Last Updated on February 27, 2024
Table of Contents
Willard Carroll “Will” Smith Jr., whose Hollywood acting career spans 30 years, is showing no signs of slowing down. He starred in two big movies that were released last year: Gemini Man and Bad Boys for Life, although both films entailed having him digitally “de-aged” to look like younger versions of himself.
The actor has gone a long way from his days as rapper Fresh Prince in the 1980s and the star of the TV sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, in the 1990s. Forbes named Smith the 10th highest paid actor in 2019, with earnings worth $35 million, after Ant Man actor Paul Rudd.
According to Business Insider, he also bagged the highest paid movie role of all time as Agent J for Men in Black 3 ($100 million) and the 15th top paid part as veteran Los Angeles Police Department officer Daryl Ward for the upcoming sequel to the 2017 fantasy crime film Bright.
Will Smith Career
A ‘Prince’ since High School
Smith was born to a middle-class home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 25, 1968. His father, Willard Sr., was a US Air Force veteran and the owner of refrigeration company Arcac. Meanwhile, his mother, Caroline, was a staff member at the Philadelphia School District’s board of education.
He was already nicknamed “Prince Charming” back in high school due to his good looks and charming personality.
As a kid, Smith idolized hip-hop recording artist Joseph Saddler, a.k.a. Grandmaster Flash, and began rapping when he was 12. Although he was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he put college education aside in exchange for his dream of becoming a rap artist.
First Million Earnings from ‘Clean Rap’
Smith and Jeffrey Townes teamed up as DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince when Smith was 16, distinguishing themselves from mainstream rap, as their songs’ lyrics were about teenage life minus the profanity. Their debut album, “Rock the House” (1987), made it to the Billboard Top 200, allowing Smith to earn a million dollars before age 18.
Two years later, the duo became the recipients of the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for their single “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (1988).
Transition to TV
Smith carried his “Fresh Prince” persona when he crossed over to acting. He was chosen to play the main character of the NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” where he played a teenager who was sent to live with his rich relatives in Bel-Air, Los Angeles after having trouble with some kids in his original Philadelphia neighborhood.
The series, which ran for six seasons, drew more than 10 million viewers per episode and Will Smith became a household name.
Sci-Fi Films Level Up Acting Career
Smith started auditioning for movie roles even while doing the sitcom.
He made quite an impression playing a gay con artist in Six Degrees of Separation, and, as a result, landed the role of the marine pilot, Capt. Steven Hiller, in the alien sci-fi action thriller, Independence Day. His appearance in this 1996 movie and in the sci-fi comedy, Men in Black, where he was cast with Tommy Lee Jones, catapulted Smith to stardom.
The actor became a record-breaker in the early 2000s as each of his films, from the Muhammad Ali biopic Ali (2001) to the vigilante superhero flick Hancock (2008), raked in no less than $100 million in ticket sales.
One of these top-grossers included projects with his children: the drama The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) with his son, Jaden, and the post-apocalyptic action film I Am Legend (2007) with daughter, Willow.
Will Smith in 2020 and Beyond
This year, aside from preparations for Bad Boys 4 and King Richard, a biopic about the father of Venus and Serena Williams, Smith and his wife, Jada, are busy with their new media venture, Westbrook Inc., which was launched last September 2019.
Westbrook handles the production house and the record label firm, Overbrook Entertainment and Red Table Talk Enterprises (Jada’s web talk show), plus their social media and consumer goods businesses. Among the projects reportedly in Westbrook’s pipeline is a spin-off for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Top Inspirational Quotes from Will Smith
“The first step is you have to say that you can.” – Will Smith“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Smith“I wake up every morning believing today is going to be better than yesterday.” – Will Smith“Life isn’t how many breaths you take, but it’s the moments that take your breath away.” – Will Smith“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real, but fear is a choice.” – Will Smith“Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.” – Will Smith“Life is lived on the edge.” – Will Smith“There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A.” – Will Smith“In my mind, I’ve always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y’all just didn’t know yet.” – Will Smith“Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.” – Will Smith“If you don’t fight for what you want, don’t cry for what you lost.” – Will Smith“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions.” – Will Smith“If you’re absent during my struggle don’t expect to be present during my success.” – Will Smith“If you’re not making someone else’s life better, than you are wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other people’s lives better.” – Will Smith“Don’t chase people. Be yourself, do your own thing and work hard. The right people – the ones who really belong in your life – will come to you. And stay.” – Will Smith“The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.” – Will Smith“Greatness exists in all of us.” – Will Smith“I never viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping, I’m working.” – Will Smith“I don’t know what my calling is, but I want to be here for a bigger reason. I strive to be like the greatest people who have ever lived.” – Will Smith“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad.” – Will Smith“I want to represent possibilities.” – Will Smith“If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.” – Will Smith“Life isn’t how many breaths you take, but it’s the moments that take your breath away.” – Will Smith“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real but fear is a choice.” – Will Smith“Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.” – Will Smith“You can’t be scared to die for the truth. The truth is the only thing that is ever going to be constant.” – Will Smith“The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is, I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things. You are getting off first. Or I am going to die. It’s that simple.” – Will Smith“Never underestimate the pain of a person, because in all honesty, everyone is struggling. Some people are just better at hiding it than others.” – Will Smith“The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.” – Will Smith“Basic principles: no matter what, no matter when, no matter who… any man has a chance to sweep any woman off her feet. He just needs the right broom.” – Will Smith“I was raised in a Baptist household, went to a Catholic church, lived in a Jewish neighborhood, and had the biggest crush on the Muslim girls from one neighborhood over.” – Will Smith“When you’re wondering what to say, or how you look…just remember… she is already out with you. That means, she said yes, when she could’ve said no. That means she made a plan…when she could’ve just blown you off. So that means it is no longer you job to make her like you…It is your job NOT TO MESS IT UP.” – Will Smith“Because that’s what people do… they leap and hope to God they can fly! Because otherwise, we just drop like a rock…wondering the whole way down…’why in the hell did I jump?’ But here I am Sarah, falling. And there’s only one person that makes me feel like I can fly…That’s you.” – Will Smith“I’m a guy. Since when do we get anything right the first time?” – Will Smith“Greatness is not this wonderful, esoteric, elusive, godlike feature that only the special among us will ever taste, it’s something that truly exists in all of us.” – Will Smith“I believe you need to be educated about what you want to do in life, but I don’t believe you actually need college to get you there.” – Will Smith“Parents just don’t understand.” – Will Smith“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your life.” – Will Smith“Let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too.” – Will Smith“And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping? I’m working.” – Will Smith“I’ve viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic.” – Will Smith“I’m a student of patterns. At heart, I’m a physicist. I look at everything in my life as trying to find the single equation, the theory of everything.” – Will Smith“You can cry, ain’t no shame in it.” – Will Smith“There are so many people who have lived and died before you. You will never have a new problem; you’re not going to ever have a new problem. Somebody wrote the answer down in a book somewhere.” – Will Smith“I’ve trained myself to illuminate the things in my personality that are likable and to hide and protect the things that are less likeable.” – Will Smith“Let your smile change the world. Don’t let the world change your smile.” – Will Smith“Sometimes you have to forget what’s gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next.” – Will Smith“The first step is you have to say that you can.” – Will Smith“10 ways to love: listen, speak, give, pray, answer, share, enjoy, trust, forgive, promise.” – Will Smith“If you’re not willing to work hard, let someone else do it. I’d rather be with someone who does a horrible job, but gives 110 percent than with someone who does a good job and gives 60 percent.” – Will Smith“Look at your 5 closest friends. Those 5 friends are who you are. If you don’t like who you are then you know what you have to do.” – Will Smith“I’ve always considered myself to be just average talent and what I have is a ridiculous insane obsessiveness for practice and preparation.” – Will Smith“I have a great time with my life, and I wanna share it.” – Will Smith“Traditional education is based on facts and figures and passing tests – not on a comprehension of the material and its application to your life.” – Will Smith“So if you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready, and that is how I run my life.” – Will Smith“When you create art, the world has to wait.” – Will Smith“I had to focus and create a character in Bagger Vance, not just do my ‘Will Smith’ thing and get paid.” – Will Smith“If it was something that I really committed myself to, I don’t think there’s anything that could stop me becoming President of the United States.” – Will Smith“Whatever your dream is, every extra penny you have needs to be going to that.” – Will Smith“For me, there is nothing more valuable than how people feel in a movie theater about a movie.” – Will Smith“I know how to learn anything I want to learn. I absolutely know that I could learn how to fly the space shuttle because someone else knows how to fly it, and they put it in a book.” – Will Smith“In black neighborhoods, everybody appreciated comedy about real life. In the white community, fantasy was funnier. I started looking for the jokes that were equally hilarious across the board, for totally different reasons.” – Will Smith“A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.” – Will Smith“It’s quite highly possible that I have peaked. I mean, I just can’t imagine what else I could do beyond this. It’s really a bittersweet kind of feeling.” – Will Smith“When I was growing up, I installed refrigerators in supermarkets. My father was an electrical engineer.” – Will Smith“I’m a student of world religion, so to me, it’s hugely important to have knowledge and to understand what people are doing.” – Will Smith“I mean, I’m very serious with my kids about them comprehending the intricacies of global finance.” – Will Smith“We all want to be in love and find that person who is going to love us no matter how our feet smell, no matter how angry we get one day, no matter the things we say that we don’t mean.” – Will Smith“Boys laugh at what they put girls through but they don’t be laughing when they’re wiping tears off their daughters face for the same reason.” – Will Smith“You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that’s every been built.’ You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.’ You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall.” – Will Smith“There’s so much negative imagery of black fatherhood. I’ve got tons of friends that are doing the right thing by their kids, and doing the right thing as a father – and how come that’s not as newsworthy?” – Will Smith“I want to do good. I want the world to be better because I was here. I want my life, I want my work, my family, I want it to mean something. It’s like if you are not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.” – Will Smith“The first step before anyone else in the world believes it is you have to believe it.” – Will Smith“I know who I am, I know what I believe, and that’s all I need to know.” – Will Smith“Smiling is the best way to face every problem, to crush every fear and to hide every pain.” – Will Smith“I want to represent the idea that you really can make what you want … I believe I can create whatever I want to create.” – Will Smith“It’s very simple, this is what I believe, and, I’m willing to die for it. Period. It’s that simple.” – Will Smith“Never underestimate the pain of a person, because in all honesty, everyone is struggling. Some people are better at hiding it than others.” – Will Smith“The best feeling in the world is knowing that you actually mean something to someone.” – Will Smith“Give me the book, and I do not need somebody to stand up in front of the class.” – Will SmithTags: 7 pounds movie quotes acting quotes and sayings acting strong quotes actor william smith interview actors it will come to you afraid of being hurt quotes afraid to die quotes afraid to live quotes all i do is party will smith all will be good quotes am scared quotes and i m telling you will smith bad work ethic quotes battle of wills quotes be better today than yesterday quote be like quotes be valuable not available quotes before you do something special just do something believe that success is your only option belonging quotes and sayings best people quotes best quotes about enjoying the moment best quotes by will smith best realistic quotes best separation quotes best will smith movie quotes best will smith quotes bring your broom cause it's a mess buying things you don t need quote catholic graduation quotes and sayings celebrities quotes and sayings chasing people quotes complete list of will smith movies disrespect quotes images disrespectful people quotes do i exist in your life quotes do it scared quote do not fight quotes do not wake her quote do something that scares you everyday quote do the job right the first time quotes do your own thing quotes does will smith believe in god does will smith have dyslexia don t afraid quotes don t be scared quote don t chase love quotes don t chase people quotes don t chase quotes don t chase someone quotes don t know what to do in life quotes don t know what to do quotes don t let anything stop you quotes don t let your fear decide your future don t misunderstand me quotes don t play with my emotions quotes don t want to be in my life quotes don t want to work quotes dont be afraid quotes dont be scared quotes dont chase people quotes dont chase people will smith dont chase quotes dont no what to do quotes e true hollywood story will smith envy movie quotes everyday is a gift quote expect success quotes facts about will smith childhood facts about will smith's family famous quotes about doing the right thing famous will famous will smith movie quotes fear and anger quotes fear greatness quote fear happiness quotes fear is not an option quote fear of being loved quotes fear quote by will smith fight for what you want quotes first time shame on you quote fresh prince sayings good acting quotes gr8 ppl gr8 quotes growth mindset will smith happiness is on the other side of fear has will smith written a book has will smith written any books here for you quotes hiding things quotes hitch quote moments that take hollywood quotes on life how did will smith change the world how did will smith get famous how did will smith start acting how long has will smith been acting how much does will smith make how much money does will smith have how not to die quotes i am afraid quotes i am not afraid to die quotes i am scared of life quotes i can and i will quotes i don t chase quotes i don t know what to believe quotes i don t know what to do quotes i don t like people quotes i don t want this life quotes i don t want to be here quotes i don t want to fight quotes i don t want to fight with you quotes i just don t know quotes i ll be here for you quotes i may not be the best quotes i may not the best quote i remember it like it was yesterday quotes i will fight for you quotes i wont chase you quotes idk what to do with my life quotes if fear didn t exist quotes if it scares you quote if you don t know the whole story quotes if you don t want me quotes if you have a problem with me quotes if you must cheat cheat death inspirational quotes by will smith inspirational quotes from will smith inspirational quotes will smith inspirational speech will smith inspirational will smith quotes inspirational words from will smith irobot actor irobot movie quotes it's that simple quotes jada pinkett smith quotes about will jump happiness quotes latest will smith movies 2016 lie steal cheat love quote life don t be scared life is not to fear life is to enjoy life isn t about how many breaths you take life isn t so bad quotes list of films will smith has been in list of will smith's movies love don t exist quotes may you never lie steal cheat or drink motivational quotes envy my existence quotes my struggle quotes not afraid quotes not scared to die quotes not the best quotes only fear god quotes people being real quotes people's favorite quotes pursuit of happiness quotes will smith quotes about being afraid of getting hurt quotes about being afraid to love quotes about being scared to love quotes about danger and fear quotes about fighting for what you want quotes about not wasting life quotes about people who quotes about people you don t like quotes about people you dont like quotes about the importance of belonging quotes about the will quotes by will smith in pursuit of happiness quotes for people you don t like quotes from the movie hitch will smith quotes i don t like people quotes of will quotes people will like quotes will smith pursuit happiness reason for my existence quotes reid smith actor cause of death relationship fear quotes right people quotes sayings of great people scared of getting hurt quotes scared picture quotes scared to be hurt quotes senior quotes about being absent shameful quotes for love stay present quotes still here for you quotes stop being a victim quotes struggle for existence quotes struggle to success quotes struggling actor quotes talent and skill quotes talent vs skill will smith teenage sayings 2016 the best will come quotes the fresh quotes the pursuit of happiness quotes will smith the things that scare you the most quote the world is a scary place quotes there are two types of people in this world quotes this will inspire you those who want to stay in your life quotes thoughts of great people throughout life quotes tired of disrespect quotes today is better than yesterday quotes treadmill motivation quotes using fear to control quotes valuable words in life wake up smith full movie waste of breath quotes we all fear what we don t understand we are here for you quotes we are the ones you should be fearing lyrics wen smith what did will smith say what is will smith famous for what will be will be quotes when did will smith become famous when things get hard as they sometimes will where does will smith live why is will smith inspirational wife struggle quotes will ferrell i just died in your arms will smith 1st movie will smith all movies name list will smith be free will smith being realistic quote will smith best movies ever will smith book recommendations will smith confidence will smith definition of love will smith don t chase will smith don t chase people will smith dyslexia will smith education will smith english actor will smith famous movies will smith famous quotes will smith fear will smith fear of failure will smith fear quote will smith film quotes will smith focus quotes will smith funny lines will smith funny quotes will smith her happiness is not my responsibility will smith hitch quotes will smith how come he don t want me will smith i can t stop will smith independence day quotes will smith inspiration will smith inspirational quotes will smith inspirational video will smith inspirational videos will smith interview 2016 will smith key to success will smith life advice will smith love will smith love quote hitch will smith love speech will smith me and you will smith mind power will smith mindset wisdom will smith money will smith motivation will smith motivational quotes will smith motivational quotes pursuit of happiness will smith motivational speech will smith motivational speech download will smith motivational video will smith motivational video download will smith motivational videos will smith movie quotes will smith movie quotes pursuit of happiness will smith movies 2016 will smith movies 2016 list will smith movies and tv shows will smith never give up will smith on fear will smith on love will smith on success motivation will smith parachute will smith picture quotes will smith plan b will smith pursuit of happiness quotes will smith quotations will smith quote about fear will smith quote about love will smith quote about making wife happy will smith quote happiness will smith quotes will smith quotes about fear will smith quotes about life will smith quotes about love will smith quotes about relationship will smith quotes after earth will smith quotes don t chase will smith quotes don t chase people will smith quotes don't chase will smith quotes from movies will smith quotes images will smith quotes independence day will smith quotes on friends will smith quotes on success will smith quotes pursuit of happiness will smith quotes struggle success will smith quotes treadmill will smith relationship advice will smith relationship quotes will smith said her happiness is not my responsibility will smith self discipline will smith self discipline quotes will smith self esteem will smith smile will smith success quotes will smith success video will smith talks about fear will smith tell me why will smith thoughts will smith treadmill quote will smith treadmill speech will smith tumblr quotes will smith tv series will smith will power will smith words of wisdom will smith words of wisdom quotes will smith work will smith work ethic william smith actor married willie smith actor words to live by quotes that will inspire work ethic quotes would you rather be feared or loved quote yes i can motivational quotes you always fear what you don t understand you are not belong to me quotes you are the only reason i live quotes you did not wake up today to be mediocre author you don t belong to me quotes you don t exist quotes you don t inspire others by being perfect you dont want me quotes you inspire me friend quotes you lost a good thing quotes you misunderstood me quotes you scare me love quotes you want a love that consumes you meaning you want me in your life quotes your life will be better Posted by:Igor Ovsyannnykov
Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams. When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.
ncG1vNJzZmihnqi9qr7AraCoppaasqV6wqikaK%2BZobluv8yiq6Floaq8tbHSaA%3D%3D
Share!