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Will Smith was a successful rapper long before he became a box office king and awards season darling. We look back on the varied career of Fresh Prince, starting in Philadelphia.
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Fresh Prince (1985).
A 17-year-old Will Smith met Jeff Townes by chance and the two ended up forming a hip-hop duo called DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
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First Grammy (1989).
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince received their first ever Grammy Award for “Parents Just Don’t Understand”1989
NBC
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96)
The IRS went after Will Smith, accusing him of underpaying taxes. He was almost bankrupt. Luckily for him, NBC signed Smith and built “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”His rap persona. The sitcom quickly became a cult classic in the 1990s.
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“Where the Day Takes You” (1992)
Smith’s feature film acting debut was in “Where the Day Takes You.”
Columbia Pictures
“Bad Boys” (1995)
Smith stars in “Bad Boys”Martin Lawrence. The Michael Bay film didn’t get a lot of praise from critics but was well received by audiences and became a big box office hit.
20th Century Fox
“Independence Day” (1996)
Smith was a military pilot on the hit summer alien-invasion movie. This was his first blockbuster. “Independence Day.”
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Jada pinkett Smith (1997-).
Smith married Jada pinkett, an actress he met while auditioning to play his girlfriend. “Fresh Prince.”(The role was taken by Nia Long. Together they have two children, Jaden (born 1998) and Willow (born 2000).
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“Men in Black” (1997)
Smith dominated the July 4th weekend box office with his sci-fi/comedy megahit. It grossed over $250 million domestically. For the first time since his days with DJ Jazzy Jeff, he also recorded his solo single. “Men in Black” soundtrack.
Warner Bros.
“Wild Wild West” (1999)
Smith’s next attempt for the July 4 weekend boxoffice was a failure. He directed a big-budget action comedy about 19th Century hired guns fighting to save post-Civil War America.
Columbia Pictures
“Ali” (2002)
Smith was nominated to the Academy Award for Best Actor in Michael Mann’s role as Muhammad Ali. “Ali,”But Denzel Washington won in “Training Day.”
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“Hitch” (2005)
Guinness Book of World Records recognized the hardworking actor for attending three premieres of movies in a 24 hour period, while promoting the rom-com. “Hitch.”
Columbia Pictures
“The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006)
He was a real-life entrepreneur and salesman who finds himself homeless. This film earned him his second Oscar nomination. His son Jaden Smith also made his screen debut in the film.
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Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2007)
Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood gives Smith a slab made of concrete with his foot and hand imprint.
Columbia Pictures
“Hancock” (2008)
The film’s unusual take on superhero films was a big hit. It grossed $228 million domestically, but it has yet to be adapted for a sequel. Smith played a down-and out superhero who teams up with Jason Bateman, a PR executive, to improve his image following some poorly planned heroics that caused millions in damages.
Sony
“Men in Black 3” (2012)
Smith took a four-year break from the big-screen to film the sequel of one his greatest hits, but the audience mostly shrugged.
Columbia Pictures
“After Earth” (2013)
Smith, then 15, teamed up to Jaden for this post-apocalyptic adventure in sci-fi. The failure marked a turning moment in Smith’s professional career.
Sony
“Concussion” (2015)
Smith received another nomination for Golden Globes for his portrayal of Dr. Bennet, a real-life physician who was forced to take on the NFL by CTE.
Warner Bros.
“Suicide Squad” (2016)
DC Comics’ 2016 adaptation “Suicide Squad,”Smith portrays Deadshot, a skilled marksman who becomes a criminal and is recruited to join the DC Comics super-villains. The film grossed $325 million in domestic box office, despite being criticized by many fans.
Warner Bros.
“Collateral Beauty” (2016)
Smith portrays a New York advertising executive who suffers a personal tragedy that involves his daughter. He retreats from his life only for his colleagues to come up with a way to bring him back. Critics criticized the drama.
Netflix
“Bright” (2017)
Netflix’s first original blockbuster is Will Smith as a L.A. cop who partners with Joel Edgerton, the first orc to join the police force. Smith’s poorest reviews ever since were given to the big-budget streaming movie. “Suicide Squad.”
Disney
“Aladdin” (2019)
The animated film is remade in live action by Disney “Aladdin,”Will Smith is the all-powerful Genie and replaces Robin Williams. The film’s first images made many wonder if the genie would be blue. And there was more doubt when it was revealed that indeed he was. Smith’s star power was enough to bring out the fans and make the live-action remake gross over $1 million.
Paramount Pictures
“Gemini Man” (2019)
Smith gets under the digital blade for Ang Lee’s action and sci-fi thriller “Gemini Man,”In which he battles a digitally aged version of himself, looking exactly like he did in his Fresh Prince days. Although technically impressive, the film was not financially successful.
Sony Pictures
“Bad Boys For Life” (2020)
After years of speculation, Martin Lawrence once said he didn’t believe it would ever happen. Smith and Lawrence have teamed up again. “Bad Boys For Life,”The film reunites the cop-cop duo for one final ride. However, Michael Bay didn’t return to the sequel. The January release would have been the highest-grossing domestic film of 2020, earning $204 million. That was just before the pandemic that decimated the majority of blockbuster films.
Warner Bros.
“King Richard” (2021)
Smith was reintroduced to the Oscar conversation because of his portrayal as Richard Williams, the tough-charging father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.