Star Focus – Will Smith

Will Smith

Trademarks: Always plays the good guy

Catchphrases: ‘Aww, hell no’

Age: 46

Number of Roles: 29 (Really that is it)

Biggest Films: Men in Black

Awards:

• Nominated for 2 Oscars for ‘Ali’ and ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’

Debut Role: Will – Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990)

Fresh Prince of Del Air

Early Career: Having started out as a rapper he managed to take his stage gimmick and turn it into a leading role in one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1990’s ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’. This show managed for get a total of 147 episodes before finishing with Will Smith the name on everyone in Hollywood’s lips. While the Fresh Prince was on Will did make a couple of films that many people are unware off, these include ‘Where The Day Takes You’, ‘Made in America’ and ‘Six Degrees of Separation’.

Television Roles:

• Fresh Prince of Del Air (1990-96) 147 Episodes
• ABC Afterschool Specials (1990)
• Blossom (1991)
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1997)
• All of Us (2003-2004) 3 Episodes

Bad Boys

Career: In 1995 Will’s first major film role came along ‘Bad Boys’ where he teams up with Martin Lawrence, this showed that Will was ready for an adult audience. This also opened the door for more films and his big break was waiting right around the corner.

Break Out Role: Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day

Career: With his big break coming the roles didn’t stop coming in with the next mega budget film ‘Men In Black’. These three films showed he was a wise cracking character and his next role would show he can achieve a serious character. The next film would be ‘Enemy of the State’. What follows could be considered a potential career killer in two very badly rated choices ‘Wild, Wild West’ and ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’.

Agent J – Men in Black

The Pursuit of Happyness

2000 -2009: Despite these two flops Will took the biggest chance of his career playing the iconic boxer Ali and managed to get himself his first Oscar Nomination. Even after that Will went safe and steady with his next choices doing two sequels ‘Men in Black 2’ and ‘Bad Boys 2’. With the money in the bank and his reputation restored Will took a chance with some fresh titles. ‘I, Robot’, ‘Shark Tale’ and ’Hitch’ all three went down very well in the Box office and lead him to make his second Oscar nominated film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Will competed the noughties with ‘Hancock’ and ‘Seven Pounds’  before taking a break from Hollywood for a couple of years.

After Earth

2010 Onwards: Returning to Hollywood with yet another sequel ‘Men in Black 3’ which got critically panned and showed that Will was struggling to return to his best. He followed this on with an even worse film ‘After Earth’ and a couple of small roles in ‘Anchorman 2’ and ‘A New York Winter’s Tale’

Next Big Role: ‘Focus’ is his next big role and always gets talk of a Hancock and Independence Day sequel.

My Favourite Role: Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds

My Least Favourite Role: I am Legend

Films I Want to See That I Haven’t Seen: Where the Day Takes You