Will Smith

Artist Image: Will Smith
Attribution
Image Credit: TechCrunch (TechCrunch Disrupt 2019), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards. In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally. Fourteen of the nineteen fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office. He received Best Actor Oscar nominations for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1987
Number of Albums 13
Record Label
Website www.willsmith.com
Wikipedia Will Smith on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What was Smith's career?

Actor, rap artist, film and television producer

...1968 Actor, rap artist, film and television producer On television he was the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a streetwise Philadelphian sent to live with we...
Willard Smith, Jr. was born on what date?

September 25, 1968

...azine. Grew up in a Loving Family Willard Smith, Jr., was born on September 25, 1968 , and raised in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a middleclass suburb of ...
What suburb of West Philadelphia is Wynnefield, Pennsylvania?

middleclass

...born on September 25, 1968, and raised in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, a middleclass suburb of West Philadelphia. His parents were loving but demanding, ...
What did his parents take their children to Mount Rushmore to prove?

education does not end with the classroom

...nts were loving but demanding, the kind who took their children to Mount Rushmore on vacation to prove that education does not end with the classroom ....
What year was Willard Carroll Will Smith II born?

1968

...Willard Carroll Will Smith II (born September 25, 1968 ) is an American actor, comedian, producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has enjoyed success in te...
What year did Newsweek call Willard Smith II the most powerful actor in Hollywood?

2007

...gwriter. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. In April 2007 , Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. In the late 1...
In what decade did Smith achieve modest fame as a rapper?

1980s

...7, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. In the late 1980s , Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince...
What was Smith's nickname in the 1980s?

The Fresh Prince

... late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince . In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in...
What television series did Smith star in in 1990?

The Fresh Prince of BelAir

...dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of BelAir . The show ran for six seasons (199096) on NBC and has been sy...
How many consecutive films did Smith make over 100 million in the domestic box office?

eight

...tely starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over 100 million in the domestic box office, el...
How many consecutive films gross over 150 million internationally?

eleven

...ht consecutive films gross over 100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over 150 million internationally, and eight con...
Who ranked him as the most bankable star worldwide?

Forbes

...ox office tally. Smith is ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes . As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have ...
How many of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated gross earnings of over 100 million each?

17

...mith is ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes. As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldw...
What was Will Smith's father's name?

Willard Carroll Smith

...Will Smith, byname of Willard Carroll Smith , Jr., (born September 25, 1968, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American actor and musician whose chari...
What nickname did Will Smith receive in high school?

Prince Charming

...usic to a successful career in acting. Smith was given the nickname Prince Charming in high school, which he adapted to Fresh Prince in order to refle...
What was the name of the first single released by the group?

Girls Aint Nothing but Trouble

... Jeff and the Fresh Prince and released their first single, Girls Aint Nothing but Trouble , in 1986, later followed by the album Rock the House. In 19...
What album followed Girls Aint Nothing but Trouble?

Rock the House

...irls Aint Nothing but Trouble, in 1986, later followed by the album Rock the House . In 1988 the group released the groundbreaking single Parents Just ...
In what year did the group release Parents Just Dont Understand?

1988

...ing but Trouble, in 1986, later followed by the album Rock the House. In 1988 the group released the groundbreaking single Parents Just Dont Understan...
Which single won a Grammy?

Parents Just Dont Understand

... House. In 1988 the group released the groundbreaking single Parents Just Dont Understand , which went on to win a Grammy Award (the first Grammy ever ...
What award did Parents Just Dont Understand win?

Grammy Award

...breaking single Parents Just Dont Understand, which went on to win a Grammy Award (the first Grammy ever presented in the rap performance category). S...
How many seasons did The Fresh Prince of BelAir run on NBC?

six

... in 1990, was loosely based on Smiths reallife persona. It ran on NBC for six successful seasons, ending at the stars request, and during its run Smit...
In what year was Where the Day Takes You released?

1992

...rved as an executive producer for the final season. Buoyed by his smallscreen success, Smith expanded into cinema with Where the Day Takes You ( 1992 )....
What label released Will Smith's debut album?

Jive Records

...almost overnight stardom after the duo's debut album was released by Jive Records in 1987. Platinumlevel record sales proved to be only the beginning ...
When was Smith's debut album released?

1987

...ight stardom after the duo's debut album was released by Jive Records in 1987 . Platinumlevel record sales proved to be only the beginning of the Phila...
Which television series did Smith star in?

Fresh Prince of BelAir

...y his Grated rap appeal into a starring role in the longrunning Fresh Prince of BelAir television series and also into boxoffice success with such fil...
What was the name of the 2004 sci-fi blockbuster that Smith starred in?

I, Robot

...xoffice success with such films as Independence Day, Men In Black, and I, Robot , a 2004 scifi blockbuster. Even as his screen career was reaching new ...
In what year was I, Robot released?

2004

...ccess with such films as Independence Day, Men In Black, and I, Robot, a 2004 scifi blockbuster. Even as his screen career was reaching new heights, S...
When did Smith release Big Willie Style?

1997

...s, Smith returned to recording as a solo rap artist with a multiplatinum 1997 release, Big Willie Style, followed by a few other albums, including 200...
What was the name of Smith's 1997 album?

Big Willie Style

... recording as a solo rap artist with a multiplatinum 1997 release, Big Willie Style , followed by a few other albums, including 2002's Born to Reign an...
What was the name of Smith's first single?

Parents Just Don't Understand

...ecting with a multiracial audience from his first hit single Parents Just Don't Understand onwards. He made no apologies for avoiding profanity and vi...
What did Smith avoid in his songs?

profanity and violent themes

... Don't Understand onwards. He made no apologies for avoiding profanity and violent themes in his recordings, preferring to concentrate on romance and ...
Who wrote that Smith and Jeffrey Townes were cleancut and ingratiating for the preteen set?

Paul Evans

...inary teenage troubles. In reviewing their first three albums, critic Paul Evans wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide that Smith and his partner Jef...
In what city did Smith grew up?

Philadelphia

...illions in the United States and abroad. Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Smith grew up in a middleclass household and learned ...
What did Smith learn in his early years?

the value of education and discipline

...5, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith grew up in a middleclass household and learned the value of education and discipline in his early years....
Will Smith's hiphop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff formed in what decade?

80s

...musical presence, Smith maintained his wholesome take on rap from his mid' 80s multiplatinum hiphop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince to a solo care...
What was the name of his 1986 debut single?

Girls Aint Nothing But Trouble

...ince and had an instant hit with their first single, 1986's Girls Aint Nothing But Trouble . This single led to fulllength debut Rock the House in 1987...
At what age did Smith become fascinated with hiphop sound and culture?

12

... occasional guest appearances on tracks by Marc Anthony and Logic. By age 12 , he became fascinated with the hiphop sound and culture that was emerging...
What nickname did Smith receive for his ability to fast talk his way out of trouble in school?

Prince

.... Quickwitted and sharp even in his youth, Smith was given the nickname Prince for his ability to fast talk his way out of trouble in school. In 1985,...
When did Smith attend a house party where DJ Jeffrey Townes was performing?

1985

...Prince for his ability to fast talk his way out of trouble in school. In 1985 , at age 16, he attended a house party where local DJ Jeffrey Townes (aka...
What was the name of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's first single?

Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble

.... He would stay in the charts from their 1986 debut single, Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble , through to 1999's Willennium and beyond. As he continued ...
When was Girls Aint Nothing But Trouble released?

1986

...reer that began in the late '90s. He would stay in the charts from their 1986 debut single, Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble, through to 1999's Willenn...
What label released Rock the House in 1987?

WordUp Records

...llength debut Rock the House in 1987. Released on upstart rap label WordUp Records , the brief album offered an introduction to the duo's humorous but ...
What was the name of Will Smith's rap career?

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

...age 16, the duo launched a highly successful rap career as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince . Smith starred on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of BelAir fo...
When was Bad Boys released?

1995

...asons, before establishing himself as a Hollywood Alister with Bad Boys ( 1995 ) and Independence Day (1996). He has since headlined such popular films ...
In what year was Independence Day released?

1996

...imself as a Hollywood Alister with Bad Boys (1995) and Independence Day ( 1996 ). He has since headlined such popular films as Men in Black (1997) and H...
What was the name of the film that Smith headlined in 1997?

Men in Black

...ndependence Day (1996). He has since headlined such popular films as Men in Black (1997) and Hitch (2005) and earned Oscar nominations for Ali (2001) ...
Which film did Smith earn an Oscar nomination for in 2001?

Ali

... as Men in Black (1997) and Hitch (2005) and earned Oscar nominations for Ali (2001) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Smith also earned acclaim fo...
When was Smith born?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

... was born Willard Carroll Smith Jr. on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , to mother Caroline, a school board employee, and father Will...
What was Smith's mother Caroline's profession?

school board employee

...r 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to mother Caroline, a school board employee , and father Willard C. Smith, a refrigeration company owner. Hi...
In what year did Smith return to action?

2016

...r Concussion (2015), before returning to action fare with Suicide Squad ( 2016 ). Early Life Smith was born Willard Carroll Smith Jr. on September 25, 1...
What did Smith emulate?

Grandmaster Flash

...ame Prince.'' Smith began rapping at age 12, emulating heroes like Grandmaster Flash but tingeing his rhymes with a comedic element that would later b...
Who was Smith's future collaborator?

Jeff Townes

...After Will Smith met Jeff Townes at age 16, the duo launched a highly successful rap career as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Smith starred on the ...