Historical Figure
Will Smith
1968–2016
American actor and rapper (born 1968)
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Biography
Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
In Their Own Words (5)
I feel like I could run for President. People often laugh, but if I set my mind to it, within the next 15 years I could be in the White House.
"Will Smith" article in Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies (2001 edition), p. 406 , 2001
Even Hitler didn't wake up going, "let me do the most evil thing I can do today." I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was "good." Stuff like that just needs reprogramming. … I wake up every day full of hope, positive that every day is going to be better than yesterday. And I'm looking to infect people with my positivity. I think I can start an epidemic.
As quoted in "Will Smith : My Work Ethic Will Make Me A Legend" by Siobhan Synnot in Daily Record (22 December 2007) , 2007
Keep my wife's name out [of] your fucking mouth!
Shouted to Chris Rock during their altercation at the 94th Academy Awards (27 March 2022) , 2022
The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill, right? I will run. I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, right, there’s two things. You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?
"Actor-musician Will Smith" transcript from interview on The Tavis Smiley Show (13 December 2007) , 2007
It's great to be Black in Hollywood. When a Black actor does something, it seems new and different just by virtue of the fact that he's Black.
"Will Smith" article in Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies (2001 edition), p. 406 , 2001
Timeline
The story of Will Smith, told in moments.
Born Willard Carroll Smith II in Philadelphia. His father owns a refrigeration company. His mother works for the school board. He grows up in Wynnefield, a middle-class neighborhood. His SAT scores are high enough for MIT. He doesn't apply.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince win the first Grammy ever awarded for Best Rap Performance, for "Parents Just Don't Understand." They boycott the ceremony because the award isn't televised. Smith is 20 and already broke. He'd earned his first million at 18, spent it all, and owes the IRS .8 million.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premieres on NBC. He's playing a fictionalized version of himself: a West Philly kid sent to live with wealthy relatives in Bel-Air. The show runs for six seasons, 148 episodes. His IRS debt is repaid by season two.
Independence Day grosses million worldwide. He punches an alien and says, "Welcome to Earth." The following year, Men in Black makes million. He becomes the most bankable star on the planet for a decade. Studios will greenlight anything with his name attached.
Stars as Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's Ali. He trains for a year, gains 35 pounds of muscle, and learns to box left-handed. Earns his first Academy Award nomination. Ali's daughter Laila says watching Smith makes her feel like she's watching her father.
Hitch grosses $370 million worldwide. He is the most bankable star in Hollywood. Three consecutive films topping $100 million domestically. No one opens a movie bigger. He turns down the role of Neo in The Matrix.
The Pursuit of Happyness. He plays Chris Gardner, a homeless single father who interns at Dean Witter while sleeping in a subway bathroom with his five-year-old son. His real son Jaden plays the boy. Second Oscar nomination.
Starts a YouTube channel. A 50-year-old movie star competing with teenagers for views. Bungee jumps out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon for his 50th birthday. The video gets 30 million views.
Wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for King Richard. Twelve minutes earlier, he walks onstage during the live telecast and slaps presenter Chris Rock across the face after Rock makes a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. The room goes silent. Smith returns to his seat. He accepts the award in tears. He is banned from the ceremony for ten years. The slap is viewed 100 million times in 24 hours.
Returns to music with Bad Boys: Ride or Die earning over million worldwide. Releases his first album in 19 years. The comeback is cautious and controlled. He films everything for social media. The public is still deciding what to make of him.
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