Background and career
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. His films as a leading man have grossed over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. Smith first gained recognition as part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The duo released five studio albums between 1985 to 1994, which contained five US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles—"Parents Just Don't Understand", "A Nightmare on My Street", "Summertime", "Ring My Bell", and "Boom! Shake the Room". Smith released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), Lost and Found (2005), and Based on a True Story (2025). Two of his singles, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Wild Wild West", reached number one in the US.
Smith began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996), for which he won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series. Smith emerged as a film star with leading roles in the film franchises Bad Boys (1995–2024) and Men in Black (1997–2012). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayals of Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), before winning the award for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard (2021). Smith's other major successes include Independence Day (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), Seven Pounds (2008), Suicide Squad (2016), and Aladdin (2019). At the 94th Academy Awards, Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made an unscripted joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
The event earned substantial media coverage and criticism, with Smith ultimately resigning from the Academy along with being banned from attending all its events for ten years.
Willard Carroll Smith II was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, to Caroline (née Bright), a school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr., a U.S. Air Force veteran and refrigeration engineer. Smith grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood and was raised Baptist. He has an older sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia, and Overbrook High School. His parents separated when he was 13 and divorced around the year 2000. Smith began rapping at age 12. When his grandmother found a notebook of his lyrics—which contained curse words—she wrote him a note in the book: "Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use words like this to express themselves. Please show the world that you're as smart as we think you are". Smith said this influenced his decision to avoid profanity in his music.
How Will Smith makes money
Smith emerged as a film star with leading roles in the film franchises Bad Boys (1995–2024) and Men in Black (1997–2012).
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (2026-09-23), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
