Will Smith facts for kids
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is a famous American actor, rapper, and film producer. He is well-known for his work in both movies and music. Will Smith has won many awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. His films have earned over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most successful stars.
Smith first became known as part of a hip-hop duo called DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. They released five albums and had several hit songs like "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime" between 1985 and 1994. Later, he released solo albums such as Big Willie Style (1997) and Willennium (1999), which included number-one hits like "Gettin' Jiggy wit It".
Smith started his acting career playing a fun version of himself in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996). He then became a leading movie star in popular film series like Bad Boys (starting in 1995) and Men in Black (starting in 1997). He also starred in action thrillers like Independence Day (1996).
Will Smith has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles as Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). He has also appeared in many other successful films, including I, Robot (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), and Aladdin (2019).
For his role as Richard Williams in the movie King Richard (2021), Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor. At the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, Smith had an incident with presenter Chris Rock. Smith later apologized and resigned from the Academy. He was also banned from attending their events for ten years.
Quick facts for kids
Will Smith
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Smith in 2019
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Willard Carroll Smith II
September 25, 1968 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Other names | The Fresh Prince |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
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| Children | 3, including Jaden and Willow |
| Awards | Full list |
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Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Willard Carroll Smith II was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Caroline, worked for a school board, and his father, Willard Sr., was a veteran and engineer. He grew up in West Philadelphia and was raised in a Baptist family. He has an older sister, Pamela, and younger twin siblings, Harry and Ellen.
Smith went to a private Catholic elementary school and then Overbrook High School. His parents separated when he was 13.
He started rapping when he was 12 years old. His grandmother found his lyrics and encouraged him to use smart words instead of bad language. This advice influenced his decision to keep his music clean and free of profanity.
Music Career
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Smith began his music career as the rapper for the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. His childhood friend, Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes, was the DJ and producer. They met by chance in 1985 when Smith filled in as a hype man for Townes at a party. They felt a strong connection and decided to work together.
Their first single, "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble", was released in 1986 and became a hit. The duo became known for their fun, story-telling raps that didn't use bad words. They won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for their song "Parents Just Don't Understand". Their most successful song was "Summertime" (1991), which won them another Grammy. Smith and Townes are still good friends today.
In 1990, Smith faced financial difficulties. The NBC television network then offered him a contract to star in a sitcom called The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This show became very popular and launched his acting career.
Solo Music Success
In the summer of 1997, Smith started his solo music career. He released "Men in Black", the theme song for his movie of the same name. This song became a number-one hit in many countries. It was part of his first solo album, Big Willie Style, which sold millions of copies. The song "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" from this album became his first number-one hit in the U.S. in 1998.
His second album, Willennium, was released in 1999 and also featured a movie theme song, "Wild Wild West", which topped the charts. After a break from music, Smith released his third album, Born to Reign, in 2002, which included the song "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" from Men in Black II. His album Lost and Found came out in 2005, with the hit single "Switch".
In 2017, Smith released the song "Get Lit" with DJ Jazzy Jeff. He also started his own YouTube channel, which became very popular. In 2018, he performed the official song "Live It Up" at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia.
In 2023, there were reports that Smith would work on a joint album with rapper Joyner Lucas. Smith confirmed in May 2024 that new music was coming, calling it his most personal work. On June 27, 2024, he announced his first solo single in nearly 20 years, "You Can Make It", which was released the next day. He released another single, "Work of Art", with his son Jaden and Russ on July 26, 2024. On December 12, he released "TANTRUM" with Joyner Lucas. His fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, was released on March 28, 2025. He performed at the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League final on March 23, 2025.
Acting Career
Early Film Roles
Smith's first big movie roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995), where he starred with Martin Lawrence. Bad Boys was a commercial success. In 1996, Smith starred in Independence Day, which was a huge blockbuster and made him a major movie star.
In 1997, he starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the hit movie Men in Black, playing Agent J. The film earned over $589 million worldwide and was praised for its humor and the performances of Smith and Jones.
Becoming a Leading Man
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In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State. The next year, he chose to star in Wild Wild West (1999) instead of The Matrix. Even though Wild Wild West was not as successful, Smith has said he doesn't regret his choice, believing Keanu Reeves was perfect for the role in The Matrix.
Smith played famous boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 movie Ali. His performance earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.
In 2003, Smith returned for Bad Boys II, the sequel to Bad Boys. The film was a box-office success, making $270 million worldwide. The next year, he starred in the science fiction film I, Robot and voiced a character in the animated film Shark Tale. Both movies did well at the box office.
In 2005, Smith was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three movie premieres in 24 hours. In 2006, Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in the true-story drama The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith played Chris Gardner, a man who overcomes homelessness to become a successful stockbroker. The film and Smith's acting received much praise.
In December 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, leaving his hand and foot prints. Later that month, he starred in I Am Legend, which had the biggest opening for a December film in the U.S. This movie helped confirm his status as a top box office star.
Recent Films and King Richard
In 2008, Smith starred in the superhero film Hancock, which earned over $624 million worldwide. He returned to his role as Agent J in Men in Black 3, which opened in May 2012. This was his first major role in four years, and the film grossed over $624 million worldwide. In 2013, Smith starred with his son Jaden in After Earth. The film did not do well, and Smith took a break from acting for a year and a half.
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Smith starred with Margot Robbie in the drama Focus (2015), playing a con artist. He then played Dr. Bennet Omalu in the sports drama Concussion. Smith's performance was praised for being "sensitive and understated".
In 2016, Smith played Deadshot in the superhero film Suicide Squad. The film was a huge financial success, earning over $700 million, but received mixed reviews from critics. Later that year, he starred in the drama Collateral Beauty. His film Bright was released on Netflix in December 2017.
Smith played the Genie in the live-action Disney movie Aladdin, released in May 2019. The film grossed over $1 billion worldwide, becoming Smith's highest-grossing film. He also appeared in the animated film Spies in Disguise (2019) and reunited with Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys for Life (2020).
In June 2020, it was announced that Smith would star in Emancipation, playing a runaway slave named Peter. Smith's memoir, Will, was published in November 2021.
Smith portrayed Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in the 2021 film King Richard. For this role, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In February 2022, National Geographic announced that Smith would star in a series called Pole to Pole for Disney+. The series follows Smith on a long journey from the South Pole to the North Pole, exploring different parts of Earth.
2022 Academy Awards Incident
During the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Smith walked onto the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock. Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Smith then returned to his seat and told Rock to keep his wife's name out of his mouth. Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss.
The Academy asked Smith to leave the ceremony, but he refused. Later that night, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for King Richard. In his acceptance speech, he apologized to the Academy and other nominees, but not to Rock. After public criticism, Smith issued a formal apology. The Academy condemned his actions and started an investigation. Rock chose not to press charges.
On April 1, 2022, Smith resigned from the Academy. He stated that he had taken away from other nominees' moments and wanted the focus to return to their achievements. On April 8, 2022, the Academy banned Smith from attending all their events for 10 years. Several of Smith's film projects were put on hold because of the controversy. Smith accepted the Academy's decision. On July 29, he offered an on-camera apology, saying he was "deeply remorseful". In December 2022, Emancipation was released to mixed reviews and did not do well commercially.
Future Projects
In 2023, it was announced that Smith would star in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth film in the Bad Boys series. This film includes a funny moment inspired by the Oscars incident. Smith is also set to star with Michael B. Jordan in a sequel to I Am Legend. He is also attached to star in the science fiction films Brilliance and Resistor.
Personal Life
Family
Will Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their son, Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III, was born on November 11, 1992. They divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the song "Just the Two of Us".
Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on December 31, 1997. They met when Jada auditioned for a role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Together, they have two children: Jaden Smith (born 1998), who acted with him in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth; and Willow Smith (born 2000), who played his daughter in I Am Legend. In October 2023, Pinkett Smith stated that she and Smith had been separated since 2016, but they do not plan to divorce.
In 2018, Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by bungee jumping from a helicopter in the Grand Canyon. This jump helped raise money for the charity Global Citizen.
Beliefs and Views
Smith was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Catholic school. In 2015, he said that his Christian faith, taught to him by his grandmother, helped him understand his role in Concussion. In 2018, Smith performed a Hindu ritual in Haridwar, India, and said he feels a deep connection to Hindu spirituality.
Smith has supported political causes. He donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. In 2012, Smith said he supported legalizing same-sex marriage. In 2021, Smith announced that the production of his film Emancipation was moved from Georgia because of a new voting law that critics believed would make it harder for non-white voters to cast ballots.
Awards and Achievements
Will Smith has received many awards throughout his career. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard (2021). This role also earned him a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated as a producer for the Academy Award for Best Picture for the same film. Before this, he had been nominated for the Academy Award twice (for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness), and for the Golden Globe Award five times.
Besides acting, Smith has won four Grammy Awards for his music. He won for "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime" as part of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. He also won for his solo songs "Men in Black" and "Gettin' Jiggy wit It". His nominations for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards make him one of the few black actors to be nominated for all four major entertainment awards in the U.S.
On March 26, 2025, Smith attended a ceremony where his name was added to street signs on a block of 59th Street in West Philadelphia.
Discography
- Big Willie Style (1997)
- Willennium (1999)
- Born to Reign (2002)
- Lost and Found (2005)
- Based on a True Story (2025)
Will Smith Quotes
- "Smiling is the best way to face every problem, to crush every fear, to hide every pain."
- "Remember, don't try to build the greatest wall that's ever been built. Focus on laying a single, expertly-placed brick. Then keep doing that, every day."
- "The road to success is through commitment."
- "When you look around at the six people that you spend the most time with, that's who you are."
- "There's no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A."
- "10 ways to love: listen, speak, give, pray, answer, share, enjoy, trust, forgive, promise."
See also
In Spanish: Will Smith para niños
