Will Smith

Birth Name

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr

Date Of Birth

September 25, 1968

Height

6' 2" (1.88 m)

Nationality

United States

Nickname

Fresh Prince

Will Smith is an American actor, film producer and pop rapper. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood.

Family and early life:

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Smith also spent time in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer.He was raised Baptist. His parents separated when he was and did not actually divorce until Smith was around 30.

While it is widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he never applied to MIT, although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there.According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

Recording and acting career:
Will Smith in 1993
Early work (1985–1995)
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 began his acting career.

Breakthrough (1996–2000):
In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State. Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West. Despite the disappointment 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 he himself (Smith) would have achieved.

International success:
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.
He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.
On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007.


President Barack Obama has 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, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.
He is currently filming Men in Black III for a 2012 release playing Agent J one of his more popular earlier roles, making this his first major starring role in four years.


Personal life:
Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow
Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his own involvement in the lives of his three children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us." Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend. Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Philadelphia.


Awards:
Won:

• 2002 - BET Awards - Favorite Actor 
  
  
• 2000 - ASCAP Award - Most Performed Songs - Wild Wild West 
  
  
• 1999 - Image Awards - Entertainer of the Year 
  
  
• 1999 - ShoWest Award - Actor of the Year 
  
  
• 1999 - Blockbuster Award - Favorite Actor - Enemy of the State 
  
  
• 1998 - Blockbuster Award - Favorite Actor - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1998 - ASCAP Award - Most Performed Songs - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1998 - MTV Movie Award - Best Fight - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1998 - MTV Movie Award - Best Song - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1997 - Grammy Awards - Best Rap Solo Performance - Men In Black 
  
  
• 1997 - MTV Movie Award - Best Kiss - Independence Day 
  
  
• 1997 - Blockbuster Award - Favorite Actor - Independence Day 
  
  
• 1997 - ShoWest Convention - International Box Office Achievement 
  
  
• 1995 - ShoWest Convention - Male Star of Tomorrow 
  
  
• 1991 - Grammy Awards - Best Rap Duo Performance - Summertime 
  
  
• 1988 - Grammy Awards - Best Rap Performance - Parents Just Don't Understand

Nominated:

• 2002 - Academy Awards - Best Actor - Ali 
  
  
• 2002 - Golden Globe - Best Actor - Ali 
  
  
• 2000 - Blockbuster Award - Favorite Action Team - Wild Wild West 
  
  
• 2000 - Blockbuster Award - Favorite Song - Wild Wild West 
  
  
• 1999 - Image Award - Outstanding Lead Actor - Enemy of the State 
  
  
• 1999 - MTV Movie Award - Best Performance - Enemy of the State 
  
  
• 1998 - MTV Movie Award - Best Comedic Performance - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1998 - MTV Movie Award - Best On-Screen Duo - Men in Black 
  
  
• 1997 - Image Award - Outstanding Lead Actor - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 
  
  
• 1997 - MTV Movie Award - Best Performance - Independence Day 
  
  
• 1996 - Image Award - Outstanding Lead Actor - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 
  
  
• 1996 - MTV Movie Award - Best On-Screen Duo - Bad Boys 
  
  
• 1994 - Golden Globe - Best Actor - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 
  
  
• 1993 - Golden Globe - Best Actor - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  
  

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious" and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different."