Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II arrived in the world on the 25th of September 1968. He grew up in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia with his mother Caroline and father Willard Sr. His grandmother found a notebook full of lyrics when he was twelve years old. She wrote him a note asking him to show the world how smart he truly was without using curse words. This moment shaped his decision to keep his music free of profanity.
Smith began rapping at age 12 while attending Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school. He met Jeffrey Townes at a house party just a few doors down from his home in 1985. Townes needed a hype man for his performance that night. Smith stepped in to fill the gap and they felt an immediate chemistry. They formed DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince with Ready Rock C as their beatboxer.
Their first single Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble appeared in 1986 through Word Records. It became a hit just before Smith graduated from Overbrook High School. The duo won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand. Their most successful track Summertime peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.
NBC signed Smith to a contract in 1990 to create The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The sitcom ran from 1990 until 1996 and featured him playing a fictionalized version of himself. He received Golden Globe nominations in both 1993 and 1994 for this role. The show's success provided the financial stability he needed after struggling with tax debts.
Smith set a personal goal to become the biggest movie star in the world during this period. He studied box office successes to understand what made them work. His first major film role came in Six Degrees of Separation in 1993. Bad Boys followed in 1995 alongside Martin Lawrence and grossed $141.4 million worldwide.
Independence Day arrived in 1996 as a massive blockbuster that became the second highest-grossing film in history at that time. Men in Black opened on the 2nd of July 1997 and earned over $589.3 million against a budget of $90 million. Critics praised the humor and performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Smith throughout the summer season.
Smith portrayed Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali released in 2001. This performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He turned down the lead role in The Matrix to make Wild Wild West instead. That film disappointed critics but Smith claimed no regrets about choosing it over Keanu Reeves' opportunity.
His second album Willennium reached number five on the Billboard 200 in 1999. The single Wild Wild West topped the charts and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Born to Reign appeared in 2002 after a four-year musical hiatus. Lost and Found peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 in 2005.
The Pursuit of Happyness came out in 2006 with Smith playing Chris Gardner alongside his son Jaden. The film received praise for both its story and Smith's performance. I Am Legend opened on the 14th of December 2007 and had the largest opening ever for a December release in the United States. His performance as Richard Williams in King Richard won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2022.
On the 27th of March 2022, Smith walked onto the stage during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony. He slapped presenter Chris Rock who made an unscripted joke referencing Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018 and shaved her head due to the condition. Smith yelled Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth! twice before returning to his seat.
Smith refused to leave when asked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He later apologized to the Academy and other nominees but not to Rock in his acceptance speech. The live audience gave him two standing ovations despite the controversy. Public backlash led to a formal apology via Instagram and an investigation by the Academy's Board of Governors.
Rock declined to press charges according to the Los Angeles Police Department. On the 8th of April 2022, the Academy banned Smith from future events for ten years. Several film projects including Fast and Loose were put on hold or cancelled. Netflix ended production on that action film set to star Smith following the incident. Emancipation released in December 2022 faced mixed reviews and commercial failure.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die became the fourth installment in the franchise announced in 2023. It included a comedic moment inspired by the Oscars incident. Smith is set to co-star with Michael B. Jordan in a sequel to I Am Legend currently in active development. He signed a first look deal with Paramount Pictures through Westbrook Studios in 2024.
Joyner Lucas and Smith worked together on a joint album reported by Vibe magazine in September 2023. Smith confirmed new music coming in 2024 during an interview with ET. His first solo single in nearly twenty years You Can Make It arrived on the 27th of June 2024 featuring Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir.
Work of Art followed on the 26th of July 2024 with his son Jaden and Russ. TANTRUM appeared on December 12 with Joyner Lucas. Based on a True Story released as his fifth studio album on the 28th of March 2025 containing fourteen tracks including five previously released singles. Smith performed at the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League final at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992 and their son Willard Carroll Trey Smith III was born on the 11th of November 1992. They divorced in 1995 after three years together. Smith then married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on the 31st of December 1997 when they met during her audition for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
They have two children: Jaden Smith born in 1998 and Willow Smith born in 2000. Both parents admitted to having extramarital relationships while maintaining their marriage. Pinkett Smith stated in October 2023 that they had been separated since 2016 but intended no divorce. Smith once wanted a polyamorous relationship with Halle Berry and Misty Copeland before abandoning it following therapy sessions.
In 2018, Smith celebrated his fiftieth birthday by performing a bungee jump from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. He was insured by Lloyd's of London for $200 million for this stunt which raised money for Global Citizen charity. His religious views evolved from Baptist upbringing to exploring Hindu spirituality including performing the abhisheka rite at Haridwar India.
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Common questions
When was Will Smith born and where did he grow up?
Willard Carroll Smith II arrived in the world on the 25th of September 1968. He grew up in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia with his mother Caroline and father Willard Sr.
What music groups did Will Smith form and what were their biggest hits?
Smith formed DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince with Jeffrey Townes and Ready Rock C. Their most successful track Summertime peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 while Parents Just Don't Understand won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989.
Which movies made Will Smith a major box office star after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended?
Independence Day became the second highest-grossing film in history at that time upon its release in 1996. Men in Black opened on the 2nd of July 1997 and earned over $589.3 million against a budget of $90 million.
Why did Will Smith slap Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony?
On the 27th of March 2022, Smith walked onto the stage to slap presenter Chris Rock who made an unscripted joke referencing Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018 and shaved her head due to the condition which prompted Smith to yell Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth! twice before returning to his seat.
What consequences did Will Smith face from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after the Oscars incident?
On the 8th of April 2022, the Academy banned Smith from future events for ten years following the live audience standing ovations despite the controversy. Public backlash led to a formal apology via Instagram and an investigation by the Academy's Board of Governors while several film projects including Fast and Loose were put on hold or cancelled.
Who is Will Smith married to now and what are his children's names?
Smith then married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on the 31st of December 1997 when they met during her audition for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They have two children: Jaden Smith born in 1998 and Willow Smith born in 2000.