A charismatic African-American rap star and actor of film and TV, Will Smith began as half of the Grammy-winning duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and later rose to fame making his acting debut starring as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (NBC, 1991-96), a nice, jug-eared, streetwise kid from the Philadelphia 'hood adjusting to culture shock in moneyed Bel Air. The role allowed him to offer a squeaky clean image of hip-hop culture which proved non-threatening to primetime values. With his enhanced image as a role model, Smith became a regular face on TV in youth-oriented specials and public affairs programs and, in the show's final (1995-96) season, became its executive producer. He then parlayed his status as a TV star into a feature acting career, debuting in a drama about teenage runaways entitled "Where the Day Takes You" (1992) and following up with a supporting role in "Made in America" (1993) with Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson.

Smith's first lead in features was a dramatic stretch for the young performer. In the film version of John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation" (1993), he played a young gay hustler and con man who ingratiates himself with an affluent white couple (Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland) by posing as the son of Sidney Poitier and a friend of their children who are away at college. The demanding role required Smith to work with an acting coach and a dialect coach three times a week for three months prior to rehearsals. The part also called for a homosexual kiss that, even after being paid, he refused to film. Despite some critical carping, Smith garnered largely impressive notices for his portrayal amidst a cast of seasoned acting pros.

After this acclaim, Smith joined fellow sitcom star Martin Lawrence in "Bad Boys" (1995), turning their lot over to the hands of veteran action-comedy producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. In the film, Smith was Mike Lowery, a wild bachelor cop, and Lawrence was his partner, a family man. The comedy of the piece arose from the fact the duo have to switch places to nab a heroin ring. Made for a modest budget, "Bad Boys" grossed $65 million domestically and twice that with foreign distribution included. Smith's quote for work in feature films skyrocketed past $5 million. Although by the time he was 20 he had made and spent more than $1 million and was deeply in debt to the IRS, he had settled down by age 27 and was focused on career goals. After "Bad Boys", his feature film dance card became full. He made a cameo appearance in Lawrence's "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and proved modestly revelatory as a military pilot trying to save the USA from an alien invasion in the sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day" (1996). Smith again tangled with space aliens to box-office success teamed with Tommy Lee Jones as the "Men in Black" (1997), roles they eventually repeated in the inevitable sequel "Men in Black II" (2002).

Based on his back-to-back hits, Smith moved firmly to the A-list and began to be offered a variety of roles. In the 1998 thriller "Enemy of the State", he offered a likable performance as a labor lawyer targeted by the National Security Agency after he accidentally acquires evidence pivotal to a politically-motivated killing. Cast as Civil War-era government agent James West in "Wild Wild West" (1999), loosely based on the popular 1960s TV series, Smith's laid-back charm and charisma were overshadowed by overblown special effects. Similarly, Smith seemed at sea as a mysterious caddy who dispenses inspirational support to a washed-up golf pro (Matt Damon) in the fable "The Legend of Bagger Vance" (2000). Most reviewers agreed, though, that Smith managed to keep the character from devolving completely into cliche — although the script and direction moved him close to it.

In 2001, Smith realized a long-held dream to portray renowned boxer Muhammad Ali in a biopic. Director Michael Mann decided to concentrate on the tumultuous period in the fighter's life, from his surprise win over Sonny Liston through his difficulties with the draft to his regaining the crown of heavyweight champion defeating George Foreman in the now famous Rumble in the Jungle in "Ali" (2001). Smith bulked up gaining over thirty pounds and followed the same training regimen as Ali as part of his pre-shooting preparation. The onscreen results impressed many critics while others felt that Smith came close but didn't quite capture the boxing champion. The Academy, however, acknowledged Smith's efforts and included him as one of the 2001 nominees for Best Actor.

In 2002, Smith followed up his acclaimed performance with a couple of would-be blockbuster sequels generating solid ticket sales but offering little creative innovation, with the actor reuniting with Tommy Lee Jones in "Men in Black II" (2002) and reteaming with Martin Lawrence and director Michael Bay for the sequel "Bad Boys 2" (2003). His next role, as a futuristic police detective in the big screen adaptation of Isaac Asimov's sci-fi classic "I, Robot" (2004), cast him in a familiar blockbuster hero vein which was crowd-pleasing if not horizon-expanding, and he lent his distinctive persona to DreamWorks' CGI-animated underwater underworld "Shark Tale" (2004) as Oscar, the mouthy young fish who ends up in hot water after the death of a shark mob boss. Then the actor tried a more straighforward comedy with "Hitch" (2005), playing a smooth professional date doctor whose technique goes awry when he meets his own potential lady love (Eva Mendes)–the film offered a refreshing, non-action role for Smith that fully capitalized on his considerable charisma and romantic appeal.

In 2006, Smith starred and produced The Pursuit of Happyness, a powerful story that dances around the heartbreaks and victories of life, while being anchored by an inspiring performance from Will Smith.  Will's costar is no other than Jaden, his son.

• Also Credited As:
  DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Fresh Prince, The Fresh Prince, Will Smith, Willard Christopher Smith Jr
• Born:
  on 09/25/1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Singer, Lyricist

Family

• Brother: Harry Smith. twin of Ellen; born c. 1971
• Daughter: Willow Camille Reign Smith. born on October 31, 2000 in Los Angeles; mother, Jada Pinkett Smith
• Father: Willard C Smith Sr.
• Mother: Caroline Smith.
• Sister: Ellen Smith. twin of Harry; born c. 1971
• Sister: Pam Smith. born c. 1964
• Son: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. born on July 8, 1998 in Los Angeles; mother, Jada Pinkett Smith
• Son: Willard C Smith III. born on December 1992; mother, Sheree Zampino

Significant Others

• Companion: Tanya Moore. born c. 1970; met in 1988 while he was performing at San Diego State University where she was a business major

Education

• Archbishop Carroll High School, Radnor, Pennsylvania

Milestones

• 1981 Began collaborating on rap music with musician Jeffrey Townes (aka 'Jazzy Jeff')
• 1981 Began rapping at age 12 (date approximate)
• 1986 First film, a bit part as a pollster, "The Imagemaker"
• 1986 Released first single with Townes, "Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble" as the duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
• 1988 Produced and performed song, "Jazzy's in the House" for feature, "License to Drive"
• 1989 Had made and lost (due to excessive spending) his first $1 million by age 20
• 1990 Starred in own hit TV comedy series "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" (NBC)
• 1992 Feature acting debut in significant role, "Where the Day Takes You"
• 1993 Breakthrough dramatic feature lead, "Six Degrees of Separation"; played con man who ingratiates himself with NYC society by claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son
• 1993 Hosted the Presidential Inaugural Celebration for Youth (part of the inaugural gala for President Clinton)
• 1995 Became bona fide movie star with "Bad Boys"
• 1996 Starred as a fighter pilot battling aliens in the blockbuster "Independence Day"
• 1997 Teamed with Tommy Lee Jones in the comedy "Men in Black", directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
• 1998 Played a labor lawyer targeted by government agents in the thriller "Enemy of the State"; first screen appearance opposite Jon Voight
• 1998 With childhood friend James Lassiter, formed Overbrook Entertainment (September); company landed production deal at Universal
• 1999 Reteamed with Sonnenfeld to portray James West in the big screen version of "Wild Wild West"
• 2000 Played a mysterious golf caddy in the period drama "The Legend of Bagger Vance", starring Matt Damon and directed by Robert Redford
• 2001 Portrayed boxer Muhammad Ali in the Michael Mann-directed biopic "Ali"; Jon Voight appeared as sportscaster Howard Cosell; received Best Actor Oscar nomination
• 2002 Reteamed with Tommy Lee Jones for "Men in Black II"
• 2003 Reteamed with Martin Lawrence for "Bad Boys 2"
• 2004 Executive produced and starred in the big-screen verison of sci-fi author Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot"
• 2004 Guest starred as Jonny in an episode of the UPN comedy "All Of Us," which he also executive produces
• 2004 Voiced the character of Oscar in the animated feature "Shark Tale"
• 2005 Starred opposite Eva Mendes in the romantic comedy "Hitch"
• Raised in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia
• Reportedly turned down a scholarship to pursue music instead
• Set to star in "Greenbacks," an action thriller about an American expat in Morocco who stumbles onto a scheme to destabilize the world's economy
• Will play an washed-up superhero, who decides to abandon his reckless lifestyle when a newfound love convinces him to change his ways in "Tonight He Comes" (lensed 2005)
• Will produce and star in "Pursuit of Happyness" a true rags-to-riches story based on the life of Chris Gardner (lensed 2005)