A photograph of Will Smith attending the premiere of The Karate Kid in 2010
Smith at the premiere of The Karate Kid in 2010

Will Smith is an American actor and rapper. His breakthrough came when he played a fictionalised version of himself in the 1990s television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[1][2] The role brought him international recognition and two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy.[1][3] He also served as an executive producer on 24 episodes of the series. Two years later, Smith made his film debut in the drama Where the Day Takes You, where he appeared as a disabled homeless man.[4] In 1995, he starred as a police officer with Martin Lawrence in Michael Bay's Bad Boys. The following year, Smith appeared as a Marine Corps pilot with Jeff Goldblum in Roland Emmerich's science fiction film Independence Day.[5] The film grossed over $817 million at the worldwide box office and was the highest grossing of 1996.[6] In 1997, he starred as Agent J in the science fiction film Men in Black, a role he reprised in its sequels Men in Black II (2002) and Men in Black 3 (2012).

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.[3][7] In 2004, he appeared in the animated film Shark Tale, and science fiction film I, Robot. The following year he starred as a professional dating consultant in the romantic comedy Hitch.[8] Smith's portrayal of entrepreneur and salesman Chris Gardner in the biopic The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor.[3][9][10] In 2008, he played a vigilante superhero in Hancock. While the film received mixed to negative reviews, it became his eighth consecutive to gross over $100 million at the North American box office and grossed a worldwide total of over $624 million.[a][12][13] In 2015, Smith portrayed Nigerian-American physician Bennet Omalu in the biopic Concussion for which he garnered a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.[3] The following year, he appeared in the action film Suicide Squad, which grossed over $745 million at the worldwide box office.[14][15] In 2019, Smith starred as the Genie in the live-action adaptation of the 1992 animation film of the same name, Aladdin. The film is his highest grossing, with a worldwide box office total of over $1 billion.[16] In 2022, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as tennis coach Richard Williams in King Richard.[17]

Film

A photograph of Will Smith attending the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards
Smith at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1993
Year Title Functioned as Notes Ref(s)
Actor Producer Role
1992 Where the Day Takes You Yes No Manny [18]
1993 Made in America Yes No Tea Cake Walters [19]
Six Degrees of Separation Yes No Paul [20]
1995 Bad Boys Yes No Mike Lowrey [21]
1996 Independence Day Yes No Capt. Steven Hiller [5]
1997 Men in Black Yes No James Edwards / Agent J [22]
1998 Enemy of the State Yes No Robert Clayton Dean [23]
1999 Wild Wild West Yes No Captain James West [24]
2000 The Legend of Bagger Vance Yes No Bagger Vance [25]
2001 Ali Yes No Muhammad Ali [26]
2002 Men in Black II Yes No James Edwards / Agent J [27]
2003 Bad Boys II Yes No Mike Lowrey [28]
2004 Jersey Girl Yes No Himself Cameo [29][30]
I, Robot Yes Yes Detective Del Spooner Executive producer [31]
Saving Face No Yes — [32][33]
Shark Tale Yes No Oscar (voice) [34]
2005 Hitch Yes Yes Alex "Hitch" Hitchens [35]
2006 ATL No Yes — [36][37]
The Pursuit of Happyness Yes Yes Chris Gardner [38]
2007 I Am Legend Yes No Robert Neville [39]
2008 Hancock Yes Yes John Hancock [40]
The Human Contract No Yes — Executive producer [41]
The Secret Life of Bees No Yes — [42][43]
Lakeview Terrace No Yes — [44][45]
Seven Pounds Yes Yes Tim Thomas [46]
2010 The Karate Kid No Yes — [47]
2012 This Means War No Yes — [48]
Men in Black 3 Yes No James Edwards / Agent J [49]
2013 After Earth Yes Yes Cypher Raige Also wrote story [50]
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Yes No ESPN Reporter Cameo [51]
2014 Winter's Tale Yes No Lucifer Cameo [52]
Annie No Yes — [53]
2015 Focus Yes No Nicky Spurgeon [54]
Concussion Yes No Bennet Omalu [55]
2016 Suicide Squad Yes No Floyd Lawton / Deadshot [56][57]
Collateral Beauty Yes No Howard Inlet [58][59]
2017 Bright Yes No Daryl Ward [60][61]
2019 Student of the Year 2 Yes No Himself Cameo; Bollywood film [62]
Aladdin Yes No Genie / Mariner [63][64]
Dads Yes No Himself Documentary [65]
Gemini Man Yes No Henry Brogan, Junior and Clone[b] Triple role [66]
Spies in Disguise Yes No Lance Sterling (voice) [67]
2020 Bad Boys for Life Yes Yes Mike Lowrey [68][69]
Life in a Year No Yes — Executive producer [70]
2021 King Richard Yes Yes Richard Williams [71]
2022 Emancipation Yes Yes Peter [72][73]
2024 Untitled fourth Bad Boys film † Yes Yes Mike Lowrey Filming [74]
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Year(s) Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1990 ABC Afterschool Special Hawker Episode: "The Perfect Date" (Cameo) [75][76]
The Earth Day Special Himself [77]
Rockin' Through the Decades Host Documentary of Alvin and the Chipmunks [78]
1990–1996 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Will Smith Executive producer (24 episodes)
Story writer (episode: "Ain't No Business Like Show Business") 		[79]
1991 Blossom Himself Episode: "I’m With The Band" (Cameo) [80]
1997 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Pinocchio (voice) Episode: "Pinocchio" [81]
2003–2007 All of Us Jonny Executive producer and co-creator
Actor (3 episodes)
Writer (2 episodes)
Director (episode: ''The N-Word'') 		[81]
2005 BET Awards 2005 Host [82]
2009 Un-broke: What You Need To Know About Money Himself [83]
2012 2012 Kids' Choice Awards Host [84]
2013 The Queen Latifah Show — Producer [85]
2018 One Strange Rock Host Documentary series [86]
2018–present Cobra Kai — Executive producer [87]
2019 Will Smith's Bucket List Himself Executive producer
Documentary series 		[88]
2020 Will Smith: Off the Deep End Himself Documentary [89]
2021 Amend: The Fight for America Host Documentary series [90]
Best Shape of My Life Himself Executive producer
Documentary series 		[91]
Welcome to Earth Host Documentary series [92]
2022 Women of the Movement — Executive producer
Miniseries 		[93]
2022–present Bel-Air — Executive producer [94]
2022 This Joka — Executive producer [95]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The streak started with Men in Black II in 2002.[11]
  2. ^ Will Smith played triple role films.

References

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External links

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