his musical career, and with his work as an actor in television and film. He has been cited as one of the \"greatest actors\" of his generation by several publications.[154][155] Forbes referred to him as the \"biggest movie star of the post-9/11 era\".[156] His transition from music to acting has influenced multiple rappers to also become actors, with him being cited as a pioneer for the rappers crossing over into acting by Complex.[157][158] In 2006, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world;[159] in 2008, Esquire named him one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century.[160]\n

Music\n

His work as a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince made them the first rap act to win a Grammy Award, as well as the first to win an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video, when the song \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" won in the inaugural rap categories at both award show ceremonies.[13][161][162] XXL has referred to him as \"one of the most important rappers of all time\".[163] As of 2013, his debut solo album Big Willie Style (1997) is among the best-selling rap albums of all time.[164]\n

Television \n

Smith launched his acting career by starring in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; the show's success is considered to be a watershed moment for Hip-Hop and Black television,[165][166] with many publications referring to it as one of the \"Greatest Sitcoms of All Time\".[167][168] Professor Andrew Horton said, \"Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air translated well into commercial box-office appeal. The Fresh Prince watered down and capitalized upon the then growing popularity of Hip Hop and almost anticipated its dominance on the American scene\".[169]\n

Moreover, author Willie Tolliver noted, \"What The Fresh Prince did accomplish was to put Smith and his character Will into an environment of affluence and possibility, thus changing the terms of his own Black identity. This social and cultural mobility is central to Smith's racial significance, and this will become evident again and again; he moves the image of the Black male into unaccustomed spaces just as Smith himself was in the process of conquering Hollywood.\"[170]\n

Film \n

After starring in his debut film Where the Day Takes You (1992), Smith quickly became one of Hollywood's most successful and bankable stars.[171] He currently holds the record for the most consecutive $100-million-plus hits at the US box office, with eight.[172] Smith starred as Daryl in the movie Bright (2017), which broke the record at the time for the most-viewed Netflix film ever for its first week,[173] and became the first major Hollywood film to skip theatrical release over streaming platform for simultaneous viewing by more than 100 million people worldwide.[174]\n

For his role as Agent J in Men in Black 3 (2012), Smith earned the highest-paid movie role of all time, when he reportedly earned $100 million for his role in the film; furthermore his roles in the movies King Richard and Bright are also among the highest-paid roles of all time.[175][176] His film Emancipation (2022) was sold to Apple Studios for $120 million in June 2020, which made it the largest film festival acquisition deal in film history.[177] In 2022, Smith became the fifth black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor behind Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker.[106]\n

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Discography

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Main articles: Will Smith discography and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince discography
\n\n

Filmography

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Main article: Will Smith filmography
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Awards and nominations

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Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Will Smith
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Smith has received multiple awards throughout his career, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams, the prolific father and coach to championship tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the biopic King Richard (2021)\u2014a role that also won him a Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category; he also received a producer nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Prior to this award, he had been nominated several times for the Academy Award (2; for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness), the Golden Globe Award (5; for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness and Concussion), and the Screen Actors Guild Award (once for The Pursuit of Happyness). In 2005, he received the honorary C\u00e9sar Award; that same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical for Fela!; and in 2021, he was nominated as a producer of Cobra Kai for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.\n

Aside from acting and behind-the-scenes work on screen and stage, Smith has made ventures into hip hop with the release of several songs, four of which won him Grammy Awards\u2014one for Best Rap Performance (for \"Parents Just Don't Understand\"), one for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (for \"Summertime\"), and two for Best Rap Solo Performance (for \"Men in Black\" and \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\"); the former two of which he won as a member of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.\n

His Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award nominations make him one of few black actors to be nominated for all four major entertainment awards in the US.\n

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See also

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References

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    178. \n
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Retrieved from \"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Will_Smith&oldid=1213384864\"
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\n\n\n\n", + "page_last_modified": " Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:54:14 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Will Smith | Encyclopedia.com", + "page_url": "https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/will-smith", + "page_snippet": "For the past summers, Smith shot ... one actress in a key role\u2014Janet Hubert-Whitten left the show due to creative differences\u2014and gaining another\u2014Daphne Maxwell Reid\u2014the show was still successful. After six seasons, Smith decided to call it quits. He wanted to focus on his budding film career...For the past summers, Smith shot a film, and then would return to his role on \u201cThe Fresh Prince.\u201d Despite losing one actress in a key role\u2014Janet Hubert-Whitten left the show due to creative differences\u2014and gaining another\u2014Daphne Maxwell Reid\u2014the show was still successful. After six seasons, Smith decided to call it quits. He wanted to focus on his budding film career. One of Smith's favorite songs, \"Summertime,\" from their album Homebase (1991), won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. After releasing the album Code Red in 1993, Smith decided to quit recording\u2014partially in protest to increasing violence in rap lyrics\u2014and focus on his acting career. How would he know that I could do what he demands of an actor?\u201d Smith added that an intelligent choice of future movie roles could assure him a long career in show business. \u201cFilm, I think, I can do forever,\u201d he said. \u201cAs long as you\u2019re good, you can always do film.\u201d \u00b7 Smith, who describes himself as a \u201cone-woman man,\u201d married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their first child, Willard Smith HI, was born the following year. \u201cShe\u2019s wonderful,\u201d Smith said of his wife in Essence. How would he know that I could do what he demands of an actor?\u201d Smith added that an intelligent choice of future movie roles could assure him a long career in show business. \u201cFilm, I think, I can do forever,\u201d he said. \u201cAs long as you\u2019re good, you can always do film,\u201d he added. After Smith expanded his wings with Six Degrees of Separation, he was offered more roles in films such as Where The Day Takes You, and Made In America. But his first role as an action hero made Hollywood sit up and take notice.", + "page_result": "Will Smith | Encyclopedia.com Skip to main content
EXPLORE

\"Encyclopedia.com

Smith, Will 1968\u2013

gale
views updated May 18 2018

Will Smith 1968–

Actor

At a Glance…

The DJ and the Rapper

The Fresh Prince Moved to Bel Air

Selected discography

Sources

On television he is the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a streetwise Philadelphian sent to live with wealthy relatives in California. In real life he is Will Smith, a streetwise Philadelphian who has—by virtue of hard work and infectious charm—found stardom and wealth in Los Angeles. Smith has enjoyed vast success in two different fields of popular entertainment. While still too young to drink legally, he released several platinum rap albums and won the first-ever Grammy Award given in the rap category.

With his accomplishment in the music industry behind him, Smith moved to television situation comedy and scored a hit with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In the mid-1990s, while still a young man by any standards, Smith is in demand for television and film roles, some of which seriously test his acting talent. Premiere magazine contributor Veronica Chambers cited Smith for his “white-bread appeal that very few black men possess,” noting that the engaging star is “Ben Franklin with a backward baseball cap.”

Acting, for Smith, has often meant being his own quirky self in front of a camera. He has worked hard over the years to invest some realism into the character he plays on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air —even if that means flying in the face of stereotype.

“Look what the Fresh Prince represents,” Smith told Essence magazine. “He operates on several different levels—a symbol of urban youth, a symbol of black youth and, most specifically, of black male youth. As a rapper, some people knocked him for being too middle-class, too clean-cut. Now, as a TV character, he’s accused of being unreal. Well, my mission has been to make him more real, and I suppose that means more like me.”

Willard Smith, Jr., was born and raised in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a middle-class suburb of West Philadelphia. He was the oldest son and one of five children of a refrigeration engineer and a school board employee. His parents were loving but demanding, the kind who took their children to Mount Rushmore on vacation to prove that education does not end with the classroom.

“Dad was tough but not tyrannical,” Smith told Essence. “He kept me in line. He’d get this look that said, ‘One more step, Will, and it’ll get ugly.’ He was an independent businessman—he set up refrigeration in supermarkets—and he always provided for us. He’s a steady and positive figure in my life. Mom worked as a school secretary—she’s a supervisor now—and her thing was education. My folks

At a Glance…

Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school board employee) Smith; married Sheree Zampino, 1992; children: Will III. Education: Graduated from Overbrook High School, 1986.

Rap musician with duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, 1986—; actor appearing on television in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, National Broadcasting Company (NBC), 1990—; and in films, including Where the Day Takes You, 1992, Made in America, 1993, and Six Degrees of Separation, 1994.

Selected awards: Grammy Award in rap category, 1989, for single “Parents Just Don’t Understand“; Image Award for best situation comedy, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 1992, for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Addresses: Publicist—PSAK Public Relations, 955 S. Carrillo Dr.,∦200, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

sent me to a Catholic school because it was the best school in the neighborhood, but I felt some of the priests and nuns were racist.”

As a teen, Smith attended Overbrook High, a public school in Philadelphia. His teachers there nicknamed him “the Prince” because they found him so charming. His best subject was mathematics, and he earned good enough grades to be accepted at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineering program. By that time, though, fate had decreed a different path for the Prince.

When he was just twelve years old, Smith met Jeffrey Townes at a friend’s party. Townes was better known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, and although he was only a few years older than Smith, he had been spinning records at parties for quite some time. Smith was just beginning to rap—calling himself the Fresh Prince—and he and Jazzy Jeff became friends. For some years they performed in different rap groups and only occasionally paired up. Then, in 1986, their partnership became more serious. “I worked with 2,000 crews before I found this maniac,” Jazzy Jeff told People. “There was a click when I worked with him that was missing before.” The two friends performed as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

Jazzy Jeff had already released an album, so the new duo had little trouble finding a record label. In 1986 they cut their first LP together, Rock the House. Their first single, “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble,” did well on the charts. Already famous throughout the Philadelphia region, they found themselves in demand in the rest of the country as well. As the money began to roll in, Smith was able to convince his parents that college could wait. In fact, he earned a million dollars before he turned 21.

The DJ and the Rapper

Rock the House was released in 1987 and sold some 600,000 copies. Major stardom came to Smith the following year with the double LP He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, one of the first rap albums to reach platinum status with more than one million copies sold. Both albums, but especially the second, offered raps about what the musicians understood best—the day-to-day troubles of modern teens. The hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” for instance, details the nightmares of shopping for school clothes with a mother who is hopelessly out of touch with current styles; the Fresh Prince pleads with his mom to “put back the bell-bottom [1970s TV show] Brady Bunch trousers.” This universal young adult complaint helped find a crossover audience for DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. “Parents Just Don’t Understand” won the very first Grammy Award given in the category of rap music.

Because their subject matter was not particularly controversial, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were afforded greater opportunities to perform their work. Promoters saw less chance for violence at their shows, so they were booked into major concert venues. Even network television executives felt comfortable putting them on the air. The “clean rap” image proved a mixed blessing, because some other rap artists criticized them for ignoring legitimate problems of black youths.

Smith’s reply to detractors was that he was just responding to his own personal environment—one that did not include the stresses of a dysfunctional family, drug abuse, or violent crime. “In the beginning, following the fashion of the day, my raps had a small amount of profanity,” he told Essence. “I’ll never forget what my grandmother said when she read them: ‘He who is truly articulate shuns profanity.’ Man, I didn’t even know what articulate meant, but I knew I wanted my grandmother’s approval, just as I wanted my parents’ approval.”

By 1990 the Fresh Prince had released three top-selling rap albums and was one of the best-known rappers in the nation. He was also broke. “I bought everything,” Smith told TV Guide. He had a mansion near Philadelphia, closets full of designer clothing, a fleet of expensive cars, and a jet-set lifestyle complete with fair weather friends. When the money ran out and his friends deserted him, Smith realized how foolish he had been. Already his popularity as a rapper was diminishing. Instead of panicking, however, he just cast about for a new opportunity.

The Fresh Prince Moved to Bel Air

Some Hollywood executives had already noticed Smith’s stage presence and his ability to charm an audience. Beginning in 1990 he was invited to audition for small roles on The Cosby Show and A Different World, but he described himself in Jet as being “too scared” to keep the appointments. Finally he met Benny Medina, the head of Warner Brothers Records’ black music division. Medina had moved from Watts as a teen to a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood, and he thought that his experiences would make a funny situation comedy. Medina and Smith talked the idea over and then approached producer Quincy Jones about a pilot episode. Jones immediately sensed that a show of that nature starring Will Smith would be a hit.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air made its debut on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the fall of 1990. Smith appeared in the starring role as Will, a Philadelphia teen sent to live with his wealthy, refined, and decidedly Republican aunt and uncle in the upscale Bel Air section of Los Angeles. The show found an audience quickly, “almost singlehandedly keeping the network competitive on Monday nights,” according to Gordon Dillow in TV Guide. For Smith, who had never done any acting before, the show was quite a challenge. “I was a nervous wreck,” he recalled in TV Guide. “I was trying so hard. I would memorize the entire script, then I’d be lipping everybody’s lines while they were talking. When I watch those [early] episodes it’s disgusting. My performances were horrible.”

Smith might not have been satisfied with his work, but almost everyone else was. In a TV Guide poll, young adults voted the Fresh Prince “hippest teen on TV.” In addition, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air quickly became the most popular black situation comedy among white viewers, consistently placing in the Nielsen Top Twenty through its first two seasons. “Smith is such a naturally engaging comic talent that he and the show’s capable supporting cast usually sidestep the treacle trap,” noted Mike Duffy in the Detroit Free Press. “Smith never allows excess cutes to sabotage the chuckles.”

Situation comedies starring high school-aged actors can be troublesome. The actors grow into adulthood and suddenly are no longer convincing in their roles. Smith has helped to allay this problem on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air by suggesting ways in which his character could mature without losing his comic edge.

Reflecting on the show in Essence, Smith said: “I’ve been given input. I’ve placed myself in a position where I can make demands. As a result, the scripts have improved. I’m happier with the show, and so is everyone else. The stories are more natural, more human. I want my character to be warm and loving, to display integrity and, of course, to be funny. But funny doesn’t come first. Integrity does.” In TV Guide, Smith mused about the evolution of his role. “At the beginning it was easy,” he said. “The Fresh Prince was me, and I was just doing what I wanted to do. It was working. Now, personally, I’m moving away from the character—Will on the show doesn’t have a wife and a kid. I have to act now.”

An astute businessman who also seeks creative challenges, Smith is trying to broaden his horizons in Hollywood. Beginning in 1992 he sought film work and has since then appeared in several movies. His most notable dramatic performance came in 1994, with the release of Six Degrees of Separation, a serious drama in which Smith played a gay con artist trying to fool a couple of white social climbers. “I wanted to work with [filmmakers] Spike Lee and John Singleton,” Smith told Premiere, “and I needed to do a film like Six Degrees in order for those people to consider me. Spike Lee would never consider me for a role, because The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is all he’s ever seen. How would he know that I could do what he demands of an actor?” Smith added that an intelligent choice of future movie roles could assure him a long career in show business. “Film, I think, I can do forever,” he said. “As long as you’re good, you can always do film.”

Smith, who describes himself as a “one-woman man,” married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their first child, Willard Smith HI, was born the following year. “She’s wonderful,” Smith said of his wife in Essence. “She allowed me to finally put down the bags of emotional stress I’d been lugging around like a fool…. I realized that physically, emotionally, and intellectually she was on a higher plane than me.”

Smith told TV Guide that his high confidence in himself helped him to leap from local notoriety to national celebrity while still a teenager. “Confidence is what makes me different from guys at home…. I’m the one who always takes the risks.” In Seventeen, he concluded: “You have to believe in something greater than yourself. You have to have faith in the power and believe it has your best interest at heart. That’s how I was raised by my parents, and that’s my bottom line.”

Selected discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Rock the House (includes “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble”), Jive, 1987, reissued, 1989.

He’s the DJ, Fm the Rapper (includes “Parents Just Don’t Understand”), Jive, 1988.

And in This Corner, Jive, 1989.

Homebase, 1991.

Code Red, 1994.

Sources

Cosmopolitan, October 1993, p. 102.

Detroit Free Press, May 10, 1993, p. E-l.

Ebony, February 1994, p. 30.

Emerge, September 1993, p. 11.

Essence, February 1993, pp. 60-2, 118-21.

Jet, December 3, 1990, pp. 58-61; January 10, 1994, p. 64.

People, September 24, 1990, pp. 83-4.

Premiere, January 1994, pp. 76-7.

Seventeen, July 1992, pp. 86-7.

TV Guide, September 29-October 5, 1990, p. 5; October 13-19, 1990, pp. 6-9; January 23-29, 1993, pp. 10-12.

Upscale, February 1994, p. 116.

—Anne Janette Johnson

Contemporary Black Biography Johnson, Janette

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Smith, Will 1968\u2013

gale
views updated May 29 2018

Will Smith 1968–

Actor

He’s Really From Philly

The DJ and the Rapper

The Fresh Prince Moved to Bel Air

Goodbye TV, Hello Action Star

Married, Divorced, Remarried

Returned to Rap

Selected discography

Sources

On television he was the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a streetwise Philadelphian sent to live with wealthy relatives in California. In real life he is Will Smith, a streetwise Philadelphian who has—by virtue of hard work and infectious charm—found stardom and wealth in Los Angeles. Smith has enjoyed vast success in two different fields of popular entertainment. While still too young to drink legally he released several platinum rap albums and won the first-ever Grammy Award given in the rap category.

With his accomplishment in the music industry behind him, Smith moved to television situation comedy and scored a hit with “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” In the mid-1990s, while still a young man by any standards, Smith is in demand for television and film roles, some of which seriously test his acting talent. Premiere magazine contributor Veronica Chambers cited Smith for his “white-bread appeal that very few black men possess,” noting that the engaging star is “Ben Franklin with a backward baseball cap.”

Acting, for Smith, has often meant being his own quirky self in front of a camera. He has worked hard over the years to invest some realism into the character he played on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”—even if that meant flying in the face of stereotype. “Look what the Fresh Prince represents,” Smith told Essence magazine. “He operates on several different levels—a symbol of urban youth, a symbol of Black youth and, most specifically, of Black male youth.

He’s Really From Philly

Willard Smith, Jr., was born and raised in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a middle-class suburb of West Philadelphia. He was the oldest son and one of four children of a refrigeration engineer and a school board employee. His parents were loving but demanding, the kind who took their children to Mount Rushmore on vacation to prove that education does not end with the classroom.

“Dad was tough but not tyrannical,” Smith told Essence “He kept me in line. He’d get this look that said, ‘One more step, Will, and it’ll get ugly.’ He was an independent businessman—he set up refrigeration in supermarkets—and he always provided for us. He’s a steady and positive figure in my life. Mom worked as a school secretary—she’s a supervisor now–and her thing was

At a Glance…

Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school board employee) Smith; married Sheree Zampino, 1992, divorced 1995; children: Will III; married jada Pinkett, December 31, 1997; children: expecting child in June of 1998. Education; Graduated from Overbrook High School, 1986.

Career : Rap musician with duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, beginning 1986; solo performer, 1997; actor appearing on television in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” NBC, 1990-96; and in films, including Where the Day Takes You, 1992, Made in America, 1993, Six Degrees of Separation, 1993, Bad Boys, 1995, Independence Day, 1996, Men In Black, 1997, Wild, Wild West, and Enemy of the State, 1999.

Selected awards: Grammy Award in rap category, 1989, for singles “Parents Just Don’t Understand 1989, “Summertime” 1992, “Men In Black” 1998; Image Award for best situation comedy, NAACP, for “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” 1992, Best Rap Artist, 1998.

Addresses : Publicist-PMK Public Relations, 955 S. Carrillo Dr., #200, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

education. My folks sent me to a Catholic school because it was the best school in the neighborhood, but I felt some of the priests and nuns were racist.”

As a teen, Smith attended Overbrook High, a public school in Philadelphia. His teachers there nicknamed him “the Prince” because they found him so charming. His best subject was mathematics, and he earned good enough grades to be accepted at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineering program. By that time, though, fate had decreed a different path for the Prince.

When he was just twelve years old, Smith met Jeffrey Townes at a friend’s party. Townes was better known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, and although he was only a few years older than Smith, he had been spinning records at parties for quite some time. Smith was just beginning to rap— calling himself the Fresh Prince—and he and Jazzy Jeff became friends. For some years they performed in different rap groups and only occasionally paired up. Then, in 1986, their partnership became more serious. “I worked with 2,000 crews before I found this maniac,” Jazzy Jeff told People “There was a click when I worked with him that was missing before.” The two friends performed as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

Jazzy Jeff had already released an album, so the new duo had little trouble finding a record label. In 1986 they cut their first LP together, Rock the House Their first single, “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble,” did well on the charts. Already famous throughout the Philadelphia region, they found themselves in demand in the rest of the country as well. As the money began to roll in, Smith was able to convince his parents that college could wait. In fact, he earned a million dollars before he turned 20.

The DJ and the Rapper

Rock the House was released in 1987 and sold some 600,000 copies. Major stardom came to Smith the following year with the double LP He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, one of the first rap albums to reach platinum status with over a million copies sold. Both albums, but especially the second, offered raps about what the musicians understood best—the day-to-day troubles of modern teens. The hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” for instance, detailed the nightmares of shopping for school clothes with a mother who is hopelessly out of touch with current styles; the Fresh Prince pleads with his mom to “put back the bell-bottom [1970s TV show] Brady Bunch trousers.” This universal young adult complaint helped find a crossover audience for DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. “Parents Just Don’t Understand” won the very first Grammy Award given in the category of rap music.

Because their subject matter was not particularly controversial, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were afforded greater opportunities to perform their work. Promoters saw less chance for violence at their shows, so they were booked into major concert venues. Even network television executives felt comfortable putting them on the air. The “clean rap” image proved a mixed blessing, because some other rap artists criticized them for ignoring legitimate problems of black youths.

Smith’s reply to detractors was that he was just responding to his own personal environment—one that did not include the stresses of a dysfunctional family, drug abuse, or violent crime. “In the beginning, following the fashion of the day, my raps had a small amount of profanity,” he told Essence “I’ll never forget what my grandmother said when she read them: ’He who is truly articulate shuns profanity’Man, I didn’t even know what articulate meant, but I knew I wanted my grandmother’s approval, just as I wanted my parents’ approval.”

By 1990 the Fresh Prince had released three top-selling rap albums and was one of the best-known rappers in the nation. He was also broke. “I bought everything,” Smith told TV Guide. He had a mansion near Philadelphia, closets full of designer clothing, a fleet of expensive cars, and a jet-set lifestyle complete with fair weather friends. When the money ran out and his friends deserted him, Smith realized how foolish he had been. Already his popularity as a rapper was diminishing. Instead of panicking, however, he just cast about for a new opportunity.

The Fresh Prince Moved to Bel Air

Some Hollywood executives had already noticed Smith’s stage presence and his ability to charm an audience. Beginning in 1990 he was invited to audition for small roles on The Cosby Show and A Different World, but he described himself in Jet as being “too scared” to keep the appointments. Finally he met Benny Medina, the head of Warner Brothers Records’ black music division. Medina had moved from Watts as a teen to a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood, and he thought that his experiences would make a funny situation comedy. Medina and Smith talked the idea over and then approached producer Quincy Jones about a pilot episode. Jones immediately sensed that a show of that nature starring Will Smith would be a hit.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” made its debut on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the fall of 1990. Smith appeared in the starring role as Will, a Philadelphia teen sent to live with his wealthy, refined, and decidedly Republican aunt and uncle in the upscale Bel Air section of Los Angeles. The show found an audience quickly, “almost singlehandedly keeping the network competitive on Monday nights,” according to Gordon Dillow in TV Guide For Smith, who had never done any acting before, the show was quite a challenge. “I was a nervous wreck,” he recalled in TV Guide “I was trying so hard. I would memorize the entire script, then I’d be lipping everybody’s lines while they were talking. When I watch those [early] episodes it’s disgusting. My performances were horrible.”

Smith might not have been satisfied with his work, but almost everyone else was. In a TV Guide poll, young adults voted the Fresh Prince “hippest teen on TV.” In addition, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” quickly became the most popular black situation comedy among white viewers, consistently placing in the Nielsen Top Twenty through its first two seasons. “Smith is such a naturally engaging comic talent that he and the show’s capable supporting cast usually sidestep the treacle trap,” noted Mike Duffy in the Detroit Free Press. “Smith never allows excess cutes to sabotage the chuckles.”

An astute businessman who also seeks creative challenges, Smith began trying to broaden his horizons in Hollywood. He sought film work and has since then appeared in several movies. His most notable dramatic performance came in 1993 with the release of Six Degrees of Separation, a serious drama in which Smith played a gay con artist trying to fool a couple of white social climbers. “I wanted to work with [filmmakers] Spike Lee and John Singleton,” Smith told Premiere, “and I needed to do a film like Six Degrees in order for those people to consider me. Spike Lee would never consider me for a role, because “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” is all he’s ever seen. How would he know that I could do what he demands of an actor?” Smith added that an intelligent choice of future movie roles could assure him a long career in show business. “Film, I think, I can do forever,” he said. “As long as you’re good, you can always do film,” he added.

After Smith expanded his wings with Six Degrees of Separation, he was offered more roles in films such as Where The Day Takes You, and Made In America. But his first role as an action hero made Hollywood sit up and take notice. Smith co-starred with Martin Lawrence in the comedy-thriller, Bad Boys. The film was a box-office success and it set the stage for his next films, Independence Day and Men in Black

Goodbye TV, Hello Action Star

For the past summers, Smith shot a film, and then would return to his role on “The Fresh Prince.” Despite losing one actress in a key role—Janet Hubert-Whitten left the show due to creative differences—and gaining another—Daphne Maxwell Reid—the show was still successful. After six seasons, Smith decided to call it quits. He wanted to focus on his budding film career.

Independence Day was an action packed science fiction film with an all-star ensemble cast. Smith was part of three leads which included actors Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum. ID4, as it was nicknamed, earned more than $100 million its opening week. Smith became a bona fide action movie star. He had the sex appeal, the cockiness, and the buffed body. The downside to his success was men wanted to see if he could actually fight. He told Jet that as the Fresh Prince, he “… was nonthreatening. So nobody wanted to fight me, but then I buffed up for Independence Day, came on a little cocky, and suddenly people want to knock me down.”

Smith’s next film was Men In Black Though another scifi film, when asked by executive producer Steven Spielberg to take the part of Agent J, he told Ebony, “You just can’t tell Steven Spielberg no.” He teamed up with Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones and made box office history. Men In Black was the number one best selling movie of 1997. It grossed over $200 million.

Married, Divorced, Remarried

Smith, who described himself as a “one-woman man,” married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their first child, Willard Smith III, was born the following year. “She’s wonderful,” Smith said of his wife in Essence “She allowed me to finally put down the bags of emotional stress I’d been lugging around like a fool.… I realized that physically, emotionally and intellectually she was on a higher plane than me.”

Smith’s life seemed to be perfect. He was a rapper, TV star, husband, father, and a blossoming movie star, but his marriage was on a rocky road. His wife soon asked for a divorce. It was finalized in 1995, and they both share custody of their son. Though devastated, Smith continued with his television, rap, and film careers.

Though Smith met Jada Pinkett when she auditioned for a role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” it was not until years later did they connect romantically. Both considered the other their soulmate. Smith told Ebony, “Jada is the first person I’ve been with willing to accept that it’s not always going to be great, but that’s okay.” The two married December 31, 1997 and are expecting a child in the summer of of 1998.

Returned to Rap

Though quoted as having no desire to make another record, Smith performed the title track to the Men In Black soundtrack. For rap fans who missed his style, it was a much-needed return. For those fans who only knew Smith from TV and film, they were surprised, so was the music industry. His last album bombed. The song won an NAACP Image award and garnered him his third Grammy.

In 1997, Smith released a solo album under his own name, titled Big Willie Style. His first single, “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” was a top ten hit. He spoke with Essence concerning why he released another rap album, “I loved Biggie [slain rapper Notorious B.I.G.], but my son doesn’t have any alternatives.” Big Willie Style was a multiplatinum success. Smith made an album based on his life. In it he discussed his divorce, his career, his son, and his significant other, Jada.

Smith told TV Guide that his high confidence in himself helped him to leap from local notoriety to national celebrity while still a teenager. “Confidence is what makes me different from guys at home.… I’m the one who always takes the risks.” In Seventeen, he said: “You have to believe in something greater than yourself. You have to have faith in the power and believe it has your best interest at heart. That’s how I was raised by my parents, and that’s my bottom line.” If there are any doubts that Smith will continue being successful, those should be laid to rest. One thing Will Smith has proven: he has the business sense, the charm, and the talent to utilize every opportunity that comes his way.

Selected discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Rock the House (includes “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble”), Jive, 1987, reissued, 1989.

He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (includes “Parents Just Don’t Understand”), Jive, 1988.

And in This Corner, Jive, 1989.

Homebase, 1991.

Code Red, 1994.

As a Solo Performer

Men In Black soundtrack, title cut, 1997.

Big Willie Style, 1997.

Selected Works

Television

“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” 1990-96.

Film

Where The Day Takes You, 1992.

Six Degrees of Separation, 1993

Made In America, 1993.

Bad Boys, 1995.

Independence Day, 1996.

Men In Black, 1997.

Sources

Books

Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Gale, 1995, p.378.

Current Biography Yearbook, Gale, 1996, p. 520-523.

Periodicals

Cosmopolitan, October 1993, p. 102.

Detroit Free Press, May 10, 1993, p. E-l.

Ebony, February 1994, p. 30; August 1996, p. 34.

Emerge, September 1993, p. 11.

Essence, February 1993, p. 60-62, 118-21; July 1997, p. 60.

Jet, December 3, 1990, p. 58-61; January 10, 1994, p. 64; Jan 27, 1997.

People, September 24, 1990, p. 83-84; July 22, 1996, p. 64.

Premiere, January 1994, p. 76-77.

Seventeen, July 1992, p. 86-87.

TV Guide, September 29-October 5, 1990, p. 5; October 13-19, 1990, p. 6-9; January 23-29, 1993, p. 10-12.

Upscale, February 1994, p. 116.

Other

Information obtained online at www.billboardonline.com and www.rollingstone.com.

—Anne Janette Johnson and Ashyia N. Henderson

Contemporary Black Biography Johnson, Anne; Henderson, Ashyia

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Johnson, Anne; Henderson, Ashyia \"Smith, Will 1968\u2013\n.\" Contemporary Black Biography. . Encyclopedia.com. (February 21, 2024). https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/smith-will-1968

Johnson, Anne; Henderson, Ashyia \"Smith, Will 1968\u2013\n.\" Contemporary Black Biography. . Retrieved February 21, 2024 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/smith-will-1968

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated Jun 08 2018

Will Smith

1968-

Actor, rap artist, film and television producer

On television he was the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a streetwise Philadelphian sent to live with wealthy relatives in California. In real life he is Will Smith, a streetwise Philadelphian who has-by virtue of hard work and infectious charm-found stardom and wealth in Los Angeles. Smith has enjoyed vast success in two different fields of popular entertainment. While still too young to drink legally he released several platinum rap albums and won the first-ever Grammy Award given in the rap category.

With his accomplishment in the music industry behind him, Smith moved to television situation comedy and scored a hit with \"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.\" In the mid-1990s, while still a young man by any standards, Smith is in demand for television and film roles, some of which seriously test his acting talent. Premiere magazine contributor Veronica Chambers cited Smith for his \"white-bread appeal that very few black men possess,\" noting that the engaging star is \"Ben Franklin with a backward baseball cap.\"

Acting, for Smith, has often meant being his own quirky self in front of a camera. He has worked hard over the years to invest some realism into the character he played on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air-even if that meant flying in the face of stereotype. \"Look what the Fresh Prince represents,\" Smith told Essence magazine. \"He operates on several different levels-a symbol of urban youth, a symbol of Black youth and, most specifically, of Black male youth.\"

Grew up in a Loving Family

Willard Smith, Jr., was born on September 25, 1968, and raised in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a middle-class suburb of West Philadelphia. He was the oldest son and one of four children of a refrigeration engineer and a school board employee. His parents were loving but demanding, the kind who took their children to Mount Rushmore on vacation to prove that education does not end with the classroom.

\"Dad was tough but not tyrannical,\" Smith told Essence. \"He kept me in line. He'd get this look that said, 'One more step, Will, and it'll get ugly.' He was an independent businessman-he set up refrigeration in supermarkets-and he always provided for us. He's a steady and positive figure in my life. Mom worked as a school secretary-she's a supervisor now-and her thing was education. My folks sent me to a Catholic school because it was the best school in the neighborhood, but I felt some of the priests and nuns were racist.\"

As a teen, Smith attended Overbrook High, a public school in Philadelphia. His teachers there nicknamed him \"the Prince\" because they found him so charming. His best subject was mathematics, and he earned good enough grades to be accepted at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineering program. By that time, though, fate had decreed a different path for the Prince.

Entered the Music Business as a Teen

When he was just twelve years old, Smith met Jeffrey Townes at a friend's party. Townes was better known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, and although he was only a few years older than Smith, he had been spinning records at parties for quite some time. Smith was just beginning to rap\u2014calling himself the Fresh Prince\u2014and he and Jazzy Jeff became friends. For some years they performed in different rap groups and only occasionally paired up. Then, in 1986, their partnership became more serious. \"I worked with 2,000 crews before I found this maniac,\" Jazzy Jeff told People. \"There was a click when I worked with him that was missing before.\" The two friends performed as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

Jazzy Jeff had already released an album, so the new duo had little trouble finding a record label. In 1986 they cut their first LP together, Rock the House. Their first single, \"Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble,\" did well on the charts. Already famous throughout the Philadelphia region, they found themselves in demand in the rest of the country as well. As the money began to roll in, Smith was able to convince his parents that college could wait. In fact, he earned a million dollars before he turned 20.

Rock the House was released in 1987 and sold some 600,000 copies. Major stardom came to Smith the following year with the double LP He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, one of the first rap albums to reach platinum status with over a million copies sold. Both albums, but especially the second, offered raps about what the musicians understood best-the day-to-day troubles of modern teens. The hit single \"Parents Just Don't Understand,\" for instance, detailed the nightmares of shopping for school clothes with a mother who is hopelessly out of touch with current styles; the Fresh Prince pleads with his mom to \"put back the bellbottom [1970s TV show] Brady Bunch trousers.\" This universal young adult complaint helped find a crossover audience for DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" won the very first Grammy Award given in the category of rap music.

Found Success with Clean Rap

Because their subject matter was not particularly controversial, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were afforded greater opportunities to perform their work. Promoters saw less chance for violence at their shows, so they were booked into major concert venues. Even network television executives felt comfortable putting them on the air. The \"clean rap\" image proved a mixed blessing, because some other rap artists criticized them for ignoring legitimate problems of black youths.

Smith's reply to detractors was that he was just responding to his own personal environment\u2014one that did not include the stresses of a dysfunctional family, drug abuse, or violent crime. \"In the beginning, following the fashion of the day, my raps had a small amount of profanity,\" he told Essence. \"I'll never forget what my grandmother said when she read them: 'He who is truly articulate shuns profanity.' Man, I didn't even know what articulate meant, but I knew I wanted my grandmother's approval, just as I wanted my parents' approval.\"

At a Glance \u2026

Born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school board employee) Smith; married Sheree Zampino, 1992 (divorced 1995); married Jada Pinkett, 1997; children: (first marriage) Will III; (second marriage) Jaden Christopher Syre, Willow Camille Reign.

Career: Rap musician with duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, 1986-; solo performer, 1997-; actor 1990-.

Awards: Grammy Award, for Best Rap Performance, \"Parents Just Don't Understand,\" 1989; Grammy Award, for Best Rap Performance, for \"Summertime,\"1992; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Image Award for Best Situation Comedy, for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, 1992; Grammy Award, for Best Rap Performance, for \"Men In Black,\" 1998; Grammy Award, for Best Rap Performance, for \"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It,\" 1998; ASCAP Awards, 1998, 2000; Blockbuster Entertainment Awards favorite actor (sci-fi), 1996 and 1998, and favorite actor (action/adventure), 1999; Image Award, for Entertainer of the Year, Outstanding Music Video, and Outstanding Rap Artist, 1999; BET Award, for Best Actor, for Ali, 2002.

Addresses: Agent\u2014Overbook Entertainment, Beverly Hills, CA 90210; Web-www.willsmith.net.

By 1990 the Fresh Prince had released three topselling rap albums and was one of the best-known rappers in the nation. He was also broke. \"I bought everything,\" Smith told TV Guide. He had a mansion near Philadelphia, closets full of designer clothing, a fleet of expensive cars, and a jet-set lifestyle complete with fair weather friends. When the money ran out and his friends deserted him, Smith realized how foolish he had been. Already his popularity as a rapper was diminishing. Instead of panicking, however, he just cast about for a new opportunity.

Started Acting

Some Hollywood executives had already noticed Smith's stage presence and his ability to charm an audience. Beginning in 1990 he was invited to audition for small roles on The Cosby Show and A Different World, but he described himself in Jet as being \"too scared\" to keep the appointments. Finally he met Benny Medina, the head of Warner Brothers Records' black music division. Medina had moved from Watts as a teen to a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood, and he thought that his experiences would make a funny situation comedy. Medina and Smith talked the idea over and then approached producer Quincy Jones about a pilot episode. Jones immediately sensed that a show of that nature starring Will Smith would be a hit.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air made its debut on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the fall of 1990. Smith appeared in the starring role as Will, a Philadelphia teen sent to live with his wealthy, refined, and decidedly Republican aunt and uncle in the upscale Bel Air section of Los Angeles. The show found an audience quickly, \"almost singlehandedly keeping the network competitive on Monday nights,\" according to Gordon Dillow in TV Guide. For Smith, who had never done any acting before, the show was quite a challenge. \"I was a nervous wreck,\" he recalled in TV Guide. \"I was trying so hard. I would memorize the entire script, then I'd be lipping everybody's lines while they were talking. When I watch those [early] episodes it's disgusting. My performances were horrible.\"

Smith might not have been satisfied with his work, but almost everyone else was. In a TV Guide poll, young adults voted the Fresh Prince \"hippest teen on TV.\" In addition, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air quickly became the most popular black situation comedy among white viewers, consistently placing in the Nielsen Top Twenty through its first two seasons. \"Smith is such a naturally engaging comic talent that he and the show's capable supporting cast usually sidestep the treacle trap,\" noted Mike Duffy in the Detroit Free Press. \"Smith never allows excess cutes to sabotage the chuckles.\"

Sought Film Work

An astute businessman who also seeks creative challenges, Smith began trying to broaden his horizons in Hollywood. He sought film work and has since then appeared in several movies. His most notable dramatic performance came in 1993 with the release of Six Degrees of Separation, a serious drama in which Smith played a gay con artist trying to fool a couple of white social climbers. \"I wanted to work with [filmmakers] Spike Lee and John Singleton,\" Smith told Premiere, \"and I needed to do a film like Six Degrees in order for those people to consider me. Spike Lee would never consider me for a role, because \"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air\" is all he's ever seen. How would he know that I could do what he demands of an actor?\" Smith added that an intelligent choice of future movie roles could assure him a long career in show business. \"Film, I think, I can do forever,\" he said. \"As long as you're good, you can always do film,\" he added.

After Smith expanded his wings with Six Degrees of Separation, he was offered more roles in films such as Where The Day Takes You, and Made In America. But his first role as an action hero made Hollywood sit up and take notice. Smith co-starred with Martin Lawrence in the comedy-thriller, Bad Boys. The film was a box-office success and it set the stage for his next film, Independence Day.

Wanting to focus on his budding film career, in 1996 Smith decided to leave The Fresh Prince of Bel Air after six seasons, even though the show remained successful. The show was translated into more than a dozen languages, and Smith remembered it to Teen People in 2004 as \"the biggest thing I ever did.\"

His move proved fruitful with his next film, Independence Day. Independence Day was an action-packed science fiction film with an all-star ensemble cast. Smith was one of three leads who included actors Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum. ID4, as it was nicknamed, earned more than $100 million its opening week. Smith became a bona fide action movie star. He had the sex appeal, the cockiness, and the buffed body. The downside to his success was men wanted to see if he could actually fight. He told Jet that as the Fresh Prince, he \"was nonthreatening. So nobody wanted to fight me, but then I buffed up for Independence Day, came on a little cocky, and suddenly people want to knock me down.\"

Smith's next film was Men In Black. Though it was another sci-fi film, when he was asked by executive producer Steven Spielberg to take the part of Agent J, he told Ebony, \"You just can't tell Steven Spielberg no.\" He teamed up with Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones and made box office history. Men In Black was the number one best selling movie of 1997. It grossed over $200 million.

Nurtured Strong Family Ties

Smith, who described himself as a \"one-woman man,\" married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their first child, Willard Smith III, was born the following year. \"She's wonderful,\" Smith said of his wife in Essence. \"She allowed me to finally put down the bags of emotional stress I'd been lugging around like a fool\u2026. I realized that physically, emotionally and intellectually she was on a higher plane than me.\"

Smith's life seemed to be perfect. He was a rapper, TV star, husband, father, and a blossoming movie star, but his marriage was on a rocky road. His wife soon asked for a divorce. It was finalized in 1995, and they both share custody of their son. Though devastated, Smith continued with his television, rap, and film careers.

Though Smith met Jada Pinkett when she auditioned for a role on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it was not until years later that they connected romantically. Both considered the other their soulmate. Smith told Ebony, \"Jada is the first person I've been with willing to accept that it's not always going to be great, but that's okay.\" The two married on December 31, 1997; they have two children: a son, Jaden Christopher Syre, and a daughter, Willow Camille Reign.

Continued Recording Music

Though quoted as having no desire to make another record, Smith performed the title track to the Men In Black soundtrack. For rap fans who missed his style, it was a much-needed return. Fans who only knew Smith from TV and film were surprised; so was the music industry. His last album had bombed. The song won an NAACP Image award and garnered him his third Grammy.

In 1997, Smith released a solo album under his own name, titled Big Willie Style. His first single, \"Gettin' Jiggy With It\" was a top ten hit. He spoke with Essence concerning why he released another rap album, \"I loved Biggie [slain rapper Notorious B.I.G.], but my son doesn't have any alternatives.\" Big Willie Style was a multi-platinum success. In 1999 he released another rap album, Willennium, at about the same time as his film Wild Wild West opened in theaters. Willennium was another multi-platinum success. The single \"Will 2K\" from the album broke into the Top 10 list and the video for the song was nominated for a Grammy Award. Continuing his outpouring of clean rap, Smith released Born to Reign in 2002. The album featured vocals from his wife and son, and a song about his young daughter. In 2005 he released yet another album titled Lost and Found.

Showed Diverse Acting Talents

Smith added two movies to his resume in 2000: Men in Black Alien Attack, and The Legend of Bagger Vance, directed by Robert Redford. In 2001 Smith stayed busy as the star of the feature film Ali, the story of heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. His performance earned him his first Grammy nomination as an actor.

Sequels to Men in Black in 2002 and Bad Boys in 2003 proved box-office hits. Smith followed these blockbusters with a starring role in Isaac Asimov's classic sci-fi adventure I, Robot. In the 2004 film, Smith plays a skeptical police officer who \"is basically Shaft, a black cop who wears lots of leather, earrings, a Mike Tyson gait, an ancient grudge and a face that says: 'I can't stand people's unquestioning faith in robots,' as James Christopher of the London Times put it in his review of I, Robot.

Smith switched gears in 2005 to star in the romantic comedy Hitch. In the film, Smith played a dating consultant who helped men woo the women of their dreams. Film Journal International found Smith the \"perfect fit\" for the role. And Smith told People that \"I am Hitch in my real life.\" The film became an international success.

Smith told TV Guide that his high confidence in himself helped him to leap from local notoriety to national celebrity while still a teenager. \"Confidence is what makes me different from guys at home\u2026. I'm the one who always takes the risks.\" In Seventeen, he said: \"You have to believe in something greater than yourself. You have to have faith in the power and believe it has your best interest at heart. That's how I was raised by my parents, and that's my bottom line.\" One thing Will Smith has proven: he has the business sense, the charm, and the talent to utilize every opportunity that comes his way.

Selected works

Albums

(With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) Rock the House (includes \"Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble\"), Jive, 1987, reissued, 1989.

(With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (includes \"Parents Just Don't Understand\"), Jive, 1988.

(With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) And in This Corner, Jive, 1989.

(With DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) Homebase, 1991.

Code Red, 1993.

Men In Black soundtrack, title cut, 1997.

Big Willie Style, 1997.

Willennium, 1999.

Born to Reign, 2002.

Lost and Found, 2005.

Television

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, 1990-96.

(Co-creator) All of Us, 2003-.

Films

Where The Day Takes You, 1992.

Made In America, 1993.

Six Degrees of Separation, 1993.

Bad Boys, 1995.

Independence Day, 1996.

Men In Black, 1997.

Enemy of the State, 1998.

Wild Wild West, 1999.

The Legend of Bagger Vance, 2000.

Ali, 2001.

Men in Black 2, 2002.

Bad Boys II, 2003.

I, Robot, 2004.

Hitch, 2005.

Sources

Books

Nickson, Chris, Will Smith, St. Martin's, 1999.

Periodicals

Cosmopolitan, October 1993, p. 102.

Detroit Free Press, May 10, 1993, p. E-1.

Ebony, February 1994, p. 30; August 1996, p. 34.

Emerge, September 1993, p. 11.

Essence, February 1993, p. 60-62, 118-21; July 1997, p. 60; February 2005, p. 134.

Film Journal International, April 2005, p. 118.

Hollywood Reporter, September 15, 2003, p. 19.

Jet, December 3, 1990, p. 58-61; January 10, 1994, p. 64; Jan 27, 1997.

People, September 24, 1990, p. 83-84; July 22, 1996, p. 64; February 21, 2005, p. 91.

Premiere, January 1994, p. 76-77.

Seventeen, July 1992, p. 86-87.

Teen People, August 1, 2004, p. 102.

TV Guide, September 29-October 5, 1990, p. 5; October 13-19, 1990, p. 6-9; January 23-29, 1993, p. 10-12.

Upscale, February 1994, p. 116.

On-line

\"All of Us,\" UPN, www.upn.com/shows/all_of_us/index.shtml (August 15, 2005).

\"I, Robot,\" Times Online, www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7943-1202108,00.html (August 15, 2005).

\"Will Smith,\" Biography Resource Center, www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC (August 18, 2005).

Will Smith, www.willsmith.net (August 15, 2005).

\u2014Anne Janette Johnson, Ashyia N. Henderson, and Sara Pendergast

Contemporary Black Biography

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 29 2018

Will Smith
1955\u2013

Actor, rap musician

Fun-loving and funny, Will Smith captivates audiences in a variety of media: music, television, and film. By his twelfth birthday, Smith was known as a rap musician. He and Jeffrey Townes, as D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, recorded several platinum albums and won the first Grammy ever presented for the Best Rap Performance. Smith also starred in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Then he moved into film, taking lead roles in such movies as Independence Day, Men in Black, and Ali.

Born September 25, 1968, Smith remembers his home as a supportive and solid environment and credits his parents with teaching him right from wrong. His father, Willard Christopher Smith, owned a refrigeration business, and his mother, Caroline Smith, served on the Philadelphia board of education. In Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a suburb of West Philadelphia, the couple raised four children: Pam, Will Jr., and twins Ellen and Harry. Smith's parents created a loving environment for their children. Even when they divorced in Smith's thirteenth year, the entire family remained close.

Smith's parents played major roles in his life. He described them to Lynn Norment as \"the only people [he had] ever idolized.\" His father, a veteran Air Force drill sergeant, focused on discipline. Smith recalls the routine of making tight hospital corners and bouncing coins off his bed. He told Janet Cawley that the question, \"What do you think we could do to assist you in keeping your room clean?\" sent him scrambling. But because of that discipline, he never tried drugs or became involved in some of the serious troubles many teens go through. One time, their father gave Will and Harry the time-consuming and challenging task of taking apart and rebuilding a crumbling brick wall. After they had completed the project, he pointed out that they had accomplished something that they had not thought possible. This memorable experience helped Smith find his self-confidence.

Caroline Smith helped her children learn to value education. The Smiths sent their children to a Catholic school, Our Lady of Lourdes, because it offered the best education available in their community. His mother encouraged Will's love of reading. He found himself especially drawn to Dr. Seuss books, which he later noted carried a hip-hop sound.

Music also played a strong role in the Smith household. Will played piano, his father played guitar, and the family often engaged in jam sessions. In 1979, Smith heard the Sugar Hill Gang's song \"Rapper's Delight.\" He began to write and perform rap music for local parties and church programs. In 1981, he met Jeffrey Townes, and they began recording in the Townes' basement.

Smith, who graduated from Overbrook High School in 1986, admits he had trouble paying attention in class. His winsome attitude in seeking pardon for late assignments gained him the title \"Prince Charming\" with his teachers. Going to school first among mostly whites and then among mostly blacks helped Smith develop interpersonal skills.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offered Smith a scholarship, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering accepted him into their program. But when decision time came along, Smith chose not to attend college. He soothed his mother's disappointment about this decision with a signed record contract and the reassurance that he had a workable plan.

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's first album, Rock the House, released in 1987, sold around 600,000 copies. Two singles became especially popular: \"Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble\" and \"Parents Just Don't Understand.\" In 1988, their album He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper sold three million copies and received the first Grammy ever given for Best Rap Performance.

The duo's early records contained some of the profanity expected of hip-hop music. But Smith told Nancy Collins, \"My grandmother got ahold of my rap book, read it and wrote in the back: 'Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use these types of words to express themselves.'\" Smith's recordings thereafter became known for their clean-cut lyrics, or what Dream Hampton called the \"raised right\" style of rap. When responding to criticism from rappers noted for their more violent content, Smith pointed out that his lyrics reflect his own experience, just as harsher lyrics reflect the reality of a different lifestyle.

And in This Corner, released in 1989, sold a million copies, and one of its songs, \"I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson,\" received a Grammy nomination. A 900-number set up for fans brought in about $10 million. Smith rapidly spent his millions on cars, expensive travel, jewelry, and shopping sprees. He explained to Janet Cawley, \"'Being able to buy anything you want makes you a little crazy.'\" Deeply in debt, he needed to tighten his spending habits and find a more dependable source of income.

Launches Television Career

In December 1989, Smith flew to Los Angeles to sing in NBC's Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration. While there, he attended an Arsenio Hall Show and met producer Benny Medina, who oversaw the black music division of Warner Brothers Records. Medina had spent much of his early life in foster homes and juvenile detention centers and then found himself adopted by white parents and living in Beverly Hills. He approached Quincy Jones about making a television series around a similar theme. They found their star in Will Smith, and NBC gained a sitcom popular with both hip-hop and mainstream audiences.

Chronology

1968
Born in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania on September 25
1987
Releases album Rock the House
1988
Releases album He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper
1989
Releases album And in This Corner
1990
Begins role in television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
1991
Releases album Home Base
1992
Marries Sheree Zampino
1993
Appears in film Six Degrees of Separation
1995
Divorces Sheree Zampino; releases film Bad Boys
1996
Appears in film Independence Day
1997
Marries Jada Pinkett; appears in film Men in Black; releases album Big Willie Style
2000
Appears in film The Legend of Bagger Vance
2001
Appears in film Ali
2004
Appears in film I, Robot
2005
Appears in film Hitch; releases album Lost and Found

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air ran for six seasons (1990\u201396). In the show, the character Will Smith moves from an East Coast ghetto to live with his rich aunt and uncle in Los Angeles. Smith's friend Jazzy Jeff appeared frequently in the series. New to acting and nervous, young Smith overcompensated by memorizing the entire script. But even in those first seasons, audiences responded to Smith's wit and charm. A TV Guide poll named Smith the \"hippest teen on TV.\" In its second and third seasons, the show placed among Nielson's Top Twenty ratings.

Smith spent the first years of the show observing set dynamics, studying the genre, and building his acting skills. By the fourth season, he began producing the program, making significant changes to the scripts. In 1992, Fresh Prince won an NAACP Image Award for Best Situation Comedy. Smith's hilarious antics won him a Golden Globe Award nomination for best actor in a television series. By the show's sixth season, it had become one of the longest-running comedies on prime-time television. In 1996 and 1997, Smith received a nomination for an Image Award as outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.

During summer breaks, Smith had begun making movies and found that he liked the chance to become different characters in front of the camera. That experience made the television role seem confining. He decided to make the sixth season the final one, choosing to quit while the show maintained its broad popularity. Smith had also continued recording with Jeffrey Townes. One of Smith's favorite songs, \"Summertime,\" from their album Homebase (1991), won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. After releasing the album Code Red in 1993, Smith decided to quit recording\u2014partially in protest to increasing violence in rap lyrics\u2014and focus on his acting career.

In May 1992, Will married songwriter Sheree Zampino in Santa Barbara, California. They divorced in 1995 and share joint custody of son Trey-Will Smith III.

Early Movie Career

In one of his early films, Where the Day Takes You (1992), Smith played Manny, a homeless man wrestling with survival in Los Angeles. In 1993, he played Tea Cake Walters in Made in America, featuring Ted Dansen and Whoopi Goldberg. That same year, he prepared for his first dramatic role by working with an acting coach and a dialect coach. Six Degrees of Separation (1993), a film version of John Guare's Broadway play, starred Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland. Playing the role of a hustler claiming status as Sidney Poitier's son Paul stretched Smith's acting skills. But he performed the part in a way that made critics note his versatility and depth as an actor.

In 1995's Bad Boys, Smith and Martin Lawrence played undercover cops. Their assignment involved recovering $100 million of heroin that had been stolen from the police department while also protecting a witness to a murder. Smith's portrayal of Mike Lowrey contributed to the film's box office success, bringing in $15.5 million the first weekend, and won him the ShoW-est Award for Male Star of Tomorrow. The movie garnered $140 million worldwide and a nomination for an MTV Movie Award for the best on-screen duo. Smith and Lawrence formed a lifelong friendship.

In 1996, Smith took on the role of Marine Corps Captain Steven Heller in the science fiction film Independence Day. With stars Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, Smith's character protected the earth from an alien invasion. The film became a number one hit at the box office, grossing $96 million during its first six days and $306.1 million by year's end. The year 1997 brought Smith an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Male Performance and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for favorite actor in a science fiction film.

Director Steven Spielberg sent a helicopter for Smith to talk about a new film, and Smith noted that an actor does not say no to Spielberg. As James Darrel Edwards III, or \"Agent J,\" Smith joined Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black to once again save the world. In 1998, Smith won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for favorite actor in a science fiction film. He and Jones received nominations for best comedic performance and best onscreen duo in the MTV Movie Awards. Smith's performance of the title song on the movie soundtrack won another NAACP Image Award and his third Grammy.

Saddened by the murder of rap star Biggie Small, Smith returned to music and released a solo album in 1997, Big Willie Style, which sold eight million copies. The single \"I Jiggy with It\" reached top ten multi-platinum status. Smith wrote another song, \"Just the Two of Us,\" for his son Trey. Smith considered it the best song he had written to date. He told Nancy Collins that he felt the emotions so strongly that he wrote the lyrics in five minutes. When he received a 1998 MTV Music Award for the song, he carried Trey to the podium with him.

Smith crowned a successful 1997 with a relatively secret wedding. On New Year's Eve, he and Jada Pinkett married. They housed their guests in Baltimore, Jada's hometown. On the morning of the wedding, the guests received envelopes containing directions to the location. They gave the envelopes to limousine drivers, who delivered them to The Cloisters, a sixty-five-year-old mansion featuring medieval architecture. When Smith arrived, he relaxed by playing chess before dressing for the ceremony. Jada had arrived earlier. The couple walked down the aisle together and gave each other away. They declared their love through letters they had written to each other. The family now includes son Jaden Christopher Syre and daughter Willow Camille Reign.

Continues Success

Smith released two more solo albums: Willenium in 1999 and Born to Reign in 2002. Dream Hampton observed that Smith \"single-handedly created a space for 'fun' rap.\" Smith told Hampton, \"Speaking proper English on a rap record, rhyming about being punched in the eye and taking it, not pulling out some giant gun\u2014that's the hard part.\"

Smith appeared in a succession of hit movies. In the 1998 thriller Enemy of the State, he co-starred with Gene Hackman. Smith played Robert Clayton Dean, a labor lawyer targeted by mobsters, spies, and National Security agents. In 1999, he played James West in Wild, Wild West, prequel to the popular television series. The year 2000 brought Men in Black: Alien Attack and a starring role as a golf caddy in The Legend of Bagger Vance. Smith observed to Dream Hampton, \"Golf is the ultimate sport\u2026. It's the perfect blend of physical ability and mental prowess.\"

Awards kept coming. In 1997, Smith won the National Association of Theater Owners/ShoWest Award for International Box Office Achievement. In 1998, he received the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Best Male Actor. ShoWest presented him its 1999 Actor of the Year Award. That same year, he won three trophies at the American Music Awards: favorite male artist, favorite R&B album for Big Willie Style, and favorite pop-rock album for Big Willie Style. At the eleventh World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, Smith received four titles: world's best-selling pop male, R&B male, dance male, and rap male.

Stars in Ali

For seven years, Smith declined a role as Muhammad Ali. Smith feared this part, but director Michael Mann outlined a convincing plan to help him prepare for the role. Mann told Harry Haun: \"I knew this is the only person who could do it. I knew the commitment.\" It took a telephone call from Ali himself to finally convince Smith to accept the challenge of playing the part.

Smith gained weight, trained in the boxing ring, and studied Ali's faith and his gestures and speech for over a year. No one doubled for him in the boxing ring. He specifically asked that Jada appear in the role of one of Ali's wives, Sonji Roi. Smith wanted to do the love scene with his own wife. In an interview with People magazine, Smith stated that when the movie premiered in 2001, Ali turned to him during the show and said, \"'Man, you almost as pretty as I was.'\" Smith won an Oscar nomination in 2002 and Best Male Performer at the MTV Movie Awards.

Smith wanted a role in John Grisham's Runaway Jury, but Grisham said no to Smith. Still, the movies, television shows, and music kept coming: Men in Black II in 2002, Bad Boys II in 2004. Also in 2004, Smith played Detective Del Spooner in I, Robot, a film based on Isaac Asimov's 1950s short stories. That same year, Smith lent his voice to a little fish named Oscar in the animated film Shark Tale. He and Jada created the sitcom All of Us, relating the adventures of a blended family. In 2005, Smith starred in Hitch as the dazzling date doctor who specialized in solving romantic woes. Smith also kept singing. He released a new album, Lost and Found, in March 2005.

Aware of his public responsibility, Will Smith has chosen to live his life in a way that honors the parents who gave him such a good start in life. Writers often note his solid confidence and his charm. He has focused his talents in music, television, and film, but Smith assured Nancy Collins: \"'I'm headed for something greater\u2026. Right now I make people laugh. It's an important service to make people feel good. But I want to be here for a bigger reason.'\"

REFERENCES

Books

Johnson, Anne Janette, and Ashyia N. Henderson. \"Will Smith.\" Contemporary Black Biography. Ed. Shirelle Phelps. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group, 1998.

Shelton, Sonya. \"Will Smith.\" Newsmakers: The People Behind Today's Headlines. Ed. Sean R. Pollock. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group, 1998.

Periodicals

Cawley, Janet. \"Topping the Charts and Saving the World.\" Biography Magazine 3 (July 1999): 34-39.

Collins, Nancy. \"Will Smith.\" Rolling Stone 80 (1 December 1998): 62-67.

Giles, Jeff, and David Ansen. \"Don't Mention the Oscars!\" Newsweek 139 (4 February 2002): 54-61.

Norment, Lynn. \"Will Smith.\" Ebony 51 (August 1996):34-38.

Ritz, David. \"Will Power.\" Ebony 23 (February 1993):60-65.

Ting Yu, et al. \"Pop Quiz with Will Smith.\" People 57(1 April 2002): 24.

Tresniowski, Alex, et al. \"Mr. Smith Takes a Bride.\"People 49 (19 January 1998): 52-56.

\"Will Smith Explains Why He Decided to Play 'Ali' in a New Movie.\" Jet 101 (24 December 2001): 58-63.

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Marie Garrett

Notable Black American Men, Book II

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\"Smith, Will\n.\" Notable Black American Men, Book II. . Retrieved February 21, 2024 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/smith-will

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 08 2018

Will Smith

Rap singer

For the Record…

Selected discography

Sources

As the rapping half of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Will Smith achieved almost overnight stardom after the duo’s debut album was released by Jive Records in 1987. Platinum-level record sales proved to be only the beginning of the Philadelphia-born artist’s phenomenally rewarding multi-media career. Smith managed to parlay his G-rated rap appeal into a starring role in the long-running Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\\e\\ev\\s\\on series and also into box-office success with such films as Independence Day and Men In Black. Even as his screen career was reaching new heights, he returned to recording as a solo rap artist with a multi-platinum 1997 release, Big Willie Style.

Though critics often dismissed his recordings as “cute” and “lightweight,” Smith had little trouble connecting with a multi-racial audience from his first hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand” onwards. He made no apologies for avoiding profanity and violent themes in his recordings, preferring to concentrate on romance and ordinary teenage troubles. In reviewing their first three albums, critic Paul Evans wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide that Smith and his partner Jeffrey Townes were “clean-cut and ingratiating … turning out credible grooves for the pre-teen set.” In contrast to the angry, often politically controversial records by NWA, Public Enemy and similar artists, Smith and Townes offered a family-friendly version of hip-hop that appealed to millions in the United States and abroad.

Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith grew up in a middle-class household and learned the value of education and discipline in his early years. While still in elementary school, he showed an interest in music and took piano lessons. By age 12, he was listening to early rap recordings and beginning to try out his own rhyming skills. While performing at a house party in 1981, he met Townes and soon formed a performing partnership with him. Smith adopted the performing name “Fresh Prince” after his grade school teachers began calling him “Prince” because of his charming personality and “regal attitude.”

Recording in Townes’s basement, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince began experimenting with soundtrack samples and drums loops, crafting a fast-paced, distinctive sound. Their debut single “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” was released in 1986 on the small Word-up label, reaching number 81 on the R&B charts. After a dispute with Word-up over royalties, the duo signed with Jive Records, who released their Rock This House album in 1987. A year later, they scored their first big pop radio breakthrough with “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” a

For the Record…

Born Willard C. Smith II, September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard C. Smith Sr. (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school board employee); married Sheree Zampino, 1992 (divorced, 1995); married Jada Pinkett, 1997; children: Willard C. Smith III, (from first marriage), born 1992; Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, (from second marriage), born 1998.

Began performing as rap singer c. 1980; formed duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince with Jeffrey Townes, 1981; released debut single “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” on Word-up label, 1986; signed with Jive and released Rock The House, 1987; recorded further albums on Jive, 1988-1993; began first season of television series Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1990; left Fresh Prince, starred in films Independence Day inl996, Men In Black, 1997; released title song from Men in Black soundtrack, 1997; released solo debut album on Columbia, Big Willie Style, 1998.

Awards: Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” 1988; Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, “Summertime,” 1991; NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Rap Artist, “Summertime,” 1991: MTV Music Award for Best Video From a Film, “Men In Black,” 1997; NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Rap Artist, “Men In Black,” 1997; Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, “Men In Black,” 1998; MTV Video Music Award for Rap Video, “Gettin’Jiggy Witlt,” 1998.

Addresses: Record company —Columbia Records, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022-3211; Fan mail—Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

number 12 hit that eventually became a certified-gold single.

Putting aside plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a scholarship, Smith plunged into his rap career full-time, continuing his hitmaking streak with such singles as “A Nightmare On My Street” and a re-recorded version of “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble.” 1988 saw the release of He’s The D.J., I’m The Rapper, which went on reach the triple-platinum sales level. “Parents Just Don’t Understand” went on to earn DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, the first ever given in this category. Their next album, 1989’s … And In This Comer, surpassed the platinum sales level and yielded the single “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.”

A new opportunity presented itself to Smith when he met Warner Brothers Records executive Benny Medina in December, 1989. Seeking a star for a TV situation comedy concept, Medina interested Smith in the lead role in the series that would eventually be aired by NBC-TV as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire. Broadcast from 1990 through 1996, the series enjoyed high ratings and made Smith into a multi-media celebrity. He received a Golden Globe nomination for best performance by an actor in a television series in 1992, with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire winning an award for best comedy series at the NAACP Image Awards that same year. The series increased in ratings in its later years, but Smith decided to leave the show at the end of its sixth season in favor of new challenges.

Smith continued his partnership with Townes during his days with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, releasing the albums Homebase and Code Red in 1991 and 1993, respectively. The duo scored a particularly big success in 1991 with “Summertime,” a number one R&B and number four pop hit that went on to be awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Further high-charting singles continued, including “Ring My Bell” later on in 1991 and “Boom! Shake The Room” in 1993, the latter a number one hit in Britain. Nevertheless, he decided to put aside his rap career in favor of acting after he began to win motion picture roles. His most notable early film was 1993’s Six Degrees Of Separation, which cast him as a gay street hustler opposite Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland and earned him largely favorable reviews.

Smith’s winning streak as a screen actor began with Bad Boys, a 1995 action film that received largely negative reviews but became a notable box-office success. His next role was as a fighter pilot in the science fiction thriller Independence Day, a huge hit with both film-goers and the critics that became the highest-grossing film of 1996. A year later, Smith co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black, a sci-fi excursion with a comedie twist that again set box-office records. 1998’s Enemy of the State saw him in a more serious action role, while 1999’s Wild, Wild West was a special effects-laden, tongue-in-cheek film vehicle similar in tone to Men In Black.

During this period, Smith refrained from recording. In interviews, he expressed concern over the violence associated with the hip-hop scene. “That was a large part of why I didn’t make a record,” he said in an interview found on his official website. “It was like I don’t even wanna rhyme. I made records in my crib. I thought that if this what the world is going to, then I don’t think there’s any place for me.” In the end, it was the popularity of Men In Black that helped to encourage Smith to launch himself as a solo rap recording artist. The film soundtrack’s title number earned him a number one single in both the United States and Britain, and earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1998. Signing with Columbia Records, he released his solo debut Big Willie Style in 1997. The CD was both in keeping with Smith’s smooth, broad-appeal style of his earlier days and reflective of a greater maturity and self-reflection. Such tracks as “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Miami” were infectious, playful numbers, while “Just The Two Of Us” found Smith rapping about fatherhood in highly personal terms. Though Townes produced several songs, the album’s sonic polish was largely the work of the Trackmasters production team. Big Willie Style went on to sell 8,000,000 copies, proving that Smith had lost none of his touch as a rapper.

By any measure, Smith has enjoyed exceptional success and had a major impact on popular culture in the 1990s. In interviews, his outlook on life and his career seems as positive and confident as his work as a rap artist. As he told Lynn Hirschberg in a Vanity Fair interview, “I look at my neighborhood—I know personally 15 people who could do exactly what I’m doing right now. But they’re scared to take that shot. If they give me the position, I’ll shoot my shot. The only thing that can go wrong is, I miss. And if I miss, I’ll shoot again.”

Selected discography

with DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

Rock The House, Jive, 1987.

He’s The D.J., I’m The Rapper, Jive, 1988.

And In This Corner…, Jive, 1989

Homebase, Jive, 1991.

Code Red, Jive, 1993.

solo

Big Willie Style, Columbia, 1997.

Sources

Books

DeCurtis, Anthony and Henke, James, editors, The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Random House, 1992.

Larkin, Colin, The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Muze, 1998.

Periodicals

Ebony, July 1999.

Teen People, August 1999.

Vanity Fair, October 1990.

Online

E!Online, http://www.eonline.com (May 21, 1999).

Wall of Sound, http://wallofsound.go.com (May 21, 1999).

Additional information was provided by Will Smith publicity materials, 1999.

—Barry Alfonso

Contemporary Musicians Alfonso, Barry

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 29 2018

Will Smith

Rap singer, actor

As the rapping half of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Will Smith achieved almost overnight stardom after the duo's debut album was released by Jive Records in 1987. Platinum-level record sales proved to be only the beginning of the Philadelphia-born artist's phenomenally rewarding multi-media career. Smith managed to parlay his G-rated rap appeal into a starring role in the long-running Fresh Prince of Bel-Air television series and into box-office success with such films as Independence Day, Men In Black, and I, Robot, a 2004 sci-fi blockbuster. Even as his screen career was reaching new heights, Smith returned to recording as a solo rap artist with the multi-platinum 1997 release Big Willie Style, followed by several other albums, including 2002's Born to Reign and 2005's Lost and Found.

Though critics often dismissed his recordings as \"cute\" and \"lightweight,\" Smith had little trouble connecting with a multi-racial audience, from his first hit single \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" onwards. He made no apologies for avoiding profanity and violent themes in his recordings, preferring to concentrate on romance and ordinary teenage troubles. In reviewing their first three albums, critic Paul Evans wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide that Smith and his partner Jeffrey Townes were \"clean-cut and ingratiating \u2026 turning out credible grooves for the pre-teen set.\" In contrast to the angry, often politically controversial records by NWA, Public Enemy, and similar artists, Smith and Townes offered a family-friendly version of hip-hop that appealed to millions in the United States and abroad.

Born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith grew up in a middle-class household and learned the value of education and discipline in his early years. While still in elementary school, he showed an interest in music and took piano lessons. By age 12 he was listening to early rap recordings and beginning to try out his own rhyming skills. While performing at a house party in 1981, he met Townes and the two soon formed a performing partnership. Smith adopted the performing name \"Fresh Prince\" after his grade school teachers began calling him \"Prince\" because of his charming personality and \"regal attitude.\"

Recording in Townes's basement, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince began experimenting with soundtrack samples and drums loops, crafting a fast-paced, distinctive sound. Their debut single, \"Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble,\" was released in 1986 on the small Word-up label, reaching number 81 on the R&B charts. After a dispute with Word-up over royalties, the duo signed with Jive Records, who released their Rock This House album in 1987. A year later they scored their first big pop radio breakthrough with \"Parents Just Don't Understand,\" a number 12 hit that eventually became a certified gold single.

Putting aside plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a scholarship, Smith plunged into his rap career full-time, continuing his hit-making streak with such singles as \"A Nightmare On My Street\" and a re-recorded version of \"Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble.\" The year 1988 saw the release of He's The D.J., I'm The Rapper, which went on to reach the triple-platinum sales level. \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" went on to earn DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, the first ever given in this category. Their next album, 1989's \u2026And In This Corner, surpassed the platinum sales level and yielded the single \"I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.\"

Television Star

A new opportunity presented itself to Smith when he met Warner Brothers Records executive Benny Medina in December of 1989. Seeking a star for a TV situation comedy concept, Medina interested Smith in the lead role in a series that would eventually be aired by NBC-TV as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire. Broadcast from 1990 through 1996, the series enjoyed high ratings and made Smith into a multi-media celebrity. He received a Golden Globe nomination for best performance by an actor in a television series in 1992, with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire winning an award for best comedy series at the NAACP Image Awards that same year. Smith decided to leave the show at the end of its sixth season in favor of new challenges.

Smith continued his partnership with Townes during his days with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, releasing the albums Homebase and Code Red in 1991 and 1993, respectively. The duo scored a particularly big success in 1991 with \"Summertime,\" a number one R&B and number four pop hit that went on to be awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Further high-charting singles continued, including \"Ring My Bell\" in 1991 and \"Boom! Shake The Room\" in 1993, the latter a number one hit in Britain. Nevertheless, he decided to put aside his rap career in favor of acting, after he began to win motion picture roles. His most notable early film was 1993's Six Degrees Of Separation, which cast him as a gay street hustler opposite Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland and earned him largely favorable reviews.

For the Record \u2026

Born Willard C. Smith II on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard C. Smith Sr. (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school board employee); married Sheree Zampino, 1992 (divorced, 1995); married Jada Pinkett, 1997; children: Willard C. Smith III (from first marriage), born 1992; Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (from second marriage), born 1998; Willow Camille Reign (from second marriage), born 2000.

Formed duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince with Jeffrey Townes, 1981; released debut single \"Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble\" on Word-up label, 1986; signed with Jive and released Rock The House, 1987; released title song from Men In Black (soundtrack), 1997; released solo debut album on Columbia, Big Willie Style, 1998; released album Willennium, 1999; released album Maximum Will Smith, 2000; released album Born to Reign, 2002; released album Lost and Found, 2005.

Awards: Grammy Award, Best Rap Performance, for \"Parents Just Don't Understand,\" 1988; Grammy Award, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for \"Summertime,\" 1991; NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Rap Artist, for \"Summertime,\" 1991; MTV Music Award, Best Video From a Film, for \"Men In Black,\" 1997; NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Rap Artist, for \"Men In Black,\" 1997; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Favorite Actor, Science Fiction, for Independence Day, 1997; Grammy Award, Best Rap Solo Performance, for \"Men In Black,\" 1998; MTV Video Music Award for Rap Video \"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It,\" 1998; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Favorite Actor, Science Fiction, for Men In Black, 1998; MTV Movie Awards, Best Fight and Best Movie Song, for Men In Black, 1998; Image Award, Entertainer of the Year, 1999; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Favorite Actor in an Action/Adventure, for Wild, Wild West, 1999; MTV Movie Award, Best Male Performance, for Ali, 2002; People's Choice Award, Favorite Male Action Star, 2005.

Addresses: Record company\u2014Columbia Records, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022-3211. Fan mail\u2014Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Success on Big Screen

Smith's winning streak as a screen actor began with Bad Boys, a 1995 action film that received largely negative reviews but became a notable box office success. His next role was as a fighter pilot in the science fiction thriller Independence Day, a huge hit with both filmgoers and critics that became the highest-grossing film of 1996. A year later Smith co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black, a sci-fi excursion with a comedic twist that again set box office records. Enemy of the State (1998) saw him in a more serious action role, while 1999's Wild, Wild West was a special effects-laden, tongue-in-cheek film vehicle similar in tone to Men In Black. In a more serious vein, he co-starred with Matt Damon, under the direction of Robert Redford, in The Legend of Bagger Vance in 2000.

During much of this period, Smith refrained from recording, and in interviews he expressed concern over the violence associated with the hip-hop scene. In the end, it was the popularity of Men In Black that encouraged Smith to launch himself as a solo rap recording artist. The film soundtrack's title number earned him a number one single in both the United States and Britain, and a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1998. Signing with Columbia Records, he released his solo debut, Big Willie Style, in 1997. The CD was both in keeping with the broad appeal of Smith's earlier days and reflective of a greater maturity and self-reflection. Such tracks as \"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It\" and \"Miami\" were infectious, playful numbers, while \"Just The Two Of Us\" found Smith rapping about fatherhood in highly personal terms. Big Willie Style went on to sell eight million copies, proving that Smith had lost none of his touch as a rapper. A follow-up album, Willennium, appeared in 1999.

By any measure, Smith has enjoyed exceptional success and has had a major impact on popular culture in the 1990s and into the new millennium. In interviews, his outlook on his life and career have seemed positive and confident. As he told Lynn Hirschberg in a Vanity Fair interview, \"I look at my neighborhood, I know personally 15 people who could do exactly what I'm doing right now. But they're scared to take that shot. If they give me the position, I'll shoot my shot. The only thing that can go wrong is, I miss. And if I miss, I'll shoot again.\"

Smith continued trying new things, and in 2001 he stepped away from fictional action adventure films to play real-life heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. Before the filming of Ali could take place, Smith spent 12 months getting in physical shape. The making of the film proved just as taxing, as it went over budget and backers threatened to cancel it. \"I've been to my physical and emotional and mental and spiritual ends to create this interpretation, so my hope is that people will get from the film what I got from the experience,\" he told the BBC News. For Smith, the film was so rewarding that he said he felt as if he had peaked, though he was only 33. Smith relied on his rapping skills in making the film, as he mimicked Ali's famed sing-song patois. Indeed, Smith's performance was so spectacular that it propelled him from rapper to Oscar-nominated actor for the role, although in the end he did not take home the award.

In 2003 Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, became executive producers for a UPN sitcom called All of Us. Loosely based on the Smiths' real-life domestic situation, the show explored life in a family rebuilding after divorce.

Smith was back to his action-hero ways in 2004's I, Robot. In this violent video game flick, set in 2035, Smith played a futuristic homicide detective. While investigating a murder, Smith's character becomes convinced of a robot conspiracy to kill humans. While science fiction films are not usually box-office smashes, I, Robot took in $52.25 million during its first weekend of release, marking Smith's fourth film to open at over $50 million. \"Science fiction can be tough to market,\" Fox distribution chief Bruce Snyder remarked to USA Today, \"and the movies can be a little bit cold. Will takes the chill away.\" Due to Smith's on-screen persona and buff body, the film also captured more female viewers than typical science fiction films usually attract.

In 2005 Smith starred in Hitch, a film about a New York \"date doctor\" whose own love life could use some work. It was the fifth Will Smith film in a row to reach the number one slot, following Shark Tale, I, Robot, Bad Boys II, and Men in Black. The movie was produced by Sony, and that company's head of distribution, Rory Bruer, told a reporter for the BBC News, \"Will Smith [is] one of those rare stars that appeals to everyone.\"

Released New Album

In 2005 he released a new album, Lost and Found. According to a reporter in Access Atlanta, this album lacked the \"sugary-sweet goodness\" of his earlier music, and had more \"fire\"; the reporter praised the album, noting that on it Smith sounds like \"a person rather than a persona.\" The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.

Smith continued his success in 2006 with the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, which grossed $305 million worldwide. The movie was the critically acclaimed story of a down-on-his-luck salesman, Chris Gardner, who was struggling to provide for his family. Through hard work, genius and perseverance, the character becomes a hugely successful stockbroker. The film garnered Smith nominations for best actor from the MTV Awards, the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Playing opposite Smith's role in Happyness was his real-life son, Jaden Smith, who won three Teen Choice awards for his role in the movie.

In the December 2007 release I Am Legend, Smith played the lead role of Robert Neville in the cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic horror/sci-fi novella. Neville is a scientist who is the sole survivor of a virus outbreak in New York City. Smith joined the ranks of Hollywood legends Vincent Price and Charlton Heston, actors who have taken the lead role in other adaptations of Matheson's novel, in 1964 and 1971, respectively. Willow Smith, Smith's daughter, made her big-screen debut playing Neville's daughter. Smith is scheduled to appear in the summer 2008 release Hancock, lending his comedic talents to a story about an alcoholic superhero, opposite Justin Bateman and Charlize Theron.

Smith is among a rare breed of performers who seems to have a Midas touch when it comes to success in the entertainment industry. This success, as both a rapper and actor, is amplified by the enormous respect he has garnered in both fields from fellow entertainers and producers, who line up to assist him in both blockbuster films and bestselling records.

Selected discography

with DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

Rock The House, Jive, 1987.

He's The D.J., I'm The Rapper, Jive, 1988.

And In This Corner\u2026, Jive, 1989.

Homebase, Jive, 1991.

Code Red, Jive, 1993.

Solo

Big Willie Style, Columbia, 1997.

Williennium, Columbia, 1999.

Maximum Will Smith, Columbia, 2000.

Born to Reign, Columbia, 2002.

Lost and Found, Interscope, 2005.

Sources

Books

DeCurtis, Anthony and James Henke, editors, The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Random House, 1992.

Larkin, Colin, The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Muze, 1998.

Periodicals

Ebony, July 1999.

People, July 26, 2004; December 6, 2004.

Teen People, August 1999.

Vanity Fair, October 1990.

USA Today, July 19, 2004.

Online

Access Atlanta,http://www.accessatlanta.com/music/content/music/0305/29willsmitha.html (November 22, 2005).

BBC News,http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/1719162.stm (January 27, 2005); http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4263205.stm (November 22, 2005).

E!Online,http://www.eonline.com (May 21, 1999).

Wall of Sound,http://www.wallofsound.go.com (May 21, 1999).

Additional information for this profile was provided by Will Smith publicity materials, 1999.

\u2014Barry Alfonso and Bruce Edward Walker

Contemporary Musicians

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 18 2018

WILL SMITH

Born: Willard Christopher Smith; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 25 September 1968

Genre: Rap, R&B

Best-selling album since 1990: Willennium (1999)

Hit songs since 1990: \"Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It,\" \"Wild Wild West\"


As the \"Fresh Prince\" half of the popular duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Will Smith brought a refreshing comic sensibility to rap of the late 1980s. In contrast to tougher-sounding rap acts such as Public Enemy and N.W.A., Smith and his recording partner Jeff Townes specialized in lyrically \"clean\" raps that explore the humorous side of adolescence. Smith recorded his first solo album in 1997, after establishing a successful career as an actor in Hollywood films and on television. On hits such as \"Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It\" and \"Wild Wild West,\" he continued to promote the wholesome image for which he had become known. While often dismissed as a lightweight by fans of hard-core \"gangsta\" rap, Smith creates danceable music with an unwavering sense of groove, his rapping style dexterous and assured. By the early 2000s, Smith's high-profile work in films had eclipsed his recording career, although he continued to release successful albums.


Years with D.J. Jazzy Jeff

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith met up-and-coming disc jockey Townes while rapping at a party in 1986. Soon the pair began performing together, becoming audience favorites on the local Philadelphia rap scene. After the duo was offered a recording contract with Jive Records in 1987, Smith turned down a university scholarship at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, deciding to make performing his full-time career. The next year, D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince released their breakthrough album, He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper (1988). Featuring gentle, lighthearted hits such as \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" and \"Nightmare on My Street,\" the album countered critics who denounced rap music as sexist and violent. In 1991 the duo released its biggest hit, \"Summertime,\" a breezy, nostalgic evocation of childhood summers in Philadelphia. Having begun his acting career the year before with a starring role in the hit television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith left the duo to focus on a burgeoning film career. After his performance as a charming con artist in the film Six Degrees of Separation (1993) received critical acclaim, Smith earned starring roles in the Hollywood hits Bad Boys (1995), Independence Day (1996), and Men in Black (1997).

Late 1990s Stardom

In 1997, having devoted the previous four years to acting, Smith released his debut solo album, Big Willie Style. Propelled by the funk-laden, rhythmic hit, \"Getting' Jiggy Wit' It,\" the album advanced the audience-friendly style Smith had pioneered during his career with D.J. Jazzy Jeff. Bypassing the social commentary featured in the work of many of his rap and R&B contemporaries, Smith displays on Big Willie Style a simple desire to entertain. \"Miami\" qualifies as an infectious celebration of the Florida resort city, with lyrics repeated in English and Spanish, while \"Candy\" is an engaging duet with Larry Blackmon, leader of the 1980s funk band Cameo. While the album's tone is largely comic, \"Just the Two of Us\" is a sensitive and absorbing exploration of single fatherhood, dedicated to Smith's son with his first wife, actress Sheree Zampino: \"If the world attacks, and you slide off track / Remember one fact, I got your back.\" Having divorced Zampino, Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997.

In 1999, after starring in his first box-office failure, the western-adventure film Wild Wild West, Smith released a second solo album, Willennium. Borrowing the synthesizer riff from Stevie Wonder's 1976 song \"I Wish,\" the hit \"Wild Wild West\" climbed to number one on the pop charts. Well constructed, with an intricate, danceable rhythm, the song represents Smith at his spirited best. \"Will 2K\" uses a sample from the Clash's 1982 hit \"Rock the Casbah\" to create a celebratory atmosphere, although some critics complained of the track's self-aggrandizing stance, a quality mirrored on the remainder of Willennium. Writing for noted Internet music magazine, Pop Matters, critic Cynthia Fuchs observes, \"Nearly every track here extols the endless wonderfulness of being Will Smith.\" For all his self-important posturing, however, Smith exudes an affecting sweetness and likability, qualities that ensure his enduring appeal. As evidenced in a review of the album by influential English music magazine Q, even Smith's detractors note the easy accessibility of his music: \"'Will 2K' even makes a Clash sample sound squeaky clean. Nevertheless, there's something beguiling about Smith's profanity-free style.\"

On the heels of his most acclaimed acting triumph, portraying boxing legend Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali (2001), Smith released Born to Reign in 2002. Although it lacks the catchy, radio-friendly hits of its predecessors, the album contains the enjoyable \"1,000 Kisses,\" featuring vocals by Pinkett. Incorporating elements of Luther Vandross's 1981 hit, \"Never Too Much,\" the song re-cements Smith's friendly persona. In addition to showcasing the talents of Pinkett, Smith allows his young son Jaden to babble extensively on the track. \"Cool, calculating stuff,\" writes the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, \"but annoyingly enjoyable.\" Other reviews were less kind, falling back on the familiar criticism of Smith's music as bland and ineffectual. Rolling Stone, for example, describes the album as \"a nice try from a nice guy.\" By this point in Smith's career, however, recording had become secondary to his status as one of Hollywood's top leading men.

Beginning his career in the late 1980s as part of the successful rap team D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Will Smith earned critical and popular respect as a film actor before releasing his first solo album in 1997. Famed for his convivial dance songs, Smith won fans with his family-friendly style that downplayed the aggressiveness of much contemporary rap and hip-hop.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Big Willie Style (Columbia, 1997); Willennium (Columbia, 1999); Born to Reign (Columbia, 2002). With D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper (Jive, 1988); Homebase (Jive, 1991).

SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY:

Six Degrees of Separation (1993); Bad Boys (1995); Independence Day (1996); Men in Black (1997); Ali (2001); Men in Black II (2002).

WEBSITE:

www.willsmith.com.

david freeland

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990 Freeland, David

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Freeland, David \"Smith, Will\n.\" Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990. . Retrieved February 21, 2024 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/smith-will

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 23 2018

SMITH, Will

Nationality: American. Born: Willard Christopher Smith II, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 25 September 1968. Education: Attended Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school and Overbrook High School, Philadelphia; turned down a scholarship in computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue his career as a performer. Family: Married Sheree Zampino, 1992 (divorced 1995); one son: Willard Christopher Smith III; married Jada Pinkett, 1997; one\nson: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. Career: Rap musician, early 1980s; teamed with Jeff Towns to form duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, 1986 (their second album, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, went triple platinum in 1988); starred in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1990\u20131996; first major film role in Six Degrees of Separation, 1993. Awards: National Association of Theater Owners/Sho West Award for International Box Office Achievement, 1997; Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Best Male Actor, 1998; Sho West Actor of the Year Award, 1999. Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, U.S.A.


Films as Actor:

1992

Where the Day Takes You (Rocco) (as Manny)

1993

Made in America (Benjamin) (as Tea Cake Walters); Six Degrees of Separation (Schepisi) (as Paul Poitier)

1995

Bad Boys (Bay) (as Mike Lowrey)

1996

Independence Day (Emmerich) (as Steven Hiller)

1997

Men in Black (Sonnenfeld) (as James Darrel Edwards III)

1998

Enemy of the State (Scott) (as Robert Clayton Dean)

1999

The Wild Wild West (Sonnenfeld) (as James West); Legends of Bagger Vance (Redford) (as Bagger Vance)



Publications


By SMITH: articles\u2014

Grant, Steve, \"The Ace of Space,\" interview in Time Out (London), no. 1405, 23 July 1997.

On SMITH: books\u2014

Robb, Brian J., Will Smith: King of Cool, London, 1999.

On SMITH: articles\u2014

Lambert, S., \"Will Smith Saves the World,\" in Boxoffice (Chicago), July 1996.

Rebello, S., \"Iron Will,\" in Movieline (Escondido), December 1996.

Schoemer, Karen, \"His future's so bright. . . ,\" in Newsweek, 7 July 1997.

Rhodes, Joe, \"Iron Will,\" in Premiere (Boulder), November 1998.

Carson, Tom, \"Invincible Man,\" in Esquire, August, 1999.


* * *

Will Smith's success as an actor, both on television and in the movies, is largely due to the same qualities that rocketed him to national attention as a star of rap music when he was only eighteen. Born into a middle class African American family in Philadelphia, Smith has become a crossover performer on many levels. Immensely popular with black audiences, Smith has been able to make elements of black identity and black popular culture not only accessible but comfortably appealing to white audiences. His relaxed stage presence and easy rapport with audiences led Esquire's Tom Carson to compare him to screen giant Clark Gable.

Hip-hop culture and its soundtrack rap music was just beginning to capture the imagination of American youth when Smith started rapping at age thirteen. With his partner \"Jazzy Jeff\" Townes, he helped create a softer brand of rap that spoke to middle-class teens of all races in a way that the hard-edged rap born of urban poverty did not. Though some sneered at what they called \"suburban rap lite\" and accused Smith and Townes of writing rap for white people, record sales soared for \"Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.\" It was Smith's playful and ebullient style as much as his songs about girl trouble and clueless parents that attracted fans.

In 1990, when Benny Medina and Quincy Jones conceived a sitcom about a streetwise kid from the east coast transplanted into a wealthy California suburb, they immediately saw how the exuberant young rap star from Philly fit the role. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air stayed on the air for six years, and even critics who panned it as banal TV froth recognized the charismatic quality of young Will Smith.

When Smith joined the cast of The Fresh Prince, he had virtually no acting experience; the first seasons show the unevenness and tension of his learning years. It took three seasons before he was able to relax into the role, but even in the early years, Smith's ability to convey a mix of sweetness, cockiness, and intelligence in the central character held the slight show together.

In 1992, Smith surprised critics with his performance in a small but intense role as a homeless man in the film Where the Day Takes You, but it was his standout performance in the 1993 film Six Degrees of Separation that made critics and adult audiences begin to take him seriously as an actor. Three years later, his role in the heavily hyped action film Independence Day made him a star.

Smith's good looks and playful, low-key style made him a natural hero of the Hollywood comic-action blockbuster genre, and he was given roles in a succession of films of that type, beginning with Men in Black, a spoof of the type of sci-fi film that had just given him his stardom. One after another, Smith's films were box office successes, and his salary approached $10 million per film. Even when a film flopped, as did The Wild, Wild West in 1999, critics singled out Smith as the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal movie.

Though Smith has been called \"the next Eddie Murphy,\" he has a quality that Murphy has never possessed, which is his ability to inspire comfort in a broad range of audiences. Though Smith is African American and expresses himself both in the vernacular and cultural genres of black culture, he has an everyman kind of humor that disarms white audiences. Film studios have been quick to cash in on this crossover potential, perhaps neglecting to develop his considerable acting ability in favor of showcasing his style, flash, and product placement potential. Smith's highly popular songs for films like Men in Black and The Wild, Wild West are another benefit of his crossover appeal, and are one more reason he has been given more action movies than serious roles.

\u2014Tina Gianoulis

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers Gianoulis, Tina

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Gianoulis, Tina \"Smith, Will\n.\" International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. . Retrieved February 21, 2024 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/movies/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/smith-will

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Smith, Will

gale
views updated May 29 2018

Smith, Will

September 25, 1968

Born Willard Christopher Smith Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Will Smith was the second of four children of Caroline and Willard Sr. A graduate of Overbrook High School, Smith declined a scholarship to MIT to focus on his burgeoning musical career. Smith, whose childhood nickname was \"Prince,\" met Jeff Townes at a party, and together they formed the rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 1987 they issued their first album, Rock the House, and had a modest hit with the single \"Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble.\" Their follow-up album, 1988's He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, achieved double-platinum status and won the first MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Performance. The duo also won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for the single from that album, \"Parents Just Don't Understand.\" The duo were nominated for Grammys in 1990 and 1991, and won again in 1992 for the song \"Summertime\" from the album Homebase. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince released their last studio album as a duo with 1993's Code Red.

In the meantime, Smith began his acting career on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran from 1990 to 1996 (he served as executive producer for the 1994–1996 seasons). Smith made his film debut in 1992's Where the Day Takes You and also had roles in Made in America (1993) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993). His first major box-office success came costarring with Martin Laurence in the 1995 action film from director Michael Bay, Bad Boys, which made more than $145 million worldwide. (A sequel, Bad Boys II, was released in 2003.) Smith then went on to star in the summer box-office smashes Independence Day (more than $797 million worldwide) in 1996 and Men in Black (more than $576 million worldwide) in 1997. He won his first solo Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for the film's \"Men in Black\" theme song. Smith also released his first solo album, Big Willie Style, that same year.

Smith continued to alternate between music and acting, appearing in the films Enemy of the State (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), while releasing the 1999 album Willennium. Smith received his fourth Grammy Award in 1999 for the song \"Getting' Jiggy Wit It.\" In 2001, Smith played the role of boxer Muhammad Ali in director Michael Mann's film Ali, for which Smith received a 2002 Academy Award nomination as Best Actor as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama. He then went on to star in the films Men in Black 2 (2002), I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), and his first romantic comedy, Hitch (2005). Smith also released the albums Born to Reign (2002) and Lost and Found (2005).

Smith was married to Sheree Smith (with whom he has a son) from 1992 to 1995. He married actress Jada Pinkett Smith (with whom he has a son and daughter) in 1997. The UPN television series All of Us, for which the Smiths serve as executive producers, began in 2003 and was inspired by their personal lives.

See also Film in the United States, Contemporary; Rap; Television

Bibliography

Smith, Danyel. \"Crazy in Love.\" Published in Essence (February 2005). Available from <http://www.Essence.com>.

Syler, Rene. \"Will Smith: From Goofy to Sexy.\" Interview on The Early Show (July 16, 2003). Available from <http://www.cbs.news.com>.

Yarbrough, Marti. \"Will Smith.\" Published in Jet (July 19, 2004). Available from <http://www.jetmag.com>.

christine tomassini (2005)

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History Tomassini, Christine

Cite this article
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Tomassini, Christine \"Smith, Will\n.\" Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. . Encyclopedia.com. 21 Feb. 2024 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Tomassini, Christine \"Smith, Will\n.\" Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. . Encyclopedia.com. (February 21, 2024). https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/smith-will

Tomassini, Christine \"Smith, Will\n.\" Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. . Retrieved February 21, 2024 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/smith-will

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About this article

Will Smith

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Updated Aug 18 2018 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

1/1

", + "page_last_modified": " Thu, 22 Feb 2024 02:28:08 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Will Smith - Wikipedia", + "page_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith", + "page_snippet": "Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world", ...Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics. In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks; the charges were later dismissed. Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. Smith has often been noted for achieving groundbreaking success throughout his musical career, and with his work as an actor in television and film. He has been cited as one of the \"greatest actors\" of his generation by several publications. Forbes referred to him as the \"biggest movie star of the post-9/11 era\". Smith launched his acting career by starring in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; the show's success is considered to be a watershed moment for Hip-Hop and Black television, with many publications referring to it as one of the \"Greatest Sitcoms of All Time\". Professor Andrew Horton said, \"Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air translated well into commercial box-office appeal. Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper and film producer. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. As of 2024, his films have grossed over ...", + "page_result": "\n\n\n\nWill Smith - Wikipedia\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJump to content\n
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Will Smith

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American actor and rapper (born 1968)
\n
For his self-titled character, see Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). For other people named Will Smith, see Will Smith (disambiguation).
\n

\n\n\n

\n
Will Smith
Smith in 2019
Born
Willard Carroll Smith II

(1968-09-25) September 25, 1968 (age 55)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other namesThe Fresh Prince
Occupations
  • Actor
  • rapper
  • film producer
Years active1985\u2013present[1]
Works
Spouses
  • \n
    Sheree Zampino
    \n
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1992; div. 1995)​
  • \n
    \n
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1997; sep. 2016)​
Children3, including Jaden and Willow
AwardsFull list
Musical career
GenresPop rap[2]
Labels
\n\n
Formerly ofDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Websitewww.willsmith.com \"Edit
\n
Musical artist
Signature
\n

Willard Carroll Smith II[3] (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper and film producer. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards.[4][5][6] As of 2024, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally,[7] making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.[8][9]\n

Smith began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990\u20131996), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1993 and 1994. He first gained recognition as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he released five studio albums and the US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles \"Parents Just Don't Understand\", \"A Nightmare on My Street\", \"Summertime\", \"Ring My Bell\", and \"Boom! Shake the Room\" from 1984 to 1994. He released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), and Lost and Found (2005), which contained the US number-one singles \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\" and \"Wild Wild West\". He has received four Grammy Awards for his rap performances.[10]\n

Smith achieved wider fame as a leading man for the action film Bad Boys (1995) and the science fiction comedy Men in Black (1997); he later reprised his role in several sequels. After starring in the thrillers Independence Day (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998), he received Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his portrayal as Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001), and as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). His other commercially successful films include I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), Seven Pounds (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Aladdin (2019).[11] \n

For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard (2021), Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor.[12] At the 2022 ceremony, shortly before winning, Smith faced backlash for slapping presenter Chris Rock after Rock made an unscripted joke[13] referencing Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy and was banned from attending all their events for ten years.[14]\n

\n\n

Early life

\n

Willard Carroll Smith II was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, to Caroline (n\u00e9e Bright), a school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr.,[15][16] a US Air Force veteran[17] and refrigeration engineer. His mother graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.[18]\n

He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood[19] and was raised Baptist.[20] He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen.[19] He attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia,[21] and Overbrook High School.[22] His parents separated when he was 13[23] and divorced around the year 2000.[24]\n

Smith began rapping at age 12. When his grandmother found a notebook of his lyrics, which he described as containing \"all [his] little curse words\", she wrote him a note on a page in the book: \"Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use words like this to express themselves. Please show the world that you're as smart as we think you are\". Smith said that this influenced his decision not to use profanity in his music.[25]\n

\n

Career

\n
Further information: Will Smith filmography, Will Smith discography, and List of awards and nominations received by Will Smith
\n

1985\u20131992: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

\n
Smith at the Emmy Awards 1993
\n

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey \"DJ Jazzy Jeff\" Townes as turntablist and producer.[26] Townes and Smith were introduced to each other by chance in 1985, as Townes was performing at a house party only a few doors down from Smith's residence, and he was missing his hype man. Smith decided to fill in. They both felt strong chemistry, and Townes was upset when his hype man finally made it to the party.[27]\n

Soon after, the two decided to collaborate. Smith enlisted a friend to join as the beatboxer of the group, Clarence Holmes aka Ready Rock C, making them a trio. Philadelphia-based Word Records released their first single in 1986 when A&R man Paul Oakenfold[28] introduced them to Champion Records with their single \"Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble,\" a tale of funny misadventures that landed Smith and his former DJ and rap partner Mark Forrest (Lord Supreme) in trouble.[29] The song sampled the theme song of \"I Dream of Jeannie.\" Smith became known for light-hearted story-telling raps and capable, though profanity-free, \"battle\" rhymes. The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.[30]\n

Based on this success, the duo were brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons. The duo's first album, Rock the House, which was first released on Word Up in 1986 debuted on Jive in March 1987. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" (1988), though their most successful single was \"Summertime\" (1991), which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith and Townes are still friends and claim that they never split up, having made songs under Smith's solo performer credit.[31]\n

Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes.[26] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.[32] Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.[26] The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming \"the biggest movie star in the world\", studying box office successes' common characteristics.[23] In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks; the charges were later dismissed.[33]\n

\n

1993\u20131997: Solo music and film breakthrough

\n

Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. The latter film was commercially successful, grossing $141.4 million worldwide.[34] However, critical reception was generally mixed.[35] In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.[36]\n

In the summer of 1997, he starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the hit Men in Black, playing Agent J. The film was released on July 2 by Columbia Pictures and grossed over $589.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget, becoming the year's third highest-grossing film, with an estimated 54,616,700 tickets sold in the US.[37] It received positive reviews, with critics praising its humor, as well as Jones's and Smith's performances.\n

During the summer of 1997, Smith also began his solo music career with the release of \"Men in Black\", the theme song for the film, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK.[38] \"Men in Black\" (and second single \"Just Cruisin' \") was later included on Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style, which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[39][40] The third single from the album, \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\", became Smith's first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.[41]\n

\n

1998\u20132007: Leading man status

\n
Smith in 1999
\n

In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.[26] The following year, 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 said that he has no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved,[42] although in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West, he said that he \"made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better.\"[43]\n

Smith's second album was again supported by the release of a film theme song as the lead single: \"Wild Wild West\", featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[40][41] The album in question, Willennium, reached number five on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[39][40] \"Will 2K\", the second single from the album, reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[41] Before the end of 1999, a video album was released featuring Smith's seven music videos released to date,[44] which reached number 25 on the UK Music Video Chart.[45] The same year, he was also featured on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Tatyana Ali's single \"Boy You Knock Me Out\", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK R&B Singles Chart.[38][46]\n

Smith portrayed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biopic Ali. For his performance he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Motion Picture Drama.[47][48] In 2002, following a four-year musical hiatus, Smith returned with his third album Born to Reign, which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[39][40] The album's lead single was the theme song from Smith's film Men in Black II, called \"Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)\", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[38] Later in the year, Smith's first compilation album Greatest Hits was released, featuring songs from his three solo albums as well as those produced with DJ Jazzy Jeff.[49]\n

2003 saw Smith return for Bad Boys II, the sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys; the film follows detectives Burnett and Lowrey investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box-office success, grossing $270 million worldwide.[34] In the following year, he starred in the science fiction film I, Robot and the animated film Shark Tale; both films were box office successes despite mixed reviews. Smith's latest album Lost and Found was released in 2005, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200.[39] Lead single \"Switch\" reached the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.[38][41] In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three premieres in a 24-hour time span.[50] Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in the 2006 biographical drama The Pursuit of Happyness. In the film, Smith portrays Chris Gardner. Smith first became interested in making a film about Gardner after seeing him on 20/20 and connected with him during production. The film, along with Smith's performance, received praise.[51][52]\n

\n
Smith hosting the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting
\n

On December 10, 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the theater in front of many fans.[53] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released on December 14, 2007. Alongside marginally positive reviews,[54] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be \"aggressively unique\".[55] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success \"cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood.\"[56] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith was selected as one of America's top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.[57]\n

\n

2008\u20132019: Blockbusters and critical disappointments

\n

In 2008, Smith was reported to be developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he would be starring as Taharqa.[58] Smith later starred in the superhero movie Hancock,[59] which grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and had a worldwide total of $624,386,746.[60] On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to work on his fifth studio album.[61]\n

Smith again reprised his role as Agent J with Men in Black 3, which opened on May 25, 2012, his first major starring role in four years.[62][63] After the release of the film, Smith was content with ending his work with the franchise, saying, \"I think three is enough for me. Three of anything is enough for me. We'll look at it and we'll consider it, but it feels like that it might be time to let someone else do that.\"[64] Men in Black 3, released ten years after Men in Black II (2002), grossed over $624 million worldwide.[65][66] Unadjusted for inflation, it is the highest-grossing film in the series.[67][68]\n

In 2013, Smith starred in After Earth with his son Jaden. The film was a disappointment at the domestic box office and was panned critically.[69] Calling the film \"the most painful failure in my career\", Smith ended up taking a year and a half break as a result.[70]\n

\n
Smith and Suicide Squad co-star Margot Robbie in 2016
\n

Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama Focus, released on February 27, 2015.[71] He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Smith was set to star in the sci-fi 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 to work on the Ridley Scott-produced sports drama Concussion.[72][73]\n

In Concussion, Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu of the Brain Injury Research Institute, the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Smith reported he had doubts about the film early in the production, saying, \"some of my happiest memories are of watching my son catch and throw a football. I didn't want to be the guy who did a movie saying football could be dangerous.\" These views subsided when he met Omalu, whose words about American ideals resonated with Smith.[74] Smith's performance was praised for being \"sensitive [and] understated\".[75]\n

In 2016, Smith played Deadshot in the supervillain team-up action film Suicide Squad.[76] Smith's participation in the film meant choosing it over a role in Independence Day: Resurgence, which he said would be like \"clinging and clawing backwards.\"[77] While Suicide Squad was a massive financial success, earning over $700 million at the box office, the film received negative reviews from critics. Christopher Orr, film critic from The Atlantic wrote that \"the latest offering from the DC Comics superhero universe may be the most disastrous yet\".[78] Later that year, Smith starred in director David Frankel's drama Collateral Beauty, playing a New York advertising executive who succumbs to a deep depression after a personal tragedy.[79] Weeks after signing Smith onto the film, his father was diagnosed with cancer, from which he died in 2016.[80] As part of his role required him to read about religion and the afterlife, he was brought closer to the elder Smith, calling the experience \"a beautiful way to prepare for a movie and an even more majestic way to say goodbye to my father.\"[81] The film marked the lowest box office opening of Will Smith's career.[82] The film also received near universal negative reviews from film critics.[83] Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney criticized Smith's performance writing as \"the least interesting component in a madly overqualified cast\".[84]\n

His film Bright was distributed via Netflix on December 22, 2017. An urban fantasy, it was the most expensive film for Netflix to date. Smith collaborated with his director from Suicide Squad, David Ayer.[85] This would also be another critical disappointment for Smith, with critics panning the movie. Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times criticized the film and Smith's performance writing, \"By the time Will Smith barks [the line, \"Dude, you can't go through elf town!\"] with 100 percent urgency and sincerity in the mindboggling mess that is \"Bright,\" it's clear we are watching a truly terrible, mountainous pile of genre-blending garbage.\"[86]\n

Also in 2017, Smith released the song \"Get Lit\" a collaboration between him and his former group mate Jazzy Jeff[87][88] and launched his own YouTube channel, which as of July 2019[update] has over 6 million subscribers and 294 million total views.[89]\n

\n
Smith performed the soccer 2018 World Cup's official song \"Live It Up\".
\n

Smith performed the official song \"Live It Up\" alongside American singer Nicky Jam and Kosovar singer Era Istrefi at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia.[90] That September, Smith appeared, alongside Bad Bunny, on the Marc Anthony song \"Est\u00e1 Rico\".[91]\n

Smith portrayed The Genie (originally voiced by Robin Williams) in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. He also participated in the soundtracks by recording singles: \"Arabian Nights (2019)\", \"Friend Like Me\" and \"Prince Ali\".[92] The film was released on May 24, 2019.[93] Aladdin grossed over $1 billion worldwide to become Smith's highest-grossing film, surpassing Independence Day.[94] Smith was also featured on rapper Logic's song \"Don't Be Afraid To Be Different\" (2019), from his fifth studio album Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.[95]\n

Smith appeared as an assassin who faces off against a younger clone of himself in Ang Lee's Gemini Man, released on October 11, 2019.[96] The film was a box office bomb and received negative reviews from critics. Variety's Peter DeBruge called the film \"a high-concept misfire\" and wrote: \"In practice, it's been a nearly impossible project to get made, passing through the hands of countless actors and falling through multiple times because the technology wasn't there yet. At least, that's been the excuse, although judging by the finished product, it was the script that never lived up to the promise of its premise.\"[97]\n

Later that year, Smith had his second starring role in an animated film, in Spies in Disguise, opposite Tom Holland. Smith voiced Lance Sterling, a spy who teams up with the nerdy inventor who creates his gadgets (Holland).[98] In 2020, he reteamed with Martin Lawrence for the third film in their franchise, Bad Boys for Life. In 2019, Smith invested $46 million in esports organization Gen.G with Smith's Dreamers Fund, which he co-founded with Keisuke Honda.[99] In June 2020, it was announced that Smith would star in Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, in which he portrays Peter, a runaway slave, who outsmarts hunters and the Louisiana swamp on a journey to the Union Army.[100]\n

\n

2020\u2013present: Memoir and King Richard

\n

Smith's memoir Will, which was written with Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, was published on November 9, 2021, and promoted with a tour.[101][102] The book is a journey of self-knowledge recalling childhood traumas, his relationship with his father, and his experiences with ayahuasca.[103][104] In the same year, he and his Westbrook Studios company signed a deal with National Geographic.[105]\n

Smith portrayed Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the 2021 film King Richard. For his performance, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor,[106] Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Motion Picture Drama, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.[107]\n

On February 7, 2022, National Geographic announced that Smith would star in a series titled Pole to Pole, which will stream on Disney+. The show will follow Smith and his film crew as they go on a 26,000-mile (42,000 km) trek from the South Pole to the North Pole, crossing all of Earth's biomes and spending time in communities along the way.[108] Part of the filming took place during an expedition in the Ecuadorian Amazon which helped discover the northern green anaconda.[109]\n

\n

2022 Oscars confrontation

\n
Main article: Chris Rock\u2013Will Smith slapping incident
\n
Further information: 94th Academy Awards
\n

During the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Smith walked onstage and slapped presenter and comedian Chris Rock who had made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head[110] with a reference to the main protagonist in the film G.I. Jane. Smith then returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, twice saying \"Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!\"[111][112][113] Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018 and would later shave her head due to the condition.[114][115] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony but he refused.[116] Later in the night, Smith was named Best Actor for King Richard and apologized to the Academy and the other nominees, but not to Rock, in his acceptance speech.[117][118][119] Following public backlash, Smith issued a formal apology via a public Instagram post.[120][121] ABC, AMPAS, and the Screen Actors Guild condemned Smith following the incident, prompting an investigation by the Academy's Board of Governors.[122] Rock declined to press charges against Smith, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.[123] On April 1, 2022, Smith tendered his resignation from the Academy, writing in part:\n

\n

I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.

\n

The AMPAS President David Rubin accepted the resignation in an official statement but said they would continue their investigation.[124] Smith's resignation means he is no longer able to vote on Oscar nominations as a member of the Academy.[125] Commentators have speculated that Smith's resignation from the Academy and other related fallout from the slap would damage his \"family brand\".[126]\n

On April 8, 2022, the Academy announced its decision to ban Smith from future Oscars galas and associated events for a period of 10 years.[127] Several film projects that Smith had been involved in were put on hold as a result of the controversy.[128] In a statement to CNN, Smith stated: \"I accept and respect the Academy's decision.\"[129][130] Smith offered an on camera apology on July 29, saying he was \"deeply remorseful\" for his actions.[131]\n

\n

Personal life

\n

Relationships and family

\n
Smith at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway with his family (left to right: son Jaden, wife Jada, Smith, daughter Willow)
\n

Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their son Willard Carroll \"Trey\" Smith III was born on November 11, 1992.[132] The two divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single \"Just the Two of Us\". He also acted in two episodes of the sitcom All of Us, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the David Blaine: Real or Magic TV special.[133]\n

During the late-1980s, Smith confirmed he briefly dated Sandra Denton, better known as Pepa of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa.[134]\n

Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on December 31, 1997.[135] They met when Pinkett auditioned for a role as Smith's character's girlfriend in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The pair produce films through their joint production company Overbrook Entertainment and Westbrook Inc.[136][137] Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (b. 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth; and Willow Camille Reign Smith (b. 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend.\n

Smith and his wife Jada have expressed unconventional practices in their marriage, jokingly calling their commitment \"bad marriage for life\".[138] Both he and Pinkett Smith have admitted to having extramarital relationships and believing in the freedom to pursue them. Smith has said he wanted a polyamorous relationship with actress Halle Berry and ballerina Misty Copeland but ultimately abandoned the idea after therapy.[139]\n

In October 2023, Pinkett Smith stated that she and Smith had been separated since 2016, though they have no intention to legally divorce.[140]\n

\n

Business

\n

Smith and his brother Harry own Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills\u2013based company named after Trey Smith, and his family resides in Los Angeles, California.[141] In 2018, Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by performing a bungee jump from a helicopter in the Grand Canyon.[142] Smith was insured by Lloyd's of London for $200 million for the jump, which raised money for the charity Global Citizen.[143]\n

\n

Religious and political views

\n

Smith was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Baptist church and Catholic school. In a 2013 interview, he said he did not identify as religious.[144][145] In 2015, Smith said in an interview with The Christian Post that his Christian faith, which was instilled in him by his grandmother, helped him to accurately portray Bennet Omalu in Concussion, saying: \"She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter presentations and putting on the Christmas plays and her kids and grandkids had to be first. She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying she was happy, like she was really excited about going to heaven.\"[146] In 2018, Smith performed the Hindu rite of abhisheka of Shiva at Haridwar, India. He also performed an arti of the holy river Ganga. He has said that he feels a deep connection to Hindu spirituality and Indian astrology.[147] Smith and his family also met and spent time with the Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, stating that he enjoyed the heartfelt conversations between them.[148]\n

Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.[149] 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.[150] In 2012, Smith said he supported legalizing same-sex marriage.[151] In 2021, Smith announced that production of his upcoming film, Emancipation, was being pulled from the U.S. state of Georgia because of the recent passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which critics viewed as a restrictive voting law, negatively impacting non-white voters. Smith and director Antoine Fuqua released a joint statement: \"We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access\".[152][153]\n

\n

Public image and legacy

\n

Smith has often been noted for achieving groundbreaking success throughout his musical career, and with his work as an actor in television and film. He has been cited as one of the \"greatest actors\" of his generation by several publications.[154][155] Forbes referred to him as the \"biggest movie star of the post-9/11 era\".[156] His transition from music to acting has influenced multiple rappers to also become actors, with him being cited as a pioneer for the rappers crossing over into acting by Complex.[157][158] In 2006, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world;[159] in 2008, Esquire named him one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century.[160]\n

Music\n

His work as a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince made them the first rap act to win a Grammy Award, as well as the first to win an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video, when the song \"Parents Just Don't Understand\" won in the inaugural rap categories at both award show ceremonies.[13][161][162] XXL has referred to him as \"one of the most important rappers of all time\".[163] As of 2013, his debut solo album Big Willie Style (1997) is among the best-selling rap albums of all time.[164]\n

Television \n

Smith launched his acting career by starring in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; the show's success is considered to be a watershed moment for Hip-Hop and Black television,[165][166] with many publications referring to it as one of the \"Greatest Sitcoms of All Time\".[167][168] Professor Andrew Horton said, \"Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air translated well into commercial box-office appeal. The Fresh Prince watered down and capitalized upon the then growing popularity of Hip Hop and almost anticipated its dominance on the American scene\".[169]\n

Moreover, author Willie Tolliver noted, \"What The Fresh Prince did accomplish was to put Smith and his character Will into an environment of affluence and possibility, thus changing the terms of his own Black identity. This social and cultural mobility is central to Smith's racial significance, and this will become evident again and again; he moves the image of the Black male into unaccustomed spaces just as Smith himself was in the process of conquering Hollywood.\"[170]\n

Film \n

After starring in his debut film Where the Day Takes You (1992), Smith quickly became one of Hollywood's most successful and bankable stars.[171] He currently holds the record for the most consecutive $100-million-plus hits at the US box office, with eight.[172] Smith starred as Daryl in the movie Bright (2017), which broke the record at the time for the most-viewed Netflix film ever for its first week,[173] and became the first major Hollywood film to skip theatrical release over streaming platform for simultaneous viewing by more than 100 million people worldwide.[174]\n

For his role as Agent J in Men in Black 3 (2012), Smith earned the highest-paid movie role of all time, when he reportedly earned $100 million for his role in the film; furthermore his roles in the movies King Richard and Bright are also among the highest-paid roles of all time.[175][176] His film Emancipation (2022) was sold to Apple Studios for $120 million in June 2020, which made it the largest film festival acquisition deal in film history.[177] In 2022, Smith became the fifth black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor behind Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker.[106]\n

\n

Discography

\n
Main articles: Will Smith discography and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince discography
\n\n

Filmography

\n
Main article: Will Smith filmography
\n

Awards and nominations

\n
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Will Smith
\n

Smith has received multiple awards throughout his career, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams, the prolific father and coach to championship tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the biopic King Richard (2021)\u2014a role that also won him a Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category; he also received a producer nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Prior to this award, he had been nominated several times for the Academy Award (2; for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness), the Golden Globe Award (5; for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness and Concussion), and the Screen Actors Guild Award (once for The Pursuit of Happyness). In 2005, he received the honorary C\u00e9sar Award; that same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical for Fela!; and in 2021, he was nominated as a producer of Cobra Kai for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.\n

Aside from acting and behind-the-scenes work on screen and stage, Smith has made ventures into hip hop with the release of several songs, four of which won him Grammy Awards\u2014one for Best Rap Performance (for \"Parents Just Don't Understand\"), one for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (for \"Summertime\"), and two for Best Rap Solo Performance (for \"Men in Black\" and \"Gettin' Jiggy wit It\"); the former two of which he won as a member of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.\n

His Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award nominations make him one of few black actors to be nominated for all four major entertainment awards in the US.\n

\n

See also

\n\n\n

References

\n
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    \n
  1. ^ Huey, Steve. \"DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince\". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.\n
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  2. ^ Britt, Bruce (May 24, 2019). \"Will Smith, a pioneering black nerd, helped raise and change rap music\". Andscape. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.\n
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  3. ^ Smith, Will (November 13, 2021). \"Will Smith: 'I watched my father punch my mother so hard she collapsed'\". The Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022. My full name is Willard Carroll Smith II \u2014 not Junior.\n
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  173. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 3, 2018). \"Netflix Firms 'Bright' Sequel With Will Smith\". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2022.\n
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  174. ^ \"Netflix makes history with Will Smith-starrer Bright\". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.\n
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  175. ^ \"Jack Sparrow to The Joker: 19 top-paid movie roles in Hollywood\". South China Morning Post. March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.\n
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  176. ^ Clark, Travis (August 19, 2021). \"25 highest paid movie roles of all time for actors: list\". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.\n
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  177. ^ \"Will Smith Once Earned $100 Million for *ONE* Movie and Now His Net Worth Is Astronomical\". Yahoo! News. October 26, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.\n
    178. \n
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\n\n\n\n", + "page_last_modified": " Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:54:14 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Will Smith: Biography, Actor, Oscar Winner", + "page_url": "https://www.biography.com/actors/will-smith", + "page_snippet": "Actor Will Smith has starred on \u2018The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\u2019 and in movies like \u2018Independence Day\u2019 and \u2018Ali.\u2019 Read about his movies, music, wife, and more.Will Smith transitioned from successful rapper to Hollywood A-lister, starring on \u2018The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\u2019 before headlining such films as \u2018Independence Day,\u2019 \u2018Men in Black,\u2019 and \u2018Ali.\u2019 Two years later, Smith began his crossover into acting. Drawing on his experiences with fledgling stardom, NBC signed Smith to headline a sitcom about a street-smart kid from Philadelphia who moves in with stuffy relatives in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air. Smith next took on the epic sci-fi flick Independence Day (1996), a role that confirmed him as a major player in Hollywood and the go-to guy for summer blockbusters. He played a 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 fought aliens again in his next blockbuster, the comic sci-fi action film, Men in Black (1997). Playing opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Smith chewed up the screen as the new recruit to Jones' old hand. Smith rapped the theme song, and its inclusion on his 1997 solo album, Big Willie Style, brought the multi-talented actor more success.", + "page_result": "Will Smith: Biography, Actor, Oscar Winner
Skip to Content

Will Smith

Will Smith transitioned from successful rapper to Hollywood A-lister, starring on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air before headlining such films as Independence Day, Men in Black, and Ali.

By Biography.com Editors
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1968-present

Jump to:

  • Who Is Will Smith?
  • Quick Facts
  • Early Life
  • Music Career
  • Movies and TV Shows
  • Wife Jada Pinkett Smith and Children
  • Quotes


Who Is Will Smith?

After Will Smith met Jeff Townes at age 16, the duo launched a highly successful rap career as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Smith starred on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six seasons, before establishing himself as a Hollywood A-lister with Bad Boys (1995) and Independence Day (1996). He has since headlined such popular films as Men in Black (1997) and Hitch (2005) and earned Oscar nominations for Ali (2001) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Smith also earned acclaim for Concussion (2015), before returning to action fare with Suicide Squad (2016).

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Willard Carroll Smith Jr.
BORN: September 25, 1968
BIRTHPLACE: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
SPOUSE: Sheree Zampino (1992-1995) and Jada Pinkett Smith (1997-present; separated)
CHILDREN: Trey, Jaden, and Willow
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Early Life

Smith was born Willard Carroll Smith Jr. on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia to mother Caroline, a school board employee, and father Willard C. Smith, a refrigeration company owner. His middle-class upbringing saw him attend the strict Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, despite his family's observation of the Baptist faith. He went on to attend Overbrook High School.

His West Philadelphia neighborhood was a melting pot of cultures where Orthodox Jews co-existed with a large Muslim population. Smith was a good student whose charming personality and quick tongue were renowned for getting him out of trouble, a trait for which he soon gained the nickname "Prince.''

Smith began rapping at age 12, emulating heroes like Grandmaster Flash but tingeing his rhymes with a comedic element that would later become his trademark. At 16 Smith met future collaborator Jeff Townes at a party. The pair became friends, and the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was born.

Music Career

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.

Early on, it was reported that Smith had turned down a scholarship to Boston's elite Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but Smith later dispelled the rumor when he told an interviewer: "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed Black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

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.

Movies and TV Shows

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Two years later, Smith began his crossover into acting. Drawing on his experiences with fledgling stardom, NBC signed Smith to headline a sitcom about a street-smart kid from Philadelphia who moves in with stuffy relatives in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air. 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."

Where the Day Takes You and Six Degrees of Separation

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) were followed by a critically acclaimed lead in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). 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.

Bad Boys

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 \u2014 playing the smooth lady killer to Lawrence's clown \u2014 was established as leading man material.

Independence Day

Smith next took on the epic sci-fi flick Independence Day (1996), a role that confirmed him as a major player in Hollywood and the go-to guy for summer blockbusters. He played a 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.

Men in Black and Enemy of the State

Smith fought aliens again in his next blockbuster, the comic sci-fi action film, Men in Black (1997). Playing opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Smith chewed up the screen as the new recruit to Jones' old hand. Smith 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.

Wild Wild West and The Legend of Bagger Vance

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. 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.

Oscar Nomination for Ali

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 \u2014 and ego \u2014 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.

Men in Black II, Bad Boys II, and I, Robot

A couple of sequels were next, with Smith reprising his roles in Men In Black II (2002) and Bad Boys II (2003). Neither was a flop, but neither matched the impressive box-office take of its predecessor. Staying with the sci-fi action theme, 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.

Hitch and The Pursuit of Happyness

Smith's smooth-talking charmer persona was put to use in the 2005 romantic 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.

I Am Legend

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.

Hancock, Seven Pounds, and Men in Black 3

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).

Focus, Concussion, and Suicide Squad

Smith's next leading role came with the 2015 heist caper Focus, co-starring Margot Robbie. 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.

Aladdin, Gemini Man, and Bad Boys for Life

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 him as a wisecracking Genie in Guy Ritchie's live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, which went on to top $1 billion at the global box office. Next up was Ang Lee's Gemini Man, which had Smith pulling double duty \u2014 with help from digital technology \u2014 as a 50-year-old assassin assigned to kill a 23-year-old version of himself.

The A-lister closed out the year by voicing super agent Lance Sterling in the animated Spies in Disguise, alongside Tom Holland, before opening 2020 with a return to his successful cop-buddy franchise in Bad Boys for Life.

Wife Jada Pinkett Smith and Children

Smith has been married twice. His first marriage, to Sheree Zampino in 1992, lasted only three years but produced a son, Willard Smith III (b. 1992), also known as Trey. He has been married to actress Jada Pinkett Smith since 1997. The couple's son, Jaden, was born in 1998, and their daughter, Willow, was born in 2000.

Smith leans politically liberal and has made donations to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama. Smith is a fan of chess and video games and is known to take his mother on vacation every year, usually to the Canyon Ranch spa in Tucson, Arizona.

Quotes

  • I want to represent the idea that you really can make what you want ... I believe I can create whatever I want to create.
  • I want to do good. I want the world to be better because I was here.
  • I have a great time with my life and I want to share it. I love living. I think that's infectious. It's something that you can't fake.
  • Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Why would you be realistic?
  • There's no easy way round it. Your talent is going to fail if you're not skilled.
  • I've never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic. While the other guys sleeping, I'm working. While the other guy is eating, I'm working.
  • The first step before anybody else in the world believes it is you have to believe it.
  • There's no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A.
  • Don't chase people. Be yourself, do your own thing and work hard.
  • I'm a student of patterns, at heart I'm a physicist.
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