Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25,
1968) is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He is a member of a small
group of people who have enjoyed success in three major entertainment media in
the United States (music, television, and film). Newsweek has called him the
most powerful actor on the planet. Smith has been nominated for four Golden
Globes, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammys.
Smith rose to fame as a rapper under the name the Fresh Prince in the late
1980s. Smith's most notable television role was that of William "Will" Smith in
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In his film work, his notable roles include Agent J
in Men in Black and its sequel, Men in Black II, Detective Del Spooner in I,
Robot, Muhammad Ali in Ali, Detective Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys and its sequel,
Bad Boys II, as well as his role in the blockbuster Independence Day and more
recently as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness with his son Jaden Smith
and as Robert Neville in I Am Legend with his daughter Willow Smith. He is the
only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in
the domestic box office as well as being the only actor to have eight
consecutive films open at #1 on the domestic box office as a Lead Actor. If
Lakeview Terrace is included (a film which he only produced) he has 9
consecutive films opening at #1.
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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 as well as Ready Rock
C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for
performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents
Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime." They gained critical
acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category
(1988). He had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Gulf War song by
a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career
and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service
eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many
of his possessions, and garnished his income.
Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 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
launched his acting career. Smith set himself the goal of becoming
"'the biggest movie star in the world'," studying box office
successes' common characteristics. While still appearing in The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's film career took off with his role
in the buddy cop action film Bad Boys (1995) along with co-star
Martin Lawrence.
After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended May
20, 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while
simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films
were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996),
in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men
in Black (1997), where he played the comic and confident Agent J
against Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan Agent K. Smith's acting in Men in
Black won critical praise. He originally rejected the lead role in
Men in Black, but wife Jada Pinkett Smith coaxed him into
acceptance. The two films established Smith's commercial reputation
as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lines
could "open" a film at the box office, a reputation Smith would
begin to term a "Big Willie Weekend". In 1998 he starred with
Gene
Hackman in Enemy of the State which had a seemingly far-fetched
plot at the time but has become more and more plausible as the
'surveillance society' becomes more of a reality. Smith turned down
the role of Neo in
The Matrix
in favor of Wild Wild West. Despite the failure of Wild Wild West,
Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision,
asserting that
Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith
would have achieved. Smith then went on to gain leading roles in
several box office successes including Men in Black II, Bad Boys II,
Hitch, and I, Robot.
Smith is one of only two hip-hop artists to receive an Oscar
nomination in an acting category (Best Actor, Ali, 2001), for his
portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay,
in the biopic. He was again nominated for Best Actor Oscar for his
role in another true-life movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, where he
played Chris Gardner in his rags-to-riches story.
Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith created the UPN (later CW)
sitcom All of Us, which was loosely based on their lives. The show
debuted on UPN in September 2003 and aired there for three seasons
before moving to The CW in October 2006 for one more season. The CW
cancelled All of Us in May 2007.
Smith appeared as himself in Jersey Girl delivering the Silent Bob
speech that appears in nearly all Kevin Smith movies. The lead
character's situation is due to the claim, "Will Smith is just a
rapper."
Smith also released a string of hit singles, often associated with
his most recent film, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of
these were his #1 hit theme song "Men in Black", the #1 hit "Gettin'
Jiggy Wit It" (which made jiggy a catchphrase for a while in 1998),
and a cover of "Just the Two of Us", an affectionate message to his
young son. His first two solo albums went platinum, but his third,
on Columbia Records, was a sales disappointment compared to his past
efforts, and after a quick Greatest Hits release that was almost not
advertised at all, he was dropped by the label. He signed a
recording contract with Interscope Records and released the
successful Lost & Found in 2005. The album was propelled solely on
the smash hit single, "Switch", which appealed to the mainstream a
la "Summertime". The single stayed atop the charts for months and
returned Smith to the forefront of hip-hop.
In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records
for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time
span.On July 2, 2005, Smith served as host for the Live 8 concert in
his native Philadelphia in front of an enormous crowd, and later
performed a set with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith appeared at Nickelodeon
Kid's Choice awards in 2005 performing "Switch", as well as the
Black Entertainment Television awards in 2005. He appeared in the
second game of the NBA Finals (San Antonio vs. Detroit) performing
"Switch" in 2005. Smith also made a special appearance in the
reality talent contest show "Indian Idol", when he visited India.
Smith was considered for the role of John Smith in the movie Mr. and
Mrs. Smith; Brad Pitt eventually received the role.He was also
considered for the role of Willy Wonka in the remake of the film
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has planned to star in a
feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.
Smith was recognized on December 10, 2007, at Grauman's Chinese
Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Smith left an imprint of his hands and
feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans.
Smith appeared in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007.
Despite marginally positive reviews, 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".Smith is developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, which
he will star as Taharqa.
President Barack Obama stated that if a film were to ever be made
about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has
the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of
a film based on the 2008 election.
On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been 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. |
