Will Smith Biography

Willard Carroll “Will” Smith Jr. is an American actor, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is known for playing in generally acclaimed movies and has earned numerous Golden Globe and Academy Awards nominations and countless awards. As a hip-hop artist, he gained 4 Grammy Awards.

Music Career

Will Smith began his rapping career at 16, as part of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Their music was fresh, clean and entertaining. They gained success with their first single, Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble. Their follow-up album, Rock the House, made Smith a millionaire. Furthermore, they released He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper, which spawned three singles and brought Smith his first Grammy.

As a solo artist, he released four albums, Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002) and Lost and Found (2005). The latter became the most popular, spawning the international hits Switch and Party Starter. The record peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200. However, Smith’s debut solo album was the best selling one, reaching 9x Platinum in America.

Hollywood

Smith turned to acting in 1990, by portraying the main character of the 6-season sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In 1995, he made his feature film breakthrough, due to starring in the action movie Bad Boys. Two years later, he played a lead role in the blockbuster Men In Black. Both the movies became franchises and Smith returned for the following parts. In 2004, he starred as the main character in the successful SF I’Robot. Furthermore, he made the world weep with his performance in the heartbreaking drama The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Another immense role is the one from I Am Legend (2007). One year later, he produced and acted in Hancock. More recently, the actor received acclaim for Concussion and, the DC Comics blockbuster, Suicide Squad.

Photo source: Discogs