Will Smith Biography (1968-)

Full name, Willard Christopher Smith, Jr.; born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Willard Christopher (a refrigeration engineer) and Caroline (a school administrator) Smith; married Sheree Elizabeth Zampino (a songwriter and actress), May 9, 1992 (divorced, 1995); married Jada Pinkett (an actress), December 31, 1997; children: (first marriage) Willard Christopher III (Trey); (second marriage) Jaden Christopher Syre, Willow Camille Reign. Addresses: Office: Overbrook Entertainment, 450 North Roxbury Dr., Fourth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.; Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 WilshireBlvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-1804.; Publicist: Stan Rosenfeld, Stan Rosenfeld & Associates, Ltd., 2029 Century Park East, Suite 1190, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, producer, singer, songwriter
Birth Details: September 25, 1968; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Pollster, The Imagemaker, Manson, 1986
Manny, Where the Day Takes You, New Line Cinema, 1992
Paul, Six Degrees of Separation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993
Tea Cake Walters, Made in America, Warner Bros., 1993
Mike Lowrey, Bad Boys, Columbia, 1995
Captain Steven "Eagle" Hiller, Independence Day (also known as ID4), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996
James Edwards/Agent J, Men in Black (also known as MIB), Columbia, 1997
Robert Clayton Dean, Enemy of the State, Buena Vista, 1998
Himself, Welcome to Hollywood, PM Entertainment Group, 1998
James T. "Jim" West, Wild, Wild West, Warner Bros., 1999
James Edwards/Agent J, Metamorphosis of Men in Black (documentary), 2000
Bagger Vance, The Legend of Bagger Vance, DreamWorks, 2000
Cassius Clay/Cassius X/Muhammad Ali, Ali, Columbia, 2001
James Edwards/Agent J, Men in Black II (also known as MIB 2and MIIB), Columbia, 2002
Himself, Straight Clownin', Okimo Entertainment, 2002
Mike Lowrey, Bad Boys 2, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2003
Film Work
Executive Producer
Showtime, Warner Bros., 2002
Song Producer
(With others) Men in Black (also known as MIB), Columbia, 1997
"Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)," Men in Black II (also known asMIB 2 and MIIB), Columbia, 2002
Television Appearances
Series
Will Smith, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1990-1996
Specials
(As the Fresh Prince) Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1989
Hawker, "The Perfect Date," ABC Afterschool Specials, ABC, 1990
Host, The Chipmunks Rockin' through the Decades, NBC, 1990
(As the Fresh Prince) Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), NBC, 1990
(As the Fresh Prince) Sunday Night with Larry King, NBC, 1990
(As the Fresh Prince) The 25th Anniversary MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon (also known as MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon), syndicated, 1990
(As the Fresh Prince) Racism: Points of View, MTV, 1991
(As the Fresh Prince) Voices That Care, Fox, 1991
(As Wil Smith) Idols, Fox, 1991
A Comedy Salute to Michael Jordan, NBC, 1991
Super Bloopers and New Practical Jokes, NBC, 1991
NBA All-Star Stay in School Jam, NBC, 1992
The Search for the New Ideal Man, ABC, 1992
An American Reunion: New Beginnings, Renewed Hope, HBO, 1993
People's 20th Birthday, ABC, 1994
Host, MTV's Spring Break '95, MTV, 1995
All-Star Ultra TV Censored Bloopers, NBC, 1995
The 1995 NBA All-Star Stay in School Celebration, NBC, 1995
Celebrate the Dream: 50 Years of Ebony, ABC, 1996
Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion, Fox, 1996
The Sci-Fi Channel's Invasion of Independence Day, Sci-Fi Channel,1996
Aliens Invade Hollywood, The Learning Channel, 1997
Himself, The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1998
Himself, Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, 1998
Host, America's Millennium (documentary), CBS, 1999
Himself, MTV Uncensored, MTV, 1999
Himself, True Life: I Am Driving While Black, MTV, 1999
Himself, Video Killed the Radio Star (documentary), VH1, 2000
Himself, America: A Tribute to Heroes, multiple networks, 2001
Himself, National Lottery Christmas Cracker (also known as Dale's National Lottery Christmas Cracker), 2001
Himself, E! Rank: 25 Toughest Stars, E! Entertainment Television,2002
Himself, Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television, TV Land,2002
Himself, Muhammad Ali's 60th Birthday Celebration, CBS, 2002
Himself, Roots: Celebrating 25 Years, NBC, 2002
Episodic
Fresh Prince, "I'm with the Band," Blossom, NBC, 1991
Voice of Pinocchio (some sources cite Pinoak), "Pinocchio," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995
Himself, Martin, Fox, 1995
Himself, Clive Anderson All Talk, BBC, 1998
The Entertainment Business, Bravo, 1998
Des O'Connor Tonight, ITV, 1999
"Wetten, dass ... ? aus Koeln," Wetten, dass...?, ZDF (Germany), 2000
Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, 2001

Himself, "Nick Takes Over Hollywood," The Nick Cannon Show, 2002
Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, 2002
Himself, Rove Live, Ten Network, 2002
Appeared in episodes of other series, including Revealed with Jules Asner, E! Entertainment Television; and House of Style and Yo! MTV Raps, both MTV.
Awards Presentations
Presenter, The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 1990
Presenter, The 18th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 1991
The Fifth Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1991
The 17th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1991
Host, The Sixth Annual Soul Train Music Awards, syndicated, 1992
Presenter, The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1993
Host, MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1994
Host, The 21st Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 1994
Presenter, The American Music Awards, ABC, 1995
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1996
The 27th Annual NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 1996
Presenter, The 1997 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1997
Presenter, The 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV, 1997
Presenter, The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1997
The ShoWest Awards, TNT, 1997
Soul Train Music Awards: 11th Anniversary, The WB, 1997
VH1 Fashion Awards, VH1, 1997
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1998
The 40th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1998
The 1998 Essence Awards, Fox, 1998
The 1998 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1998
The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV, 1998
Presenter, The 41st Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1999
The 1999 World Music Awards, ABC, 1999
The 30th NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 1999
Presenter, The 27th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 2000
The 13th Annual Kids' Choice Awards, Nickelodeon, 2000
Presenter, MTV Video Music Awards 2001, MTV, 2001
Presenter, The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards 2001, UPN, 2001
Presenter, The Eighth Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2002
Himself, 2002 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2002
Himself, The 74th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2002
Television Work
Series
(Theme song performer) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1990-1996
(Executive producer) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1995-1996
Stage Appearances
Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1990
RECORDINGS
Albums
Big Willie Style, Columbia, 1997
Wild, Wild West (soundtrack), Warner Bros., 1999
Willennium, Sony, 1999
Maximum Will Smith, Chrome Dreams, 2000
Born to Reign, Sony, 2002
Singles
"Men in Black," 1997
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It," 1998
(With Trey Smith) "Just the Two of Us," 1998
"Miami," 1999
"Wild Wild West," 1999
"Will 2K, Part 1," Sony, 1999
"Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)," Sony, 2002
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It/Men in Black," Sony, 2002
"1,000 Kisses," Sony, 2002
Albums; as D. J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Rock the House, Jive, 1986
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, Jive, 1988
And in This Corner, Jive, 1989
Homebase, Jive, 1991
Code Red, Jive, 1993
Greatest Hits, Jive, 1998
Singles; as D. J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
"Parents Just Don't Understand," Jive, 1986
"Just One of Those Days," 1987
"Brand New Funk," 1988
"Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble," Jive, 1988
"A Nightmare on My Street," 1988
"I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson," 1989
"Jazzy's Groove," 1989
"Ring My Bell," 1991
"Summertime," 1991
"The Things That You Do," 1991
"Boom! Shake the Room," 1993
"I'm Looking for the One (to Be with Me)," 1993
Videos
The Will Smith Music Video Collection, 1999
Music Videos
"Men in Black," 1997
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It," 1998
(With Trey Smith) "Just the Two of Us," Voyeur Films, 1998
"Miami," 1999
"Wild Wild West," 1999
Contributor to the video "Voices That Care"; also appeared in the music videos "Brothers," by Angie Stone and "Shy Guy," by Diana King.
Music Videos; as D. J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
"Parents Just Don't Understand," 1986
"A Nightmare on My Street," 1988
"Summertime," 1991
WRITINGS
Film Songs
(As the Fresh Prince) "Dance or Die," Made in America, Warner Bros., 1993
"Men in Black," Men in Black (also known as MIB), Columbia,1997
Title song, Wild, Wild West, Warner Bros., 1999
"Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)," Men in Black II (also known asMIB 2 and MIIB), Columbia, 2002
Television Theme Songs
Series
(As the Fresh Prince) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1990-1996
Men in Black: The Series, The WB, beginning in 1997
Children's Books
Just the Two of Us, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Scholastic, 2001

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 18, Gale, 1998
Contemporary Musicians, Volume 26, Gale, 1999
Wallner, Rosemary, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Abdo and Daughters (Edina, MN), 1992

Periodicals

Biography, July, 1999, pp. 34-38, 104
Entertainment Weekly, June 25, 1993, p. 54; December 24, 1993, pp.26-28; January 16, 2002, February 22, 2002, pp. 26-27
Essence, February, 1993, pp. 60-62; July, 1997, p. 60; May, 1998,p. 82
Flicks, January, 1999, p. 9
Jet, December 3, 1990, p. 58; April 29, 1991, p. 56; December 23,1991, p. 56
Los Angeles Times, December 10, 1995
Mademoiselle, December, 1993, p. 146
Newsweek, July 7, 1997, p. 63
People Weekly, September 24, 1990, pp. 83-84; February 23, 1998, p. 28
Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 2000
Premiere, January, 1994, p. 74; December, 2000
Rolling Stone, December 10, 1998, pp. 62-71, 137
Shoot, May 15, 1998, p. 7
Starlog, September, 1996; September, 1997
Sunday Times (London), June 27, 1999
Time Out New York, December 13, 2001
Total Film, September, 1997, p. 29
TV Guide, September 29, 1990, p. 5; October 13, 1990, p. 7; January 23, 1993, pp. 10-12
Urban Cinefile, February 21, 2002
Vanity Fair, July, 1999

Electronic

Will Smith, http://www.willsmith.com, October 19, 2002

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum