Will Smith's fortune

Short introduction

Comedies, dramas and science fiction: Will Smith has already tried numerous genres. The versatile spectrum of the actor is probably the reason why he became so successful and can look back on a long, interesting career full of box office hits.

Early life

Willard Carroll Smith Jr. was born in Philadelphia in the fall of 1968. His father was an engineer, the mother a teacher. In addition to Will, the second oldest, they had three other children who grew up in relatively sheltered and middle-class circumstances.

Smith had been interested in rapping since he was twelve years old and in the eighties adopted the stage name “The Fresh Prince”, which was later used for his sitcom. In his youth, Will Smith also worked as a DJ, which is how he met a producer. He recorded some hip-hop songs with him, for which they were awarded two Grammys.

However, at the beginning of his career, Will Smith spent too much money. He got into trouble with the United States tax authority and went bankrupt. When he was almost bankrupt in 1990, a producer decided to work out a sitcom based on Smith’s own story, starring him: It was a welcome opportunity for Will Smith to improve his finances.

Career

From 1990 to 1996, Will Smith starred in the sitcom, The Prince of Bel-Air, based on his own story. For him this meant an international breakthrough. The film “Independence Day” brought him his first canvas success in 1996, followed a year later by the classic “Men in Black”. Since then, Smith has practically only starred in films. In the late 1990s, he also founded his own production company called Overbrook Entertainment.

Will Smith declined the offer to play the leading role of the Neo in “Matrix”. Instead, he played in “Wild Wild West”, for which he also contributed parts of the soundtrack. In 2001 he was allowed to portray Muhammad Ali in “Ali”, followed in 2006 by the famous drama “The pursuit of happiness”, where he played alongside his son. In 2004, Smith also tried acting as a voice actor in the animated film “Big Sharks – Little Fish”.

In the two-thousand meter peaks, Will Smith was considered a safe till magnet, but now there are no major successes. In 2016 he played the character of the deadshot in “Suicide Squad”, in 2019 he took on the role of genius in the real film adaptation of “Aladdin”. However, Will Smith remains a fixture in the film industry, as evidenced when he was appointed to the Cannes Film Festival jury in 2017.

Career highlights

The breakthrough came with Will Smith’s successful six-year series “The Prince of Bel-Air”, which is one of the most successful sitcoms. He first became known on the big screen with “Independence Day”. The film was awarded an Oscar and a Grammy, received a sequel and worldwide recognition.

“Independence Day” was closely followed by “Men in Black”, which triggered a famous franchise with several sequels, a series and video games. In 2001, Will Smith performed equally well in the drama “Ali”, which tells the story of boxer Muhammad Ali. In this role, the actor was nominated for an Oscar.

The same thing happened to him with the well-known drama “The pursuit of happiness”. This also received several awards and is praised in the positive reviews especially for tactful, serious figures and representations. According to Forbes magazine, Will Smith was the highest-earning actor in Hollywood in 2007. He received a total of four Grammys for his achievements.

Famous quotes

– You have talent naturally. Skills can only be developed by practicing for hours.
– If you don’t improve someone else’s life, you’re just wasting your time.
– Danger is real, but fear is a choice.
– Never underestimate a person’s pain because we all struggle.
– There is no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A.

Amazing facts

– Will Smith’s current wife was supposed to play his wife in “The Prince of Bel-Air”, but she was too small for the role, according to the series’ creators.
– Due to multiple donations and positive comments, there are rumors that Smith is associated with the Scientology movement. However, he himself rejects this.
– The actor owns stakes in Philadelphia’s basketball team.
– In contrast to many others in the industry, Smith’s rapper lyrics largely do without vulgar language.