Will Smith Biography- wiki, Childhood, Career, Awards and Achievements

Will Smith Biography- Will Smith is a hugely popular American actor who began his career as a rap artist, collaborating with turntabler DJ Jazzy Jeff and beat boxer Ready Rock C. He was known as a bright student at Philadelphia’s ‘Overbrook High School’ who decided against attending college, so that he could pursue a career in music. (Will Smith Bio)

He was successful as a singer, and is also a ‘Grammy Award’ recipient. At the age of 25, this young man stepped into films and made his debut with the famous film ‘Six Degrees of Separation’. Since then, there has been no looking back for this talented young star. Will Smith won several awards with blockbusters like ‘Independence Day’, ‘I, Robot’, ‘I’m Legend,’ ‘Enemy of the State’, ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, ‘Ali’ and ‘King Richard’ Huh. (Will Smith Biography)

Her power packed performances show versatility and promise that this star is here to stay. In the opinion of many directors, the actor was like a breath of fresh air and played emotional roles as effortlessly as he would portray an action hero. One of his many great films was the science-fiction comedy ‘Men in Black’ which became a hit among moviegoers all over the world. The popularity of the first film inspired a sequel to the “Men in Black” series, which was praised by fans and critics alike. (Will Smith Bio)

Table of Contents

Childhood and Early Life

Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. was born on September 25, 1968, to Willard C. Smith, Sr., owner of a refrigeration company, and a member of the ‘School Board of Philadelphia’ in Caroline, Pennsylvania.
He was raised in the neighborhood of Wynnefield to younger siblings Harry and Ellen, as well as an older sister, Pamela. (Will Smith Biography)
The young child had a Baptist upbringing at home, but received his early education from a Catholic institution called ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’. After his parents separated, he was educated at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia.
After completing high school, Will decided to pursue music as a career instead of going to college.

Career

Smith met record producer and musician Jeffrey Towns, called DJ Jazzy Jeff, at a party, and the two music lovers immediately hit it off. The aspiring rapper called himself “The Fresh Prince”, and formed a group with DJ Jeff, and beat up another friend, the boxer, Ready Rock C.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince became popular after producing the light-hearted songs “Summertime” and “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. (Will Smith Biography)
During 1988-89, the popular singer got upset with the ‘Internal Revenue Service’ after paying less than the prescribed tax. As a result of $2.8 million in unpaid taxes, his assets were confiscated, and Will nearly went bankrupt.

When the singer was struggling to overcome the financial crisis, he was hired by the NBC broadcast network for a sitcom called “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in 1990. With the success of the TV show, which was about himself, Smith gained recognition as an actor. (Will Smith Bio)
In 1993, Will made his feature film debut in Six Degrees of Separation, co-starring Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland. With the success of the film, he was cast in ‘Bad Boys’, two years later, an action film also starring Martin Lawrence.
By this time, the extraordinary actor had already gained immense popularity in Hollywood cinema. In 1996, he played a leading role in the film ‘Independence Day’ directed by German filmmaker, Roland Emmerich. The film also starred Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, which became a huge box-office success.
The following year, 1997, Smith was selected by film director Barry Sonnenfeld to be part of the cult film series Men in Black. The actor was cast alongside the famous actor Tommy Lee Jones, and played the legendary role of ‘Agent J’. The following year, he starred alongside veteran Gene Hackman in the hit film Enemy of the State.
From 1999-2001, the talented actor starred in films such as ‘Wild Wild West’, ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’ and ‘Ali’. ‘Ali’ was a film based on the life and career of boxer Muhammad Ali and Will received an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for ‘Best Actor’. (Will Smith Biography)
Over the next few years, he acted in films like ‘I, Robot’, ‘Shark Tail’, ‘Hitch’ and ‘Pursuit of Happiness’. Actor wins another ‘Oscar’ nomination for his heart-wrenching performance in ‘Pursuit of Happiness’
Over the years, from 2007-2014, the accomplished actor has featured in films such as ‘I’m a Legend’, ‘Hancock’, ‘Seven Pounds’, ‘After Earth’ and ‘Winter’s Tale’. All these films have been a huge commercial and critical success.
In 2015, Will Smith starred in a film called ‘Focus’, in which he played the lead role alongside Australian actress Margot Robbie. The same year she starred in “Concussion”, co-starring Alec Baldwin, the film earned positive reviews. (Will Smith Bio)

Some of his other notable works include “Bad Boys for Life,” “Aladdin,” “Suicide Squad” and “King Richard.”

Major Works

The star is known for the ‘Men in Black’ franchise of films. The science fiction film stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as two agents of an organization that manages alien activity on Earth. (Will Smith Biography)
The sensational actor is also known for his stellar performance in ‘Pursuit of Happiness’. The film was nominated for several honours, and has won the prestigious ‘Capri Award’ in the ‘Movie of the Year’ category.

Awards and Achievements

In 1988, ‘DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’ was awarded a ‘Grammy Award’ for his early rap songs.
In the late 1990s, Smith was awarded the ‘Blockbuster Entertainment Award’ in the ‘Favorite Actor’ category for ‘Independence Day’, ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Anime of the State’.
From 2005-2008, he won the ‘Teen Choice Awards’ for hits such as ‘Hitch’, ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ and ‘I Am Legend’. (Will Smith Biography)
In 2008–2009, the Peerless actor was presented with the ‘BET Award’ for his roles in ‘Hancock’ and ‘Seven Pounds’. During this time he also won the ‘Saturn Award’ for his performance in ‘I Am Legend’.
In 2022, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Golden Globe Award, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award, and the British Academy Film Award. earned. (Will Smith Bio)

Personal life and Legacy

In 1992, Will Smith married Sherri Elizabeth Zampino, an actress. The couple had a son named ‘Trey’, but the couple parted ways after three years of marriage.
The popular actor married colleague Jada Coren Pinkett in 1997, best known for the ‘Matrix’ film franchise. The two actors have a son, Jaden Christopher Sawyer, and a daughter, Willow Camille Reigns.
Jaden has appeared in ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, ‘The Karate Kid’ and most recently ‘After Earth’, while Willow is best known for her role in the film ‘I Am Legend’.
In 2005, the Will Smith actor made it to the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ for going to three film premieres in one day. (Will Smith Biography)
Will claims that although he has been introduced to Catholicism and the doctrines of baptism, he does not practice any religion in particular. Although he finds fascinating ‘Scientology’, which is a spiritual rehabilitation through counseling, the actor is not a member of its organization.
The prolific actor is known for his philanthropic contributions where he has donated large sums of money to Christian ministries, schools and churches, a mosque in Los Angeles and Scientology organizations.
He founded the New Village Leadership Academy, an elementary school in California, with his wife Jada, donating $1.2 million to the educational institution. (Will Smith Bio)

Smith has been one of the richest young Americans according to Fortune Magazine. In 2008, the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama, Smith donated $4,600. He and his wife also organized the ‘Nobel Peace Prize Concert’, which was held in Oslo in 2009 as a toast to Obama’s award.

Trivia

This famous American actor was the first choice to play the role of ‘Neo’ in the Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Matrix’. After he declined an offer to star in the film, which also featured his wife, he was replaced by popular star Keanu Reeves. (Will Smith Biography)

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