BIOGRAPHY:

Date of birth: September 25, 1968
Place of birth: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), USA
Height: 188 cm. Weight: 89 kg
Start of career: 1980

Will Smith’s childhood and youth:

Will Smith was born in Philadelphia into a large family of teacher Carol and former US Air Force officer Willard. He has an older sister, Pam, and younger siblings, Harry and Ellen (twins). When the boy was 13 years old, his parents divorced. However, the father helped his ex-wife and raised the children.

Because of his charm and charisma, his school friends called Will the Prince. He found it easy to study; teachers treated Smith well, despite racial prejudice. Will was able to obtain a certificate with high grades and even receive a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but decided not to continue his studies, but to begin to conquer show business. He dreamed of becoming a famous rapper.

Will Smith’s music career:

While in high school, Smith, along with his friend Jeff Towson, created the group DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (“DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince”). Will wrote the lyrics to the tracks himself – however, representatives of gangsta rap laughed at him because the songs were mainly for girls.

However, the compositions found a response among radio listeners – especially Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble (“Girls are not everything, but problems”). The track “Parents Just Don’t Understand” became a real hit. In 1989, this song brought friends a Grammy. For the first time in the history of the award, the award was awarded to a rap artist. The albums Greatest Hits (a collection of “Greatest Hits”) and He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper (Expanded Edition) went platinum. In 1991, the duo recorded the album Homebase, the track Summertime included in it became their calling card. In the late nineties, Will decided to start a solo career. The debut album Big Willie Style (Big Willie Smith, 1997) was highly praised by critics. The tracks “Miami” and “Gettin Jiggy With It” became hits. Then there were the albums Willenium (the word is formed from the name of the singer Will and the word “millennium” – “millennium”) and Born to Reign (“Born to Rule”), the latter was perceived negatively by the public. Smith recorded his last album, Lost & Found, in 2005.

A distinctive feature of Smith’s work was the absence of obscene speech. It was for this that Will was scolded by representatives of the rap industry, including Eminem.

Starting to act in films, Smith also recorded soundtracks for them. Among them are Men in Black for Men in Black. In the 2000s, the artist had a choice – Hollywood or songs. He chose the first. Acting career of Will Smith
At the age of 18, the aspiring musician quickly spent all the money he earned on rap hits, after which he fell into large debts. At that moment, he received an offer from Warner Brothers to star in the series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-1996). The series ran for six years, and thanks to this work, Smith was able to break into Hollywood. Here he was warmly greeted by famous African Americans – Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington.

While participating in the filming of the comedy series, Smith simultaneously starred in the films: “Six Degrees of Separation” (1993), “Go with the Flow” (1993), “Made in America” (1993). However, the film “Bad Boys” (1995) brought him worldwide love. In 1996, he starred in the action film Independence Day. Then there was another cult work – the fantastic action movie “Men in Black” (1997). The following year, People included Will Smith in the top 50 most beautiful people in the world.

In 2001, Smith starred in the sports drama Ali, where he appeared as the legendary American boxer Muhammad Ali. For this role, Will subjected himself to grueling daily training and followed a special diet. This allowed him to gain 15 kilograms. For this role, the Hollywood star was included for the first time among the nominees for the Oscar for Best Actor.

According to Forbes, in 2008, Smith topped the list of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. His income was $80 million a year. In the 21st century, he has produced dozens of famous films, including “I, Robot!” (2004), “Rule of Removal: The Hitch Method” (2005), “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006), “I Am Legend” (2007), “Seven Lives” (2008), “Suicide Squad” (2016), “Aladdin” (2019).

In 2022, Smith received the long-awaited Oscar for Best Actor in the biopic about Richard Williams (father of legendary tennis players Venus and Serena Williams) King Richard.

The ceremony turned into a scandal: Will hit comedian Chris Rock, who announced the nomination. The actor did not like the joke about his wife’s shaved head. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia (partial or complete loss of hair on her head). Subsequently, the actor apologized to the organizers and viewers. Sports in the life of Will Smith

In addition to music and acting, the actor has another passion. Smith is a huge basketball fan. By the way, the actor appeared as a basketball player in the series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The Grammy and Oscar winner often takes part in activities related to his favorite sport. On American MTV in the late 90s there was a program called Rock N’ Jock. The essence of the show is that actors, musicians and athletes compete in different sports. Smith was invited to the basketball all-star team. Mark Wahlberg, Jalil White, MC Lyte also played with him. Basketball players Magic Johnson, John Salley, Ron Harper, Reggie Miller and others came up against them. Then the team of professionals won.

In 2011, Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith acquired shares of the Philadelphia 76ers NBA club. The Oscar-winning actor justified his choice by the fact that he was born in Philadelphia. The star takes an active part in the life of the club. For example, he can easily arrange a joint dinner for the players or shoot a motivational video. So, in 2018, a promotional video “Can you feel it?!” was presented. ahead of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. He was accompanied by such stars as Philadelphia basketball player Joel Embiid, actor Kevin Hart, rapper Lil Dicky and the group Boyz II Men.

The American also recorded the anthem “Live It Up” together with the Albanian singer Era Istrefi and the American performer Nicky Jam, especially for the FIFA World Cup, which took place in Russia in 2018. On July 15, at a ceremony before the final game of the 2018 World Cup between Croatia and France at Luzhniki (Moscow), Smith spoke to Russians and fans from other countries. Personal life of Will Smith: Mrs. and Mr. Smith
The Hollywood actor was married twice. Smith lived with his first wife, owner of the healthy skin company Sheree Elizabeth LLC Sheri Zampino, for three years (from 1992 to 1995). The family had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III.

The rapper’s second wife was actress Jada Pinkett-Smith. She is known for her work in the films Scream 2 (1997), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), and Bad Moms (2016).

The couple first met back in 1990 at the casting of the series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” but the girl was not approved. But they were able to become friends and kept in touch for many years. It was Pinkett who helped the actor survive the divorce. On December 31, 1997, the lovers got married. About 100 guests were present at the wedding ceremony.

Will and Jada have two children: son Jayden Christopher Sayer (born in 1998) and daughter Willow Camille Rain (born in 2000).

Jaden followed in the footsteps of his star father: he acts in films and raps. While still a child, he starred in the film “The Pursuit of Happiness”; the boy’s work was highly praised by critics. However, the work in the film “After Earth” (2013) was negatively received by the audience, which affected the box office. In 2017, the young man decided to completely go into music.

Willow also acted in films with her father. It was in the movie “I Am Legend.” True, then the girl focused on her musical career. In 2019, she presented her debut solo album, Willow.

BLOOMING:

The mid-90s were marked by another surge in popularity for Will Smith. In 1996, he appeared before the audience of the science fiction blockbuster “Independence Day” in the role of the brave pilot Stephen Hiller.

In 1997, the actor appeared before the audience in a role that remained with him throughout his entire career. The adventures of the charming Agent J from the action comedy Men in Black were loved by millions of people around the world, and Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were among the best acting duos of the 90s. The story about a secret agency, a kind of immigration service for aliens, increased the size of Will Smith’s account by another five million.

At this time, the actor remembered his forgotten musical career and released two albums in a row: “Willenium” and “Big Willie Style,” which, as expected, became successful. At this moment, the older generation of film stars became proud of Will. And Whoopi Goldberg even called the young man “sonny.” Another victory was not long in coming. The actor played alongside Gene Hackman in the film Enemy of the State. True, the next work, a cowboy in the comedy “Wild Wild West” directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, was a failure, although the track from the film again conquered the American charts.

The most annoying thing is that for the sake of this picture, Will Smith refused the main role in “The Matrix”, and the world forever linked Neo with Keanu Reeves.

Soon the actor starred in the iconic role of Muhammad Ali in the biographical film Ali. This film, which received many rave reviews, greatly changed the actor himself. According to him, he has reached the limit of his physical, spiritual, and emotional capabilities. Will Smith took the role extremely seriously: he exhausted himself with 6-hour daily workouts, went on a boxing diet, and as a result gained 15 kilograms of muscle mass. In addition, Will learned the language and gave up sex for a while, like his hero.

After the film’s release, Smith didn’t even have to worry about his future. Every year the actor appeared in several films. But he still played clueless cops and alien fighters. Will regularly joked and joked in the film “Men in Black 2” and the film “Bad Boys 2”.

At this time, the actor decided to switch to dramatic roles in order to find professional balance. Smith’s key work is the role of a strong-willed and serious detective in the action film “I, Robot!” Alex Proyas.

Over the next few years, Will Smith carefully chose his roles; he only took on significant characters, not ordinary ones. Thus, the actor’s heroes were a doctor-matchmaker in the 2005 melodrama “Rule of Hiring: The Hitch Method,” as well as a heroic single father in the 2006 drama “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which also starred Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith.

In 2007, his hero was the only survivor of New York from the film “I Am Legend.” Next, his portfolio was supplemented by a guy in love with a terminally ill girl in a drama called “7 Lives.” Well, then came the role of a homeless superhero in the comedy “Hancock” along with Atticus Schafer and Charlize Theron.

After such an impressive filmography, Will Smith does not need to appear on the big screen every year. His latest works include the intricate crime drama “Focus” in tandem with the luxurious Margot Robbie, the tragic detective thriller “The Protector” and the comedy superhero film “Suicide Squad”.

In Suicide Squad, Will Smith played the role of the “anti-superhero” assassin Deadshot. It is noteworthy that many Hollywood stars applied for this role: Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Johnny Depp, but director David Ayer finally settled on Smith. For this role, the actor had to shave his head and take a course in shooting training in military field conditions. In 2017, Will delighted audiences with his performance in the action comedy film Bright. The action takes place in an alternative reality, where fantasy creatures live side by side with ordinary people. Smith’s hero Daryl Ward works for the police, and an orc named Jacobi (Joel Edgerton) is assigned as his partner. He becomes the first fairy-tale creature to guard order, which is why both people and fellow tribesmen mock him.

PERSONAL LIFE OF WILL SMITH:

For three years, Will Smith lived with his first wife, Cherie Zampion. In 1995, the actor divorced. Will Smith’s eldest son, Willard Christopher Smith III (but everyone calls him Trey), chose to live with his mother.

The actor’s second wife was his colleague Jada Pinkett. Will met this mulatto beauty during her audition for the role of Smith’s partner in the series about The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Then the thin and fragile Jada did not suit the huge two-meter Will Smith, and the girl left with nothing. But this didn’t stop them from becoming friends in real life, and when Will Smith’s first marriage cracked, he remembered his forgotten feelings. The couple had a son, Jaden (born in 1998), and a daughter, Willow (born in 2000).

Jada is not as popular an actress as her star husband, but still boasts an impressive filmography. Among her most recent well-known works are the series “Gotham” and the comedy “Bad Moms.” There is harmony in the Smith family; Jada is calm about the rumors that arise around her husband’s personal life after the premiere of each film in which a love line appears: “I’m fine with the fact that Will is attracted to other women. After all, if he doesn’t appreciate feminine beauty in others, then how can he admire my appearance?”

Jaden Smith, the son of Will and Jada, is trying his hand at both acting and rapping. Although his starting opportunities are not comparable to those of his father, his work does not always evoke the same positive responses. While critics called his role in The Pursuit of Happyness a breakthrough, his performance in the film After Earth was called unconvincing, and the film itself received extremely low ratings.

By 2017, the boy realized that he would not make a great actor, and began to rap. Will Smith, of course, supports his son, but does not miss the opportunity to tease him. Thus, Will hilariously parodied Jaden’s video for the song “Icon,” ridiculing the poor editing and pretentious behavior of the young man.

Willow Smith also tried acting in films, making her debut at a tender age in “I Am Legend” with her father, but later she also changed her acting career to a musical one. In 2019, her first solo album, Willow, was released.

The spouses refute periodically rumors about a quarrel in the family of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, appearing on television shows and at social events. The looks exchanged between the Smith couple reveal exceptional love and care.Both Will and Jada are environmentalists. They have invested in Quidnet Energy, a renewable energy company, and Just Water, which markets drinking water in biodegradable packaging.

Will Smith now:

After the scandal at the Oscars, the actor did not receive new roles for 10 months. In January 2023, it became known that he would star as the Genie in the sequel to Aladdin. This summer, Undawn, a game about survival in an open world, was released for smartphones and PCs. One of the characters was Will Smith.

The actor announced in September 2023 that he was releasing a podcast about American hip-hop called Class of ’88. Smith will raise topics such as the secret of success of Public Enemy, women in the rap industry, and discuss the biographies of Darryl McDaniels, Chuck D, Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Will Smith’s 10 Best Films, Ranked by IMDb:

“The Pursuit of Happiness” (2006)

“Seven Lives” (2008)

“King Richard” (2021)

“Men in Black” (1997)

“Enemy of the State” (1998)

“I am Legend” (2007)

“I, Robot” (2004)

“Defender” (2015)

“Independence Day” (1996)

“Aladdin” (2019)