Not many people can boast of having conquered the music and film business like Will Smith. The Philadelphia-born rapper, actor, producer and comedian, who rose to fame while starring as The Fresh Prince on ’90s NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince , was once ranked as the most powerful man in Hollywood.
Smith has currently starred in over 25 blockbuster films, which have collectively grossed over $7.5 billion at the global box office. He has also won four Grammy Awards and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards. He is also ranked as the world’s most bankable star by Forbes.
biography
Will Smith was born Willard Carroll Smith Jr. on September 25, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the second of his parents’ four children. His mother, Caroline, was a school board member, while his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr., a United States Air Force veteran, worked as a refrigerator engineer.
Smith along with his siblings, older sister Pamela and younger twin siblings; Harry and Ellen grew up in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Although Smith was a Baptist, he attended a Catholic elementary school. Our Lady of Lourdes and then Overbrook High School. He had a charming personality and was a very good student, scoring high on his SATs. However, he had no ambition to go to college because he wanted to be a rapper.
Career – music, acting
At the young age of 12, Smith was able to put together rhymes and emulate his hero, Grandmaster Flash. However, he was able to stand out from the rest with his ability to add comedy to his lyrics. By the time he was 16, Smith had already made up his mind not to attend college. This led to him hooking up with a DJ named Jeff Townes whom he met at a party. The two young, ambitious entertainers soon became friends, leading to the rise of the ’80s hip-hop duo. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
Their debut album, Rock The House, was released in 1987 to commercial and critical acclaim. It debuted on Billboard Top 200 and earned the duo their first Grammy, which was awarded the following year in the rap category. They won another Grammy in 1991 for their highest-grossing song of all time, “Summertime,” before Smith starred in a sitcom. The show ran for six seasons and was very successful, putting him in a decent position to land future big screen roles.
A solo career in which DJ Jazzy Jeff helped produce some of his songs, small acting roles for Will Smith soon followed before the big roles emerged. The first was the 1993 drama Six Degrees of Separation and the 1995 action-packed film Bad Boys, starring comedian Martin Lawrence. He cemented himself as the go-to for blockbusters when he starred in the 1996 sci-fi series Independence Day, which proved to be the second highest-grossing film in history.
In the summer of 1997, Smith dropped Big WillieStyle” with the soundtrack to the film of the same name, Men in Black, in which he starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones. Both projects were critically and commercially successful, prompting him to use the same formula for “Wild Wild West” in 1999. The album in question, “Willennium,” was certified “double platinum” and “nine times platinum” along with its predecessor.
Will Smith joins his children in films taking on the role of producer and winning various awards including a Guinness World Record for attending three film premieres within 24 hours.
Family – wife, son, children
Will Smith is currently in his second marriage. He was first married to Sheree Zampino in 1992. The couple were blessed with one son; Willard Smith III, popularly known as Trey, was terminated in 1995 three years later.
In 1997, Smith again exchanged vows. He married Jada Pinkett and the two have been together to date. The power couple, who have been dubbed Black Royalty, have two children together. Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, born 1998, and Willow Camille Reign Smith, born 2000.
Religion & Beliefs
Will Smith does not currently identify with any religion, although she is a Baptist and attended a Catholic school. There have been rumors that he and his wife Jada are part of the Church of Scientology as they are close friends with some of its high profile members like Tom Cruise. However, the couple denied this, adding that they are students of the world religion.
Is Will Smith gay?
Another rumor that has been spread about Smith is that he is gay. This rumor is false as there is no substantiated evidence or even an alleged gay partner to point to it. The rumor was also fueled by Smith’s decision to advocate for gay/same-sex marriage.
Is he dead?
Will Smith is very much alive and is currentlyHe is working on new projects that will be released in 2019. He has been a past victim of the celebrity hoax death trend that has swept social media in recent years.
Brief facts – height, weight
Birth name: Willard Carroll Smith Jr.
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Birthday: September 25, 1968
Profession(s): Rapper, Actor, Producer, Songwriter
Religion: Not religious
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 82kg