Date of Birth
25 September
1968,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Birth Name
Willard Christopher Smith Jr.
Nickname
Fresh Prince
Mr. July
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)
Mini Biography
Will Smith was the second of four children of
Caroline (school board employee) and Willard C Smith Sr.
(owner of a refrigeration company). Smith is of both
African American and Native American heritage. He grew
up in middle class area in West Philadelphia called
Wynnefield. Will attended the Overbrook High School
located in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. He got the nickname 'Prince' because of
the way he could charm his way out of trouble. Bright
student Will also signed up with the high-status Julia
Reynolds Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
in Philadelphia.
Pursuing music, he met Jeff Townes at a party and they
soon began performing together as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the
Fresh Prince. When the duo took off in popularity, Smith
made and spent a lot of money on a house, cars and
jewelry; leading to his near bankruptcy in his early
twenties.
Luckily, in 1989, he met Benny Medina, who had an idea
for a sitcom based on his life in Beverly Hills. Smith
loved the idea as did NBC which put on the
"The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990). The plot was simple
-Will basically played himself; a street-smart West
Philly kid transplanted to Beverly Hills. The series
lasted 6 years. During that time, he ventured into
movies where the critics took note of him in
Six
Degrees of Separation (1993). With the success that
came with the action picture
Bad Boys
(1995), Will's movie career was set. His had a huge hit
with the Blockbuster
Independence Day (1996) where he plays the
alien-battling Marine Corps Captain Steven Hiller.
IMDb Mini Biography By:
Tony Fontana < tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>
Spouse
Trade Mark
Often plays a cop or an agent.
Trivia
Met wife
Jada
Pinkett Smith when she tried out for the role of his
girlfriend on
"The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990). The role eventually
went to
Nia Long.
Son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (Jaden
Smith) born with
Jada
Pinkett Smith born. [8 July 1998]
Son Willard Smith III (aka
Trey Smith)
born in December, with
Sheree
Smith. [1992]
His daughter
Willow
Smith was born to his wife
Jada
Pinkett Smith weighing 6 lbs, 10 oz. [31 October
2000]
Has said he based his character Captain Steven Hiller
in
Independence Day (1996) on his favorite big screen
hero,
Harrison Ford, most notably his performances of Han
Solo in
Star Wars (1977) and its sequels.
Also known as rap artist "The Fresh Prince.".
Will's siblings are: Pam Smith (born in 1964), and
twins Ellen and Harry Smith (born in 1971).
Won a Grammy Award for the song "Summertime" during
his rap career.
Received the first ever Grammy Award for Best Rap
Performance, for the song "Parents Just Don't
Understand" in 1989 with his partner
Jeffrey A.
Townes (aka Jazzy Jeff).
Enjoys playing chess.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most
Beautiful People in the World. [1998]
Smith's pilot test show for
"The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990) was directed by
Debbie
Allen.
Met first wife,
Sheree
Smith, at a taping of _"Different World, A" (1987)_
in 1991.
As a public role model, hosted the Presidential
Inaugural Celebration for Youth, as part of the Gala for
President
Bill Clinton. [January 1993]
Graduate of Philly's legendary Overbrook High School,
whose alumni include
Wilt
Chamberlain, Hal Lear, Wali Jones, Walt Hazzard, The
Dovells, The Orlons, DeeDee Sharp, etc. and in tribute
to his student years there, his production company is
called Overbrook Entertainment.
Attended the prestigious Julia Reynolds Masterman
Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia.
Turned down the role of Neo in
The
Matrix (1999).
First hip-hop artist to be nominated for an Academy
Award.
Speaks fluent Spanish.
Ranked #2 on Star TV's Top Ten Box Office stars of
the 1990s (2003).
Turned down admission to M.I.T. to pursue his singing
career.
Had a chart-hit together with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Dropped from Columbia Records as an artist after
lackluster sales of his third solo album, which was
self-titled, and greatest hits compilation. [Summer
2003]
Incorporates the line "Aw, hell no!" into all his
movies as a running catch phrase like
Arnold
Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back!".
Shares a birthday with
Heather
Locklear,
Catherine
Zeta-Jones,
Michael
Douglas,
Michael
Madsen,
Barbara
Walters, former NBA star
Scottie
Pippen and the late
Christopher Reeve.
Ranked #15 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest
Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue).
Gained a place in the Guinness World Records book for
most public appearances in 12 hours, by attending three
red carpet "premieres" for
Hitch
(2005/I) on 22nd February 2005. He walked the red carpet
and introduced the film at Manchester, Birmingham, and
finally for the premiere in London, England.
Once stated that in his whole career, he most regrets
turning down the part of Neo in
The
Matrix (1999) and the film that he most regrets
making was
Wild Wild
West (1999).
He has been at his adult height of 6' 2" since he was
13, although he is now about 60 pounds heavier than he
first was when he reached this height.
Premiere Magazine ranked him as #44 on a list of the
Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our
Constellation feature (2005).
He sang a few lines "Wild Wild West" to his on screen
cousin Carleton, a movie in which he starred 6 years
later.
Hosted the MTV Movie Awards in 1994.
Was considered for the role of "Mr. Smith" in
Mr. &
Mrs. Smith (2005) before
Brad Pitt
was cast.
Is supposedly a huge fan of the Swedish well-known
(but barely known in the U.S.) melodic heavy metal band
Soilwork.
Raked #66 in VH1's 100 greatest Teen Stars.
Holds the record for most Kids Choice Awards with a
whopping six wins.
Ranked #14 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had
ranked #18 in 2005. He is the second-highest ranked
actor, behind only
Tom Cruise.
He and
Jada Pinkett Smith were forced to leave their home
in California because a bush fire threatened to destroy
it and several other houses in the same area. [October
2005]
His 1995 divorce from ex-wife
Sheree
Smith led to a $900,000 lump sum divorce settlement
for Zampino plus $24,000 per month in alimony and child
support; this equals $288,000 a year.
Lost his place in the Guiness World Records book for
most public appearances in 12 hours to German actors
Jürgen
Vogel and
Daniel
Brühl, who attended four red carpet premieres of
their movie _Freund von mir, Ein (2006)_, one more than
Will (22 October 2006).
In the 1998 rap lyrics of "Gettin' Jiggy", Will Smith
says that Ali would call him 'The Greatest'. Two and a
half years later he's the lead role in "Ali" (2000).
Along with early partner DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeffrey A.
Townes), was the first to start scratching records and
started the trend in the early 80s.
An animated caricature of him appeared in the
animated series adaptation of Men In Black, alongside a
caricature of his MIB co-star Tommy Lee Jones, set
against a shot that parodied one of the famous low angle
shots of a building being threatened by a flying saucer,
an in joke reference to Smith's 1996 hit Independence
Day, which preceded Men In Black.
His character from Men In Black (1997), Agent Jay,
was not originally written to specifically be a black
man. In fact, the role was offered to Caucasian actors
Chris O'Donnell and David Schwimmer before Smith
accepted the part.
Had to undergo treatment on his shoulder in a New
York hospital after he suffered a strain. [March 2007]
Was among the guests at
Tom Cruise's
and Katie
Holmes wedding ceremony in Italy.
Ranked #30 on VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists along
with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
Ranked #29 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
2007 - Ranked #5 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in
Hollywood.
December 2007 - According to Forbes, for each dollar
he got paid, Smith's movies averaged $10 of gross
income.
Was a millionaire before the age of 20.
In 2004, his net worth was estimated to be $188
million.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for
the year at $31 million.
Good friends with
Ken Foree.
Huge fan of Professional Wrestling.
He has Native American ancestry.
Is often called "Mr. July" by the media due to the
fact that most of his summer blockbusters open in July.
As of
Hancock (2008), he holds the record for the actor to
star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing
movies (8).
He and his daughter
Willow
Smith both had movies opening 2 July, 2008. His was
Hancock
(2008), hers was
Kit
Kittredge: An American Girl (2008).
Has appeared in two films starting with the word "I",
I, Robot
(2004) and
I Am
Legend (2007).
Wrote and performed the song Just the Two of Us about
his first son Trey.
Was considered for the role of Detective James Carter
in Rush
Hour (1998).
Personal Quotes
[On his first season of
"The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990)] "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."
On the change in his body that Ali's intense physical
training required: "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 biggest emotional defeat and the greatest
emotional pain I've had as an actor was when 'Wild Wild
West' opened up to $52 million. The movie wasn't good.
And it hurt so bad to be the No. 1 movie, to open at $52
million and to know the movie wasn't good.
"I want to stop at five." when asked by Jules Asner
about having more children.
When I turned 28, everything clicked. I even got way
better in bed.
Men In Black Sunglasses Click Here !!!
It's a whole different thing being an actor. A rapper
is about being completely true to yourself. Being an
actor is about changing who you are. You make yourself a
different person. You become a different person.
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 love being black in America, and especially being
black in Hollywood.
I really believe that a man and a woman together,
raising a family, is the purest form of happiness we can
experience.
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%.
People laugh, but if I set my mind to it, within the
next 15 years I would be president.
My grandmother once told me, 'Don't let failure go to
your heart and don't let success go to your head.'
[on 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... and 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.
About
Aishwarya Rai: "I really wanted to work with her in
_Hitch (2005)_ but she was shooting for Bride and
Prejudice (2004) at the time and she couldn't do it. She
has this powerful energy where she doesn't have to say
anything, do anything, she can just stand there.
Anything she's making, I'll be there." (February 2006)
If I weren't a musician/actor, I'd be a computer
engineer. I was always good at math. I probably would
have been the guy who invented the remote control if I'd
been around then.
When I started in movies, I said, 'I want to be the
biggest movie star in the world.' The biggest movie
stars make the biggest movies, so [my producing partner
James Lassiter and I] looked at the top 10 movies of all
time. At that point, they were all special-effects
movies. So Independence Day, no-brainer. Men in Black,
no-brainer. I, Robot, no-brainer.
[on refusing to kiss
Anthony
Michael Hall in
Six
Degrees of Separation (1993)] It was very immature
on my part. I was thinking, 'How are my friends in
Philly going to think about this?' I wasn't emotionally
stable enough to artistically commit to that aspect of
the film. In a movie with actors and a director and
writer of this caliber, for me to be the one bringing
something cheesy to it... This was a valuable lesson for
me. Either you do it or you don't.
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.
Salary
|
Hancock (2008) |
$20,000,000 |
|
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) |
$20,000,000 |
|
I, Robot (2004) |
$28,000,000 |
|
Bad Boys II (2003) |
$20,000,000 + 20% of the gross |
|
Men in Black II (2002) |
$20,000,000 + 10% Gross |
|
Ali (2001) |
$20,000,000 |
|
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) |
$10,000,000 |
|
Wild Wild West (1999) |
$7,000,000 |
|
Enemy of the State (1998) |
$14,000,000 |
|
Men in Black (1997) |
$5,000,000 |
|
Independence Day (1996) |
$5,000,000 |
|
Bad Boys (1995) |
$2,000,000 |
|
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) |
$500,000 |
|
Made in America (1993) |
$100,000 |
|
Where the Day Takes You (1992) |
$50,000 |
Where Are They Now
(August 2004) Recently purchased a home in south
Stockholm, Sweden because he feels it is the best place
to relax.
(January 2008) Attended a press conference in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil to promote I Am Legend. He stayed at the
famous Copacabana Palace Hotel.
