WHY IS HE FAMOUSWill Smith started off with a successful rap career, which he parlayed into the successful television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Since then, Will Smith has become a huge movie star with big box office returns.
Will Smith Quote
" I love being black in America, and especially being black in Hollywood."
81 MAGNETISM
He is the ever-faithful husband despite the daily temptations thrust upon him by groupies. He was a self-proclaimed womanizer, but family life has domesticated him considerably.
"I honestly believe there is no woman for me but Jada [Pinkett Smith]. ...As fine as other women can be, as tempting sexually, I'm not going anywhere. This is it. I can't imagine what anyone else could offer."
90 SUCCESS
He has Grammy Awards and Billboard album sales plaques, but where is the Oscar? He has accomplished a lot in a very short time, but Will Smith is a perfectionist and he won't rest until an Oscar is sitting on his mantel. He was nominated for one for his role in Ali (2002), but lost that to Denzel Washington. Even before the release of The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), there were whispers of his contention for the coveted award, but it stopped at another nomination.
Regardless of how many awards decorate Will Smith's home or sit in the closet, he has an indelible face that is recognized the world over.
WILL SMITH BIOGRAPHYWill Smith was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother was an employee with the school board and his father was an owner of a refrigerator company, and together they provided Will Smith with a reasonable middle-class upbringing. Will was a bright student and a smooth-talking charmer, an ability that led to his “Prince” moniker. His father often pushed him to pursue academics, but when the time came, Will turned down a scholarship to M.I.T. in favor of a career in music.
Will’s music career began at the age of 12 when he met Jeff Townes (aka DJ Jazzy Jeff) at a party. They hit it off instantly and began creating demo tapes with the goal of emulating their heroes Run DMC. By the time Will Smith was 20 he produced the Grammy-winning album He's the DJ I'm the Rapper, which included the hit song "Parents Just Don't Understand." This song, and the album, became a cult classic among teenagers at the time, not so much for the musical excellence, but for its comedic overtones. Smith came to represent a new breed of rappers that did not need explicit language or violence to entertain listeners.
Will Smith Becomes The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
Fortune accompanied Will Smith’s music career, which included No. 1 hit songs, million-selling albums and a Grammy. As such, Will Smith purchased a home, cars, jewelry, and all the other extravagances that a successful hip-hop artist needs. Unfortunately, by 1990 his spending spree nearly landed him in a position next to MC Hammer -- or bankrupt.
As fate would have it, Will Smith met the mastermind behind The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Benny Medina. Contrary to popular belief, the show was actually based on Benny’s life; he was born poor and went on to live with a rich Beverly Hills family. The idea was pitched to NBC; the network immediately bought the concept and brought Quincy Jones in as producer. The show hit a chord and lasted six years before Will Smith decided to call it quits.
Will Smith Becomes A Bad Boy
Still, before the show ended in 1996, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff released two albums: Homebase (1991), which included the No. 1 Rap Single and No. 4 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Summertime” and Code Red (1993). Also, Will Smith began his movie career with an appearance in Six Degrees of Separation (1993) as a homosexual con artist and in Bad Boys (1995), which costarred Martin Lawrence and Tea Leoni. Will Smith’s performance in Six Degrees was hailed as an incredible rookie performance. The dark subject matter of the film didn't stop him from doing the movie, but he quickly realized that his chosen movie roles would have an effect on the image he projects through his music.
As a result, Will Smith started taking on roles in action movies such as Bad Boys, and the megahit Independence Day (1996), which also starred Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Vivica A. Fox. The role cemented his stature among moviegoers and substantially raised his asking price to a level similar to that of Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise. In 1997, Will Smith followed up with another summer blockbuster in Men in Black with Tommy Lee Jones. He also provided the title song, which became the theme song of the summer.
Will Smith Marries Jada Pinkett
The success of the song “Men in Black” sent Will Smith back to the studio as a solo artist to make the well-received album Big Willie Style. The album peaked in the U.S. at No. 8 and went on to be certified platinum nine times. The success of the album no doubt had something to do with the two chart-topping Grammy-winning songs “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Men In Black,” and the pull-at-your-heartstrings track “Just the Two of Us.” The video for “Just the Two of Us” featured Will Smith’s first son Willard Christopher III from his first wife Sharee Zampino, whom he divorced in 1995.
In 1997, Will Smith married his second wife, Jada Pinkett, who actually had to encourage Will Smith to accept the role for Men In Black. Originally the two met when she auditioned for a part on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The couple has since produced two children, Jaden Christopher Syre and Willow Camille Reign.
In 1998, Will Smith starred in the action-drama Enemy of the State and in 1999 he turned down the role of Neo in the commercial goldmine The Matrix. Will Smith has since expressed regret for turning down the role in favor of Wild Wild West (1999), but contends that he probably wouldn’t have been as “right” for the role as Keanu Reeves was.
Despite the box office success and cinematic failure of Wild Wild West, Will Smith continued his music career and released the double platinum Willennium in 1999. The album featured the title track for the movie and went on to become a No. 1 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Also in 1999, Will Smith picked up three American Music Awards.
Will Smith Gets Oscar Nods
In 1998, Will Smith did a highly publicized interview with Barbara Walters in which he openly criticized other rappers for encouraging youths to speak in Ebonics instead of correct English. He also revealed his paranoia about the government in a very X-Files-like manner. One could argue that he took his Men In Black role a little too seriously; nonetheless, the interview resulted in further criticism from fellow hardcore rappers.
Will Smith’s next big picture was the biopic Ali (2001) in which he portrayed boxing legend Mohammad Ali. Despite the films lackluster performance at the box office, it did garner Will Smith an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately, he lost the Oscar to Denzel Washington for his performance in Training Day (2001). In preparation for the role, Will Smith underwent a strict diet and workout regime, which also gave him additional energy in bed: "I'm human Viagra. I'm Willagra. I'm a sex machine now. I'm raring to go every second of the day. My wife's loving it."
Will Smith Does Sequels In Men In Black Ii And Bad Boys Ii
Will Smith remained gainfully employed every year since the turn of the century. In 2002, he released the album Born to Reign, but it peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. charts and has only been certified gold. Thankfully his movie career hasn’t suffered the same fate.
In 2002 and 2003, Will Smith appeared in a couple sequels: Men In Black II and Bad Boys II respectively. Though neither movie flopped, one could argue that they paled in comparison to the first installments.
Not one to stray from a working formula, Will became the techno-phobic cop Del Spooner in I, Robot (2004), which was Alex Proyas’ version of the Isaac Asimov book. In a surprise move, Will Smith did the voice for Oscar in the 2004 children’s movie Shark Tale; perhaps this was done on the advice of his children.
Nonetheless, Will Smith returned to form and Fresh Prince style in Hitch (2005), which costarred the gorgeous Eva Mendes and the hilarious Kevin James. In this film, Will Smith plays Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, a confidence builder who teaches his male clients how to behave with, approach and pickup women. In the process he loses his swagger and trips over himself to patch things up with the Eva Mendes.
Will Smith In The Pursuit Of Happyness
On the heels of his successful return to comedy, Will Smith took yet another turn and accepted a dramatic role in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). The film also stars Thandie Newton and his son Jaden, which certainly added to the dramatic element. Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a salesman who struggles with his career and receives custody of his son. The onscreen chemistry and heartwarming tale earned Will Smith Oscar whispers even before the film was released.
In 2007, Will Smith worked on I Am Legend, another sci-fi action flick.
Will Smith In Hancock And The Trial Of The Chicago 7
In 2008, Will Smith added Hancock to his growing resume, which costarred Jason Bateman. He also worked on the flick Seven Pounds with Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson. Will Smith was nominated for AM's Top 49 Men of 2008.
His 2009 movie projects include the flick The Trial of the Chicago 7 with Kevin Spacey.
