Will Smith

June 30, 8:32 PMCelebrity Profile ExaminerAndy Williamson

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WILL SMITH

In 1990, around the time he was being plucked from obscurity to star in his own sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith told his manager that he wanted to be “the biggest movie star in the world.”  Less than two decades later, the erstwhile Fresh Prince would arguably achieve this impossible dream.

Willard Christopher “Will” Smith Jr. was born on September 25th, 1968 in Philadelphia, PA.  The second of four children born to Willard Smith Sr. (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline Smith (a school administrator), Will’s parents taught their kids by example the importance of hard work, education, and a strong spiritual foundation (in this case, Baptist).  Despite this, Will’s parents separated when he was 13 ... and divorced when he was 32 (you can’t say they rushed their trial separation).

In school, Will quickly earned the nickname “Prince” for his charming and unerring ability to talk his way out any situation.  It eventually became "Fresh Prince."  While attending West Philly’s Overbrook High School, Will met Jeff Townes at a party, and the two soon began collaborating on rap songs as DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince -- Will sang and rapped, while Jeff mixed and scratched.  Along with Clarence Holmes (aka Ready Rock C) on percussion, the trio soon got themselves noticed with “clean” and humorous rap songs like Parents Just Don’t Understand and Summertime.

In 1989, after squandering his newfound wealth on houses and cars (and also after a bit of tax trouble), Will was nearly bankrupt.  So when NBC took notice of the rising star, signed him to a contract, and decided to build a sitcom around him, Will thought the heavens had opened up with showers of blessings.  Will soon headed to Hollywood.  For his role as “Will” in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), it wasn’t like he had to dig deep to play a street-smart West Philly kid transplanted to a ritzy neighborhood in southern California.  During its run, the series regularly fluctuated from the high teens to the low twenties in the ratings -- not too shabby.  In 1993, during a hiatus from the show, Will appeared in the films Made in America (starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson) and Six Degrees of Separation, playing a conman posing as Sidney Poitier’s son.  While the latter film earned him stellar reviews, it didn’t make much of a dent at the box office.  Nevertheless, Will’s star was on the rise.

WILL SMITH

Will’s (aforementioned) goal of becoming the “biggest movie star in the world” took a huge leap forward when, in 1995, he was cast opposite Martin Lawrence in director Michael Bay’s Bad Boys.  The $19 million budgeted film would go on to earn over $141 million worldwide, and jump start the careers of its freshman director and two stars.  But it wasn’t until the following year that Will would star in a film that would send his career into the stratosphere ... quite literally.

Independence Day (1996) starred Will as a fighter pilot who goes up against an alien invasion.  The film would go on to earn over $817 million globally and turn Will Smith into a household name.  The following year, Will starred in another film about aliens, Men in Black (costarring Tommy Lee Jones), that would garner nearly $600 million worldwide.  Both films opened on the July 4th weekend (which would start a trend of Big Willie Weekends for future releases), and would earn the star the nickname “Mr. July.”  The punk kid from Philly had officially proven his ability to successfully “open” films around the world, and cross multiple demographic lines regardless of age, race or gender.

After starring alongside Gene Hackman in Tony Scott’s Enemy of the State in 1998 (which earned good-not-great reviews and a quarter billion in global box office), Will’s star power took a major hit when in 1999 he appeared in a dreadful remake of the 1960’s TV series Wild Wild West.  Will would later make a public apology to his fans, and to original star Robert Conrad, for the ill-conceived update.  Ironically, Will turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix to make said debacle -- regarding this, he says he has no regrets and praised Keanu Reeves performance in the movie.  Go figure.

WILL SMITH IN 'MEN IN BLACK'

In the new millennium, Will starred in The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Ali (2001 - for which he received his first Oscar nomination), Men in Black II (2002), Bad Boys II (2003), I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006 - another Oscar nom).  All of these films did well critically and commercially.  In 2007, Will starred as the last man on Earth in the third filming of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, which despite mixed reviews, earned over $585 million in global ticket sales.  2008’s Hancock did even better.  The drama Seven Pounds, released that same year, not so much.

Regarding Will’s erstwhile rap career, the actor has released four solo albums: Big Willie Style (1997 - 14 million units sold and 2 Grammys)), Willennium (1999 - multiplatinum), Born to Reign (2002 - gold), and Lost and Found (2005 - gold).  While focusing on acting, he has yet to come close to phenomenal success of Big Willie Style.

Will was married to Sheree Zampino from May 1992 - December 1995.  They have one son, Willard Christopher Smith III (born November 1992), affectionately known as Trey.  Trey appeared in the music video for his father’s 1998 single Just The Two Of Us.

Since December 1997 Will has been married to actress Jada Pinkett Smith -- they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 1998) and Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 2000).  Both Jaden and Willow have appeared in their father’s films -- Jaden in The Pursuit of Happyness and Willow in I Am Legend.

The Smiths divide their time between homes in Star Island, Florida (near Miami), Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Stockholm, Sweden.

WILL SMITH IN 'I AM LEGEND'

Regardless of whether or not Will Smith’s films proverbially knock it out of the park each time, the man has already set some records.  According to Wikipedia: Will is the only artist in history to receive two Grammies from this category (Best Rap Solo Performance) for two songs (Men in Black and Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It) from the same album (Big Willie Style).  Also according to Wiki: 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.  The total box office earnings of his films are over $4.4 billion.  He is also universally loved and admired.

If that’s not being “the biggest movie star in the world,” I don’t know what is.

You go, Will.  You are more of an inspiration than you know.

Up next: Monster Hunter (2010)

Will Smith Quotes:

“I love being black in America, and especially being black in Hollywood.”

“You're so much stronger when your partner is strong.  I honestly believe there is no woman for me but Jada.  Of all the women I've met -- and there've been a few -- no one can handle me the way Jada does.  Once you feel someone locked in on you, it's no contest.  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.”

“I really believe that a man and a woman together, raising a family, is the purest form of happiness we can experience.”

WILL AND JADA PINKETT SMITH

Regarding the physical changes he went through to portray Muhammad Ali: "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."

“My grandmother once told me, 'Don't let failure go to your heart and don't let success go to your head.' “

Regarding the first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: "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 episodes, it's disgusting.  My performances were horrible."

“If you're not willing to work hard, let someone else do it.  I'd rather be with someone who does a horrible job, but gives 110% than with someone who does a good job and gives 60%.”

On whether or not his friend Tom Cruise has converted him to Scientology: "I am a Christian.  I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths."

Regarding  Star Wars: "I might have been eight or nine.  That was the movie that put me into a space where the science fiction element was almost a spiritual connection for me.  I thought, if someone could imagine that and then put it on a screen and make me feel like that ... my entire career I've been trying to make people feel like Star Wars made me feel."

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like.”

“Give me a problem, I'll give you a solution.  I just love living.  That's a feeling you can't fake.  I'm glad every single day.  I think that even the camera can feel that I'm a happy man.”

“Awww, hell no!”