Will Smith

Willard Carroll Smith Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, producer and rapper.[4] In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood".[5] Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.

Will Smith
Smith in 2019
Born
Willard Carroll Smith Jr.

(1968-09-25) September 25, 1968[1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other namesThe Fresh Prince
Occupation
  • Actor
  • producer
  • rapper
Years active1986–present[2]
OrganizationOverbrook Entertainment
AgentJames Lassiter
Works
Discography and filmography
Home townWest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Net worthUS$250 million (2014)[3]
TelevisionThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
All of Us
Cobra Kai
Spouse(s)
  • Sheree Zampino
    ​
    (
    m. 1992; div. 1995)
  • ​
    (
    m. 1997)
Children3, Trey, Jaden, and Willow
AwardsList of awards and nominations
Musical career
GenresHip hop
Labels
Associated acts
Websitewillsmith.com
Signature

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the NBC television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996. After the series ended, Smith transitioned from television to film and went on to star in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.[6]

Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes.[7] As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, with five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2016, his films have grossed $7.5 billion at the global box office.[8] For his performances as boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and stockbroker Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Smith received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.[9][10]

Early life

Smith was born on September 25, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Caroline (née Bright), a Philadelphia school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr.,[11][12] a U.S. Air Force veteran[13] and refrigeration engineer. He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood,[14] and was raised Baptist.[15] He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen.[14] Smith attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia.[16] His parents separated when he was 13,[17] but did not actually divorce until around 2000.[18]

Smith attended Overbrook High School.[16] While it has been widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he never applied to college because he "wanted to rap."[19] Smith says he was admitted to a "pre-engineering [summer] program" at MIT for high school students, but he did not attend.[18][20][21] According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."[22]

Career
See also: Will Smith filmography, Will Smith discography, and List of awards and nominations received by Will Smith

1985–1992: The Fresh Prince
Smith at the Emmy Awards in 1993

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer.[23] Townes and Smith were introduced to each other by chance in 1985, as Townes was performing at a house party only a few doors down from Smith's residence, and he was missing his hype man. Smith decided to fill in. They both felt strong chemistry, and Townes was upset when his hype man finally made it to the party.[24]

Soon after, the two decided to join forces. Smith enlisted a friend to join as the beatboxer of the group, Clarence Holmes (Ready Rock C), making them a trio. Philadelphia-based Word Up Records released their first single in late 1985 to 1986 when A&R man Paul Oakenfold[25] introduced them to Word Up with their single "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble," a tale of funny misadventures that landed Smith and his former DJ and rap partner Mark Forrest (Lord Supreme) in trouble.[26] The song sampled the theme song of "I Dream of Jeannie." Smith became known for light-hearted story-telling raps and capable, though profanity-free, "battle" rhymes. The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.[27]

Based on this success, the duo were brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons. The duo's first album, Rock the House, which was first released on Word Up in 1986 debuted on Jive in March 1987. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand" (1988), though their most successful single was "Summertime" (1991), which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith and Townes are still friends and claim that they never split up, having made songs under Smith's solo performer credit.[28]

Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes.[23] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.[29] Smith was struggling financially in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.[23] The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world", studying box office successes' common characteristics.[17]

In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks, but all charges were dismissed.[30]

1993–1997: Solo music and film breakthrough

Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. The latter film was commercially successful, grossing $141,407,024 worldwide – $65,807,024 in North America and $75,600,000 overseas.[31] However, critical reception was generally mixed.[32] In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.[33]

In the summer of 1997, he starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the hit Men in Black, playing Agent J. The film was released on July 2 by Columbia Pictures and grossed over $589.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget, becoming the year's third highest-grossing film, with an estimated 54,616,700 tickets sold in the US.[34] It received worldwide acclaim, with critics highly praising its humor, as well as Jones and Smith's performances.

During the summer of 1997, Smith also began his solo music career with the release of "Men in Black", the theme song for the film, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK.[35] "Men in Black" (and second single "Just Cruisin'") was later included on Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style, which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[36][37] The third single from the album, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", became Smith's first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.[38]

1998–2013: Leading man status
Smith in 1999

In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.[23] The following year he turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West (1999). Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved,[39] although in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West he stated that he "made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better."[40]

Smith's second album was again supported by the release of a film theme song as the lead single: "Wild Wild West", featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[37][38] The album in question, Willennium, reached number five on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[36][37] "Will 2K", the second single from the album, reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[38] Before the end of 1999, a video album was released featuring Smith's seven music videos released to date,[41] which reached number 25 on the UK Music Video Chart.[42] The same year, the rapper was also featured on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Tatyana Ali's single "Boy You Knock Me Out", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK R&B Singles Chart.[35][43]

Smith portrayed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biopic Ali. For his performance he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.[44][45] In 2002, following a four-year musical hiatus, Smith returned with his third album Born to Reign, which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA.[36][37] The album's lead single was the theme song from Smith's film Men in Black II, called "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[35] Later in the year, Smith's first compilation album Greatest Hits was released, featuring songs from his three solo albums as well as those produced with DJ Jazzy Jeff.[46]

2003 saw Smith return for Bad Boys II, the sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys; the film follows detectives Burnett and Lowrey investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box office success, grossing $270 million worldwide.[31] In the following year, he starred in the animated film Shark Tale and the science fiction film I, Robot; both films were box office successes despite mixed reviews.

Smith's latest album Lost and Found was released in 2005, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200.[36] Lead single "Switch" reached the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.[35][38] In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three premieres in a 24-hour time span.[47]

Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in the 2006 biographical drama The Pursuit of Happyness In the film Smith portrays Chris Gardner. Smith first became interested in making a film about Gardner after seeing him on 20/20 and connected with him during production.[48] The film, along with Smith's performance, received praise.[49][50]

Smith hosting the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting

On December 10, 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the theater in front of many fans.[51] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Alongside marginally positive reviews,[52] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique".[53] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood."[54] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith was selected as one of America's top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.[55]

In 2008, Smith was reported to be developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he would be starring as Taharqa.[56] Smith later starred in the superhero movie Hancock,[57] which grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and had a worldwide total of $624,386,746.[58]

On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to work on his fifth studio album.[59]

Smith again reprised his role as Agent J with Men in Black 3, which opened on May 25, 2012, his first major starring role in four years.[60][61] After the release of the film, Smith was content with ending his work with the franchise, saying, "I think three is enough for me. Three of anything is enough for me. We'll look at it and we'll consider it, but it feels like that it might be time to let someone else do that."[62] Men in Black 3, released ten years after Men in Black II (2002), grossed over $624 million worldwide.[63][64] Unadjusted for inflation, it is the highest-grossing film in the series.[65][66]

In 2013, Smith starred in After Earth with his son Jaden. The film was a disappointment at the domestic box office and was panned critically.[67] Calling the film "the most painful failure in my career", Smith ended up taking a year and a half break as a result.[68]

2015–present: mixed success and re-emergence in music

Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama Focus. He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Focus was released on February 27, 2015.[69] Smith was set to star in the sci-fi thriller Brilliance, an adaptation of Marcus Sakey's novel of the same name scripted by Jurassic Park writer David Koepp, but he left the project to work on the Ridley Scott-produced sports drama Concussion.[70][71]

In Concussion, Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu of the Brain Injury Research Institute, the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Smith reported he had doubts about the film early in the production, saying, "some of my happiest memories are of watching my son catch and throw a football. I didn't want to be the guy who did a movie saying football could be dangerous." These views subsided when he met Omalu, whose words about American ideals resonated with Smith.[72] Smith's performance was praised for being "sensitive [and] understated".[73]

Smith at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2016, Smith played Deadshot in the supervillain team-up action film Suicide Squad.[74] Smith's participation in the film meant choosing it over a role in Independence Day: Resurgence, which he said would be like "clinging and clawing backwards."[75] Later that year, Smith starred in director David Frankel's drama Collateral Beauty, playing a New York advertising executive who succumbs to a deep depression after a personal tragedy.[76] Weeks after signing Smith onto the film, his father was diagnosed with cancer, from which he died in 2016.[77] As part of his role required him to read about religion and the afterlife, he was brought closer to the elder Smith, calling the experience "a beautiful way to prepare for a movie and an even more majestic way to say goodbye to my father."[78]

His film Bright was distributed via Netflix on December 22, 2017. An urban fantasy, it was the most expensive film for Netflix to date. Smith collaborated with his director from Suicide Squad, David Ayer.[79] That month, Smith launched his own YouTube channel, which as of July 2019 has over 6 million subscribers and 294 million total views.[80] Also in 2017, Smith released the song "Get Lit" a collaboration between him and his former group mate Jazzy Jeff.[81][82]

Smith performed the soccer 2018 World Cup's official song "Live It Up"

Smith performed the official song "Live It Up" alongside American singer Nicky Jam and Kosovar singer Era Istrefi at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia.[83] That September Smith appeared, alongside Bad Bunny, on the Marc Anthony song Está Rico.[84]

Smith portrayed The Genie (originally played by Robin Williams) in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. He also participated in the soundtracks by recording singles: "Arabian Nights (2019)", "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali".[85] The film was released on May 24, 2019.[86] Aladdin grossed over $1 billion worldwide to become Smith's highest-grossing film, surpassing Independence Day.[87] Smith was also featured on rapper Logic's song "Don't Be Afraid To Be Different" (2019), from his fifth studio album Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Smith appeared as an assassin who faces off against a younger clone of himself in Ang Lee's Gemini Man, released on October 11, 2019.[88] Later that year, Smith had his second starring role in an animated film, in Spies in Disguise, opposite Tom Holland. Smith voiced Lance Sterling, a spy who teams up with the nerdy inventor who creates his gadgets (Holland). The film was released on December 25, 2019.[89] In 2020, he reteamed with Martin Lawrence for the third film in their franchise, Bad Boys for Life, which has grossed almost $200m in the United States.

As of June 17, 2020, it was announced that Smith will star in Emancipation directed by Antoine Fuqua, in which he will portray Peter, a runaway enslaved person, who outsmarts hunters and the Louisiana swamp on a journey to the Union Army.[90]

Personal life

Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their son Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III was born on November 11, 1992.[91] They divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". He also acted in two episodes of the sitcom All of Us, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the David Blaine: Real or Magic TV special.

Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow

Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett in 1997. They met when Jada auditioned for a role as Smith's character's girlfriend on the '90s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Jada did not get the part because she was too short. Instead, the role went to Nia Long. Smith grew an attraction to Jada when he later saw her on the TV series, A Different World. Smith, who was married at the time to Sheree Fletcher, decided not to act on his attraction. In 2018, he revealed on Red Table Talk that after Fletcher ended their relationship, only then did he approach Jada. They began dating after Jada moved from her native city of Baltimore to California. The two married in a private ceremony on December 31, 1997, at a hotel in Baltimore. They refer to each other as "life partners", with Smith stating "There's no deal breakers. There's nothing she could do—ever—nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support til death, and it feels so good to get to that space". The pair have never appeared in a film or on a TV show together, however, they do produce films through their joint production company, Overbrook Entertainment.[92] Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth; and Willow Camille Reign Smith (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend. Smith and his brother Harry own Treyball Development Inc.,[93] a Beverly Hills-based company named after Trey. Smith and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.[94] In 2018, Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by performing a bungee jump from a helicopter in the Grand Canyon.[95] Smith was insured by Lloyd's of London for $200 million for the jump which raised money for the charity Global Citizen.[96] In an interview with The Guardian in 2012, he revealed that he is fluent in Spanish, owing to his time backpacking through Guadalajara, Mexico in his youth.

Religious views

Smith was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Catholic school. In a 2013 interview, he did not identify as religious;[97] however, in 2015 Smith said in an interview with The Christian Post that his Christian faith, which was instilled in him by his grandmother, helped him to accurately portray his role as Bennet Omalu in Concussion saying, "She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter presentations and putting on the Christmas plays and her kids and grandkids had to be first. She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying she was happy, like she was really excited about going to heaven."[98] He is not a Scientologist and has denied rumors claiming him as a member of the Church of Scientology,[99] but he has spoken favorably about it: "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious."[100]

In 2018, Smith performed the Hindu rite of Abhisheka of Lord Shiva at Haridwar, India. He also performed an Aarti of the holy river Ganga. He said that he felt a deep connection with Hindu spirituality and Indian astrology.[101]

Philanthropy

Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and ... the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel."[102] Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy.[103] Federal tax filing showed that Smith donated $1.2 million to the school in 2010.[104]

Political views

Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.[105] On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway to celebrate Obama's winning of the prize.[106]

In 2012, Smith stated he supported legalizing same sex marriage.[107]

Filmography
Main article: Will Smith filmography

Discography
Main articles: Will Smith discography and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff

Solo albums
gollark: What's *legal* and what's *ethical* doesn't always actually match.
gollark: Lasers and brains are both confusing and complicated and therefore equivalent.
gollark: I still don't really care very much if people go around testing... weird brain things... on others, as long as everyone involved agrees to it, licenses or not.
gollark: You can talk here and ping whoever you're replying to.
gollark: You mention near-infrared, which is apparently absorbed somewhat less than other wavelengths by skin and such, but based on my 30 second duckduckgo search it's still scattered and absorbed a decent amount by that and probably is blocked by the skull, which is where the brain is.

References
  1. "Will Smith". Biography. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  2. Steve Huey. "DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince". AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  3. "Will Smith Net Worth - atlantablackstar". atlantablackstar. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  4. "Will Smith". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  5. Sean Smith (April 9, 2007). "The $4 Billion Man". Newsweek. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  6. "WEEKEND ESTIMATES: 'Hancock' Delivers $107M 5-Day Opening, Giving Will Smith a Record Eighth Consecutive $100M Grossing Movie!; 'WALL-E' with $33M 3-Day; 'Wanted' Down 60 Percent for $20.6M; 'Kit Kittredge' a Disaster!". Fantasy Moguls. July 3, 2008. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  7. "Top Actors and Actresses: Star Currency". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  8. "Will Smith Movie Box Office Results". Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  9. Johnny Brayson (January 11, 2016). "Has Will Smith Won An Oscar? The Actor May Have His Best Chance Yet With 'Concussion'". Bustle. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  10. Littleton, Cynthia (January 21, 2016). "Will Smith Says He Won't Attend Oscars". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  11. "Willard C. Smith, Sr". Terry Funeral Home.
  12. "Will Smith's father Willard Carroll Smith Sr. dies". Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  13. "Will Smith Loses His Father, Ex-Wife Pays Tribute". Vibe. November 8, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  14. Schuman, Michael (January 1, 2013). Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star. Enslow Publishers, Inc. pp. 9–10. ISBN 9780766039940.
  15. Strauss, Bob (December 14, 2007). "Will Smith on power, dogs and Cruise". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  16. Iannucci, Lisa (2010). Will Smith: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 4–10. ISBN 9780313376108.
  17. Keegan, Rebecca Winters (November 29, 2007). "The Legend of Will Smith". Time. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007.
  18. James Lipton (producer) (January 13, 2002). "Will Smith". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 8. Episode 806. Bravo. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  19. Jennifer Hillner; Wu, JS; Hyland, B; Lu, XD; Chen, JJ (December 2007). "I, Robocop". Wired. 46 (8): 833–839. doi:10.1007/s11517-008-0355-6. PMID 18509686.
  20. "It seems as if Will Smith was accepted to MITES". Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  21. "Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)". Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  22. Meg Grant (December 2006). "Will Smith Interview: Will's Roots". Reader's Digest. Retrieved June 27, 2006.
  23. Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2002
  24. "DJ Jazz Jeff Interview Made From Scratch". DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince Fan Site. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
  25. Paul Oakenfold Archived April 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  26. "D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince". December 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  27. "Will Smith: My Work Ethic Is "Sickening"". CBS. November 30, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
  28. "DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince to reunite?". ://URLFan. Archived from the original on July 7, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
  29. Smith, Will (December 2, 2007). "60 Minutes" (Interview). Interviewed by Steve Kroft. CBS.
  30. Reed, Megan (August 27, 2014). "7 Celebrities You Never Knew Had Criminal Records". Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  31. "Bad Boys (1995)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  32. "Bad Boys (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  33. "Independence Day". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  34. "Men in Black". Box Office Mojo. May 30, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  35. "Will Smith Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  36. "Billboard 200: Will Smith Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  37. "Gold & Platinum Artist Search "Will Smith"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  38. "The Hot 100: Will Smith Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  39. "Smith has no Matrix Regrets". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  40. O'Toole, Lesley. "Will Smith: The Total Film Interview", Total Film, February 2009, Issue 151, pp. 120–125, Future Publishing Ltd., London, England.
  41. Phares, Heather. "The Will Smith Music Video Collection - Will Smith: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  42. "19 December 1999 - 25 December 1999". Official Music Video Chart Top 50 Archive. Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  43. "07 February 1999 - 12 February 1999". Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40 Archive. Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  44. "Will Smith". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  45. "The 74th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  46. Ruhlmann, William. "Greatest Hits - Will Smith: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  47. Daniel Saney (February 23, 2005). "Will Smith in Guinness Book of Records". Digital Spy.
  48. Murray, Rebecca. "Will Smith Talks About "The Pursuit of Happiness"". movie.about.com.
  49. Dargis, Manohla (December 15, 2006). "Climbing Out of the Gutter With a 5-Year-Old in Tow".
  50. Holz, Adam R. "Pursuit of Happiness". Plugged In.
  51. "Will Smith Immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theater". HHWorlds.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  52. "I Am Legend". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  53. Will Smith: He is a legend video interview with stv.tv, December 2007 Archived October 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  54. Gitesh Pandya (December 16, 2007). "Box Office Guru Wrapup: Will Smith Rescues Industry With Explosive Opening For I Am Legend". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
  55. Barbara Walters Gets Up Close with 2008's Most Fascinating People", TV Guide. December 1, 2008. Retrieved on December 3, 2008.
  56. "Will Smith set to conquer Egypt?". Jam Showbiz. March 23, 2008. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
  57. "There May Never Be Another Movie Star As Big As Will Smith". Vulture. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  58. "Hancock (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  59. Kyle Anderson (August 19, 2011). "Will Smith making a new album? A producer says yes". Entertainment Weekly.
  60. Child, Ben (December 19, 2011). "Men in Black 3 returns Will Smith to the big screen – but doesn't add up". theguardian.com.
  61. "'Men in Black 3' Director Barry Sonnenfeld Talks Will Smith & Big Heads". screenrant.com.
  62. "Will Smith is Not Sure About 'Men in Black 4'; Says '3 Is Enough For Me'". screenrant.com.
  63. "MIB 3 (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  64. "Men in Black III (2012)". Retrieved May 28, 2019 – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  65. "Box Office Report: 'Men in Black 3' Becomes Highest-Grossing Title in Franchise". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  66. "Men in black 3 becomes most successful in franchise". Den of Geek. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  67. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. "Will Smith: 'A thing got broken in my mind' following After Earth flop". The Guardian. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  68. Raab, Scott. "Will Smith on Kids, His Career, Ferguson, and Failure". Esquire.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  69. "UPDATE: Warner Bros Sets 2015 Release Dates For 'Run All Night', 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' And 'Focus'". Deadline.com. February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  70. Gabe Toro. "Will Smith in Talks To Star in Ridley Scott-Produced NFL Concussion Drama".
  71. Laura Frances (May 30, 2014). "Will Smith Drops Out of 'Brilliance'". Latino Review. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014.
  72. Riley, Jenelle (December 29, 2015). "Why 'Concussion' Changed Will Smith's Life".
  73. ""Concussion" movie review". Denver Post. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  74. "'Suicide Squad' Cast Revealed: Jared Leto to Play the Joker, Will Smith is Deadshot". Variety. December 2, 2014.
  75. Robinson, Will (December 9, 2016). "Will Smith: Why he chose Suicide Squad over Independence Day: Resurgence". Entertainment Weekly.
  76. "Will Smith's 'Collateral Beauty' Lands Director David Frankel". Variety. November 10, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  77. "Will Smith Opens Up About How 'Collateral Beauty' Helped Him Deal With Dad's Death". Hollywood Reporter. December 8, 2016.
  78. Ryan, Patrick (December 13, 2016). "How 'Collateral Beauty' helped Will Smith say goodbye to his father". USA Today.
  79. Buchanan, Kyle (July 20, 2017). "Will Smith on His Netflix Film: 'You Almost Can't Make New Movie Stars Anymore'". Vulture.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  80. "Will Smith". YouTube. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  81. Colburn, Randall. "Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff's new song, "Get Lit", is tremendously bad". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  82. Kaye, Ben. "Will Smith unveils the studio version for "Get Lit", his incredibly shitty new EDM song". Consenquence of Sound. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  83. "Nicky Jam, Will Smith will sing this year's official FIFA 2018 World Cup song". May 23, 2018.
  84. Browning, Justine. "Watch Will Smith return to rap roots with Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny for Está Rico". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  85. "'Aladdin' Soundtrack Details - Film Music Reporter". Filmmusicreproter.com. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  86. "'Aladdin': Disney Casts Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  87. "Will Smith Movie Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  88. Lee, Ashley (July 6, 2017). "Ang Lee's 'Gemini Man' Gets October 2019 Release". The Hollywood Reporter.
  89. Lang, Brent (October 9, 2017). "Will Smith, Tom Holland to Star in Animated Movie 'Spies in Disguise' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  90. https://variety.com/2020/film/news/will-smith-antoine-fuqua-emancipation-1234635393/
  91. Smith, Will (November 11, 2013). "Happy 21st bday Trey". Facebook.
  92. Darrisaw, Michelle (May 4, 2020). "Why Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Marriage Is So Enduring". Oprah Maga. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  93. "Treyball Development". Treyball Development. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  94. "Will Smith". Forbes.
  95. "Will Smith bungee jumps out of helicopter for 50th birthday". bbc.co.uk. September 26, 2018.
  96. "Will Smith bungee jump insured up to $200mn via Lloyd's". The Insurance Insider. October 15, 2018.
  97. "Mr. and Mr. Smith: Will and Jaden Psych Up for After Earth". New York Magazine's 'Vulture'. May 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013.
  98. "Will Smith Touched by God on Set of 'Concussion'". The Christian Post.
  99. "Will and Jada are not Scientologists". MSN Entertainment. March 18, 2008. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008.
  100. Clark Collis (June 2005). "Dear Superstar: Will Smith". Blender. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009.
  101. Yogesh Kumar (October 11, 2018). "In Haridwar, Will Smith performed 'Rudra Abhishek' to nullify ill-effects of Saturn". The Times of India. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  102. "Will Smith Gives $1.3 Million to Charities". The Nation. December 17, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  103. Downie, Heather (September 11, 2000). "What Goes on Inside Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith's School? The New Village Leadership Academy Allegedly Mimics Some Scientology Teaching Methods". ABC News.
  104. "Will Smith Invested $1.2 Mil into School with Scientology Ties in 2010". Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  105. "Will Smith's Federal Campaign Contribution Report". newsmeat.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
  106. "The Nobel Peace Prize Concert". nobelpeaceprize.org. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  107. "Will Smith supports gay marriage". skynews.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2012.

Further reading
  • Iannucci, Lisa (2009). Will Smith: A Biography. Greenwood. ISBN 0-313-37610-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.