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Will Smith

Acting

Born September 25, 1968 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Also known as Willard Smith · Willard Christopher Smith, Jr.

Biography

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. Known for variety of roles, Smith has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and four Grammy Awards. Smith began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996). He first gained recognition as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he released five studio albums and the US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles "Parents Just Don't Understand", "A Nightmare on My Street", "Summertime", "Ring My Bell", and "Boom! Shake the Room" from 1984 to 1994. He released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), and Lost and Found (2005), which contained the US number-one singles "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Wild Wild West". He has received four Grammy Awards for his rap performances. Smith achieved wider fame as a leading man in films such as the action film Bad Boys (1995), its sequels Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys for Life (2020), and the sci-fi comedies Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), and Men in Black 3 (2012). After starring in the thrillers Independence Day (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998), he received Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his portrayal as Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001), and as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). He then starred in a range of commercially successful films, including I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), Seven Pounds (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Aladdin (2019). For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard (2021), Smith won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor.

Awards & recognition

  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 2022
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Motion Picture Drama · 2021
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Supporting Actor - Razzie Award · 2013
  • NAACP Image AwardOutstanding Actor in a Motion Picture · 2009
  • MTV Movie AwardBest Performance · 2008
Show all 31 awards →
  • Saturn AwardBest Actor · 2007
  • David Angell Humanitarian Award · 2006
  • Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist · 2005
  • MTV Movie AwardBest Performance · 2002
  • Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist · 2000
  • NAACP Image AwardOutstanding Music Video · 2000
  • American Music AwardFavorite Soul/R&B Album · 1999
  • American Music AwardFavorite Pop/Rock Album · 1999
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Original Song · 1999
  • Grammy AwardBest Rap Solo Performance · 1999
  • MTV Video Music AwardBest Male Video · 1999
  • NAACP Image AwardOutstanding Music Video · 1999
  • Grammy AwardBest Rap Solo Performance · 1998
  • MTV Movie AwardBest Fight · 1998
  • MTV Video Music AwardBest Rap Video · 1998
  • MTV Video Music AwardBest Male Video · 1998
  • MTV Movie AwardBest Kiss · 1997
  • MTV Video Music AwardBest Video from a Film · 1997
  • Grammy AwardBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group · 1992
  • Grammy AwardBest Rap Performance · 1989
  • World Music Awards
  • Young Artist Awards
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 2022 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 2022 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 2007 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 2002 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Kids' Choice Awards

as Host

The Oprah Conversation

as Self

Life in a Year

2020Executive Producer

Cobra Kai

2018Executive Producer, Producer

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion

2020as Self

The Pursuit of Happyness

2006as Chris Gardner

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

1990as Will Smith

Emancipation

2022as Peter

Charm City Kings

2020Executive Producer

Bel-Air

2022as Will Smith

One Strange Rock

2018as Self - Host

Welcome to Earth

2021as Self - Host

King Richard

2021as Richard Williams

Spies in Disguise

2019as Lance Sterling (voice)

Seven Pounds

2008as Ben

Top Gear

2002as Self

Lily Topples The World

2021as Self

The Secret Life of Bees

2008Producer

Quincy

2018as Self

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

2024as Mike Lowrey

Saving Face

2004Producer

Collateral Beauty

2016as Howard Inlet

I Am Legend

2007as Robert Neville

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

All of Us

2003Creator, Director, Executive Producer

Men in Black

1997as Jay

Amend: The Fight for America

2021as Self - Host

Bad Boys for Life

2020as Mike

Aladdin

2019as Genie / Mariner

Hot Ones

2015as Self

Concussion

2015as Dr. Bennet Omalu

Free Angela and All Political Prisoners

2012Executive Producer

Enemy of the State

1998as Robert Clayton Dean

Mad TV

1995as Self

Bigflo & Oli: Hip Hop Frenzy

2020as Self

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman

2018as Self

I, Robot

2004as Del Spooner

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

2004as Self

Dads

2019as Self

Focus

2015as Nicky Spurgeon

A Man's Story

2011as Self

ATL

2006Producer

Independence Day

1996as Capt. Steven Hiller

Howard

2018as Genie / Mariner (archive footage)

James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction

2018as Self

Ali

2001as Muhammad Ali / Cassius Clay

Bad Boys

1995as Mike Lowrey

Pole to Pole with Will Smith

2026as Self - Host

Bad Boys II

2003as Detective Mike Lowrey

The Karate Kid

2010Producer