History Creator / WillSmith

Two decades after his first nomination, Smith finally won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor for his role in ''Film/KingRichard'' in 2022. Unfortunately for him, this was after he controversially slapped Creator/ChrisRock for making a joke about his wife during the ceremony, which significantly {{overshadowed|ByControversy}} both his win and the ceremony as a whole in media coverage. He subsequently resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and eventually received a ten-year ban from attending the Academy Awards and affiliated ceremonies.

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. West UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} born and raised, [[MemeticMutation on the playground]] is where he spent most of his [[ExpositoryThemeTune days, chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool]], until Smith first entered the public eye as part of "Music/DJJazzyJeffAndTheFreshPrince", a lighthearted hip-hop duo known for such songs as "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". He really came to fame with the NBC series ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', a relatively successful SitCom that he only signed onto because [[MoneyDearBoy most of his possessions were taken by the IRS as punishment for tax evasion]].

He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career. While initally focused on lighthearted comedies and popcorn action, his UncleTomfoolery days are [[TomHanksSyndrome pretty much gone]], with Smith playing semi-serious or serious roles most of the time now and his comedic acting not being race-based. It also helps that he is the undisputed lead in any movie he's in, one of the few Black actors who regularly does this. His most famous roles... well, the list is sort of legendary. [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/ Just have a look at his IMDB profile]]. Add to this, even his stinkers tend to suck in tons of money. The failure of ''Film/WildWildWest'' prompted Smith to observe: "That's how big I am. I ''bomb'' over $100 million." Of all the films Smith has been the star of, only three (all {{Biopic}}s) have failed to make over their budgets: the UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli biopic ''Film/{{Ali}}'' (which was still a critical if not financial success), ''Film/{{Concussion}}'', and ''Film/KingRichard'' -- Smith is ''that'' much of a box office draw. He's also one of the best-paid actors, pulling salaries estimated at $20 million ''per movie''.

In any given movie, expect a ShirtlessScene and expect him as well to say "[[CatchPhrase AW HELL NAW]]!" at some point. [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama The 44th President of the United States]] wouldn't mind being portrayed by him in a movie.

He has been married to Creator/JadaPinkett since 1997, and they have two children who are also in the acting and music business, Creator/{{Jaden|Smith}} and Music/{{Willow|Smith}}.

He is also the founder of Overbrook Entertainment (named after the high school in Philly he attended), whose films he produces.

Two decades after his first nomination, Smith finally won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor for his role in ''Film/KingRichard'' in 2022. Unfortunately for him, this was after a controversial action in which he slapped Chris Rock for a perceived insult towards his wife during the Oscars ceremony. He was forced to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which earned him a ten-year ban from attending the Academy Awards and affiliated ceremonies.

[[caption-width-right:280:''[[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir "Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside-down... ♪"]]'']]

->''"Whether he's playing a cool young fighter pilot in Film/IndependenceDay or a 19th century steampunk cowboy in Film/WildWildWest or a Converse-wearing Luddite in Film/IRobot, there's something distinctly ... Will Smithian about every piece of dialogue he delivers. All of the other actors in his movies are saying lines in the script that either further the plot or set up jokes, while Will Smith gets to say things like 'Aw, hell no' and 'Now that's what ''I'm'' talking about' and a variety of other 'Will Smith lines,' for lack of a better term."''

After several years, he finally won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor for his role in ''Film/KingRichard'' in 2022. Unfortunately, this was after a controversial action in which he slapped Chris Rock for a perceived insult to Jada during the 2022 Oscars. He was forced to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which earned him a ten-year ban from attending the Academy Awards and affiliated ceremonies.

After several years, he finally won an award for Best Actor UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his role in ''Film/KingRichard'' in 2022. Unfortunately, this was after a controversial action in which he slapped Chris Rock for a perceived insult to Jada during the 2022 Oscars. He was forced to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which earned him a ten-year ban from attending the Academy Awards and affiliated ceremonies.

He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career. While initally focused on lighthearted comedies and popcorn action, his UncleTomfoolery days are [[TomHanksSyndrome pretty much gone]], with Smith playing semi-serious or serious roles most of the time now and his comedic acting not being race-based. It also helps that he is the undisputed lead in any movie he's in, one of the few Black actors who regularly does this. His most famous roles... well, the list is sort of legendary. [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/ Just have a look at his IMDB profile]]. Add to this, even his stinkers tend to suck in tons of money. The failure of ''Film/WildWildWest'' prompted Smith to observe: "That's how big I am. I ''bomb'' over $100 million." Of all the films Smith has been the star of, only three (all {{Biopic}}s) have failed to make over their budgets: the UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli biopic ''Film/{{Ali}}'' (which was still a critical if not financial success), ''Film/{{Concussion}}'', and ''Film/KingRichard'' (which won him the Best Actor UsefulNotes/AcademyAward) -- Smith is ''that'' much of a box office draw. He's also one of the best-paid actors, pulling salaries estimated at $20 million ''per movie''.

He was forced to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after he slapped Creator/ChrisRock during the 2022 Oscars, an action which earned him a ten-year ban from attending the Academy Awards and affiliated ceremonies.

He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career. While initally focused on lighthearted comedies and popcorn action, his UncleTomfoolery days are [[TomHanksSyndrome pretty much gone]], with Smith playing semi-serious or serious roles most of the time now and his comedic acting not being race-based. It also helps that he is the undisputed lead in any movie he's in, one of the few Black actors who regularly does this. His most famous roles… well, the list is sort of legendary. [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/ Just have a look at his IMDB profile]]. Add to this, even his stinkers tend to suck in tons of money. The failure of ''Film/WildWildWest'' prompted Smith to observe: "That's how big I am. I ''bomb'' over $100 million." Of all the films Smith has been the star of, only three (all {{Biopic}}s) have failed to make over their budgets: the UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli biopic ''Film/{{Ali}}'' (which was still a critical if not financial success), ''Film/{{Concussion}}'', and ''Film/KingRichard'' (which won him the Best Actor UsefulNotes/AcademyAward) - Smith is ''that'' much of a box office draw. He's also one of the best-paid actors, pulling salaries estimated at $20 million ''per movie''.

Was forced to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after he slapped Creator/ChrisRock during the 2022 Oscars.

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. West UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} born and raised, [[MemeticMutation on the playground]] is where he spent most of his [[ExpositoryThemeTune days, chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool]], until Smith first entered the public eye as part of "Music/DJJazzyJeffAndTheFreshPrince", a lighthearted hip-hop duo known for such songs as "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". He really came to fame with the NBC series ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', a relatively successful SitCom that he only signed onto because [[MoneyDearBoy most of his possessions were taken by the IRS as punishment for tax evasion]]. He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career, including four UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations--three for acting, one for producing a Best Picture nominee.

His UncleTomfoolery days are [[TomHanksSyndrome pretty much gone]], with Smith playing semi-serious or serious roles most of the time now, and his comedic acting not being race-based. It also helps that he is the undisputed lead in any movie he's in, one of the few black actors who regularly does this.

In any given movie, expect a ShirtlessScene and expect him as well to say "[[CatchPhrase AW HELL NAW]]!" at some point.

[[UsefulNotes/BarackObama The 44th President of the United States]] wouldn't mind being portrayed by him in a movie.

His most famous roles… well, the list is sort of legendary. Want proof? [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/ Just have a look at his IMDB profile]]. Add to this, even his stinkers tend to suck in tons of money. The failure of ''Film/WildWildWest'' prompted Smith to observe: "That's how big I am. I ''bomb'' over $100 million." Of all the films Smith has been the star of only two have failed to make over their budgets, the UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli biopic ''Film/{{Ali}}'' (which was still a critical if not financial success) and the dramas ''Film/{{Concussion}}'' and ''Film/KingRichard'' (which won him the Best Actor UsefulNotes/AcademyAward) - Smith is ''that'' much of a box office draw. He's also one of the best-paid actors, pulling salaries estimated at $20 million ''per movie''.

He is also the founder of Overbrook Entertainment (named after the high school in Philly he attended) where he produces the films from that company whether or not he actually stars in the films.

* BerserkButton: At the 94th Academy Awards, Will slapped Creator/ChrisRock and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!" for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia areata [[note]] Rock compared her to Demi Moore in ''Film/GIJane'', where her character, Lieutenant Jordan O' Neil, shaved her head to shed herself of her femininity and to prove herself to the other soldiers [[/note]]. Will did laugh at first but saw red when he realized that Rock had upset Jada with his joke. When he accepted the reward, Will didn't apologize to Rock for hitting him and he explained his reaction in his acceptance speech. The joke was simply the straw that broke the camel's back and Will felt the need to defend his wife after enduring abusive comments about her condition.

* BerserkButton: In 2022, Will slapped Creator/ChrisRock and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!" for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia areata [[note]] Rock compared her to Demi Moore in ''Film/GIJane'', where her character, Lieutenant Jordan O' Neil, shaved her head to shed herself of her femininity and to prove herself to the other soldiers [[/note]]. Will did laugh at first but saw red when he realized that Rock had upset Jada with his joke. When he accepted the reward, Will didn't apologize to Chris Rock for hitting him and he explained his reaction in his acceptance speech. The joke was simply the straw that broke the camel's back and Will felt the need to defend his wife after enduring abusive comments about her condition.

* BerserkButton: In 2022, Will slapped Creator/ChrisRock and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!" for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia areata [[note]] Rock compared her to Demi Moore in ''Film/GIJane'', where her character, Lieutenant Jordan O' Neil, shaved her head to shed herself of her femininity and to prove herself to the other soldiers [[/note]]. While Will didn't apologize to Chris Rock for hitting him, Will explained his reaction in his speech. The joke was simply the straw that broke the camel's back and Will felt the need to defend his wife after enduring abusive comments about her condition.

* BerserkButton: In 2022, Will slapped Creator/ChrisRock and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!" for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia areata. While Will didn't apologize to Chris Rock for hitting him, Will explained his reaction in his speech. The joke was simply the straw that broke the camel's back and Will felt the need to defend his wife after enduring abusive comments about her condition.

* BerserkButton: In 2022, Will slapped Creator/ChrisRock and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!" for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia areata. While Will didn't apologize to Chris Rock for hitting him, Will explained his reaction in his speech as it was the straw that broke the camel's back and he felt the need to defend his wife after enduring abusive comments about her condition.

* BerserkButton: Do NOT make a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith around Will (especially if your name is Chris Rock).

* ''Film/KingRichard'' (2021) - Richard Williams -- Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Picture (as producer)

His most famous roles… well, the list is sort of legendary. Want proof? [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/ Just have a look at his IMDB profile]]. Add to this, even his stinkers tend to suck in tons of money. The failure of ''Film/WildWildWest'' prompted Smith to observe: "That's how big I am. I ''bomb'' over $100 million." Of all the films Smith has been the star of only two have failed to make over their budgets, the UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli biopic ''Film/{{Ali}}'', which was still a critical if not financial success, and the drama ''Film/{{Concussion}}'' - Smith is ''that'' much of a box office draw. He's also one of the best-paid actors, pulling salaries estimated at $20 million ''per movie''.

* TomHanksSyndrome: Started off as a comical coming actor, now he is becoming more of a drama actor taking on more serious roles.

* BezerkButton: Do NOT make a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith around Will (especially if your name is Chris Rock).

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. West UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} born and raised, [[MemeticMutation on the playground]] is where he spent most of his [[ExpositoryThemeTune days, chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool]], until Smith first entered the public eye as part of "Music/DJJazzyJeffAndTheFreshPrince", a lighthearted hip-hop duo known for such songs as "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". He really came to fame with the NBC series ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', a relatively successful SitCom that he only signed onto because [[MoneyDearBoy most of his possessions were taken by the IRS as punishment for tax evasion]]. He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career, including two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations.

* ''Film/{{Ali}}'' (2001) - UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli; Academy Award nomination for Best Actor

* ''Film/ThePursuitOfHappyness'' (2006) - Chris Gardner

* ''Film/KingRichard'' (2021) - Richard Williams

* IAmNotLeonardNimoy: It's much easier to think of his character as "Will Smith". Turned out he was straight out invoking this with ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''. He choose to go by his actual name so that he would never be "associated" with the character's name, supposedly on the advice of Alfonso Ribeiro (who will be Carlton for the rest of his life).

* MrFanservice: He often gets shirtless scenes, and it's taken even further in ''I, Robot'', wherein he's shown completely naked and showering at one point.

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. West UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} born and raised, [[MemeticMutation on the playground]] is where he spent most of his [[ExpositoryThemeTune days, chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool]], until Smith first entered the public eye as part of "Music/DJJazzyJeffAndTheFreshPrince", a lighthearted hip-hop duo known for such songs as "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". He really came to fame with the NBC series ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', a relatively successful SitCom that he only signed onto because [[IntimidatingRevenueService most of his possessions were taken by the IRS as punishment for tax evasion]]. He moved on into what has become a very successful acting career, including two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations.

* OlderThanTheyLook: [[SilverFox He's aged]] ''[[SilverFox extremely]]'' [[SilverFox well]]--seriously, he's in his 50s and yet he looks pretty much the same as he did back in the first ''Men in Black''-movie.[[note]]Will Smith was born on September 25th of 1968, and the first ''[=MiB=]''-movie was released on July 2nd of 1997--so Smith was still only in his 20s when the movie was made.[[/note]]

** Will turned "Just the Two of Us", Bill Withers' song about a man's love for his woman, into a song about a man's love for his son.

* OlderThanTheyLook: [[SilverFox He's aged]] ''[[SilverFox extremely]]'' [[SilverFox well]]--seriously, he's in his 50s and yet he looks pretty much the same as he did back in the first ''Men in Black''-movie.[[note]]Will Smith was born on September 25th of 1968, and the first ''[=MiB=]''-movie was released on July 2nd of 1997--so Smith was still only in his 20s when the movie was made[[/note]]