Saturday, 26 September 2015

25th SEPTEMBER 1968 WILL SMITH BORN

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Will Smith

Will Smith

Birthday
25 Sep 1968 (Age 47)
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Biography
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film. In April 2007, Newsweek  called him the most powerful actor on the planet. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his celebrity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith transitioned from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films that received broad box office success. In fact, he is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office as well as being the only actor to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.

Fourteen of the 19 fiction films he has acted in have accumulated a worldwide grosses of over $100 million, and 4 of them took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. His most financially successful films have been Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Hancock, Wild Wild West, Enemy of the State, Shark Tale, Hitch and Seven Pounds. He also earned critical praise for his performances in Six Degrees of Separation, Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life

Smith was born and raised in West Philadelphia, and also spent time in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer. He was raised Baptist. His parents separated when he was 13 and divorced when he was 32. Smith's charming and sly demeanor in school resulted in the nickname "Prince", which eventually turned into the "Fresh Prince". While still in his teens, Smith began rapping and eventually began collaborating with Jeff Townes (a.k.a. DJ Jazzy Jeff), whom he met at a party.

He attended Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia for the majority of his high school years. However, he also spent a short time attending Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was born with Smith handling the rhymes and Townes overseeing the mastery of mixing and scratching — the combination was a pop and hip-hop hit during the 1980s and early 1990s.

While it is widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he never applied to MIT, although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there. According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

Recording and acting career

Early work (1985–1995)

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime." They gained critical acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category (1988). He had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Gulf War  song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.

Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and launched his acting career. Smith set himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world," studying box office successes' common characteristics. Although he made a notable dramatic film debut in Six Degrees of Separation  while still appearing in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's film career took off with his role in the buddy cop film Bad Boys (1995) along with co-star Martin Lawrence.

Breakthrough (1996–2000)

After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended May 20, 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996), in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men in Black (1997), where he played the comic and confident Agent J against Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan Agent K. Smith's acting in Men in Black won critical praise.

He originally rejected the lead role in Men in Black, but wife Jada Pinkett Smith coaxed him into acceptance. The two films established Smith's commercial reputation as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lines could "open" a film at the box office, a reputation Smith would begin to term a "Big Willie Weekend". It was around this time that he co-founded Overbrook Entertainment.

In 1998 he starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State. Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West. Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith would have achieved. Smith then went on to gain leading roles in several box office successes including Men in Black II, Bad Boys II, Hitch, and I, Robot.

Smith also released a string of hit singles, often associated with his most recent film, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of these were his #1 hit theme song "Men in Black", the #1 hit "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" (which made jiggy a catch phrase for a while in 1998), and a cover of "Just the Two of Us", an affectionate message to his young son. His first two solo albums, Big Willie Style (1997) and Willennium (1999), went multi-platinum.

International success (2001–present)

Smith was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for the film Ali, 2001, for his portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, in the biopic. He was again nominated for Best Actor Oscar for his role in another true-life movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, where he played Chris Gardner in his rags-to-riches story.

Smith's third album on Columbia Records, Born to Reign released in 2002, was a sales disappointment compared to his past efforts, and after a quick Greatest Hits release that was almost not advertised at all, he was dropped by the label. He later signed a recording contract with Interscope Records. 

A year later, Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith created the UPN (later CW) sitcom All of Us, which was loosely based on their lives. The show debuted on UPN in September 2003, and aired there for three seasons before moving to The CW in October 2006, for one more season. The CW cancelled All of Us in May 2007. Smith appeared as himself in Jersey Girl delivering the Silent Bob speech that appears in nearly all Kevin Smith movies. The lead character's situation is due to the claim, "Will Smith is just a rapper."

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span. On July 2, 2005, Smith served as host for the Live 8 concert in his native Philadelphia in front of an enormous crowd, and later performed a set with DJ Jazzy Jeff. During this time, Smith released his fourth studio album, the successful Lost & Found. 

The album was propelled solely on the smash hit single, "Switch", which appealed to the mainstream. The single stayed atop the charts for months and returned Smith to the forefront of hip-hop. Smith appeared at Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards in 2005 performing "Switch", as well as the BET awards in 2005. He appeared in the second game of the NBA Finals (San Antonio vs. Detroit) performing "Switch" to promote the album. Smith also made a special appearance in the reality talent contest show "Indian Idol", when he visited India.

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews, its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique". 

A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood." On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.

Smith is currently developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he will star as Taharqa.

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.

Personal life

Smith was raised by his parents, Willard and Caroline, in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his own involvement in the lives of his three children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us." Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995.

Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just The Two Of Us". Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign, who appeared as his daughter in "I Am Legend" (born 2000). Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son.

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Philadelphia. Smith donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious" and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different." 

He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths." After his wife Jada made the film Collateral with Cruise in 2004, the couple donated USD$20,000 to Scientology's literacy campaign, called HELP, the Hollywood Education and Literacy Program, which is the basis for Scientology's homeschooling system.

Will Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character, see Will Smith (character). For other uses, see Will Smith (disambiguation).
Will Smith
Actor Will Smith lights up the stage as he hosted the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting.
Smith in 2012
BornWillard Carroll Smith, Jr.
September 25, 1968 (age 47)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
ResidenceLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesThe Fresh Prince
OccupationActor, producer, rapper, songwriter
Years active1985–present
Net worthIncrease $250 million (2014)[1]
Spouse(s)
Children3, including Jaden and Willow
Musical career
GenresHip hop
Labels
Associated actsDJ Jazzy Jeff, Mary J. Blige,Christina Vidal, Kenny Greene,Tichina Arnold
Websitewww.willsmith.com
Signature
"3Sw" spells out the signature in the image.
Willard Carroll "Will" Smith, Jr.[2][3][4] (born September 25, 1968)[2] is an American actor, producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood".[5] Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.
In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for six seasons (1990–96) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. After the series ended, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerousblockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.[6]
Smith is ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes.[7] As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2014, his films have grossed $6.6 billion at the global box office.[8] He has received Best Actor Oscar nominations for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Family and early life

Smith was born in West Philadelphia, the son of Caroline (Bright), a Philadelphia school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith, Sr., a refrigeration engineer. He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefieldneighborhood,[9] and was raised Baptist.[10] He has three siblings, sister Pamela, who is four years older, and twins Harry and Ellen, who are three years younger.[9] Smith attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia.[11] His parents separated when he was 13,[12] but did not actually divorce until around 2000.[13]
Smith attended Overbrook High School.[11] Though widely reported, it is untrue that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to college because he "wanted to rap."[14] Smith says he was admitted to a "pre-engineering [summer] program" at MIT for high school students, but he did not attend.[13][15][16] According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."[17]

Recording and acting career

Smith at the Emmy Awards in 1993

Early work

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer,[18] as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as thehuman beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime".[18] They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988).[18]
Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes.[18] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnishedhis income.[19] Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.[18]
The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world", studying box office successes' common characteristics.[12]

Feature films

Smith's first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence.
In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.[20] He later struck gold again in the summer of 1997 alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the summer hit Men in Black playing Agent J. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.[18]
He turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West (1999). Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved,[21] although in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West he stated that he "made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better."[22]
In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three premieres in a 24-hour time span.[23]
He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.[24]
On December 10, 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world-renowned theater in front of many fans.[25] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews,[26] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique".[27] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood."[28] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith was selected as one of America's top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABCspecial that aired on December 4, 2008.[29]
Smith was reported in 2008 to be developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he will star as Taharqa.[30]
Men in Black III opened on May 25, 2012 with Smith again reprising his role as Agent J. This was his first major starring role in four years.
On August 19, 2011, it was announced[31] that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to work on his fifth studio album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game. Smith's most recent studio album, Lost and Found, was released in 2005.
Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in two productions: the 2006 biographical drama The Pursuit of Happyness, and the science fiction film After Earth, which was released on May 31, 2013.
Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama Focus. He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Focus was released on February 27, 2015.[32] Smith was set to star in the sci-fi thrillerBrilliance, an adaptation of Marcus Sakey's novel of the same name scripted by Jurassic Park writer David Koepp. But he left the project.[33]
Smith will play Dr. Bennett Omalu of the Brain Injury Research Institute in the upcoming sports-drama Concussion, who became the first person to discover Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a football player's brain. CTE is a degenerative disease caused by severe trauma to the head that can be discovered only after death. Smith's involvement is mostly due to his last-minute exit from the sci-fi thriller-drama Brilliance.[34] Concussion will be directed by Peter Landesman and will be filmed in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It received $14.4 million in film tax credits from Pennsylvania. Principal photography started on October 27.[35] Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will play his wife.[36] Omalu will serve as a consultant.[37]
Smith is set to star in the upcoming indie-drama Collateral Beauty, which will be directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. Smith will play a New York advertising executive who succumbs to an deep depression after a personal tradegy. Filming will begin in late October.[38]

Personal life

Main article: Smith (show business family)
Nobel Peace Prize ConcertDecember 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow
Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had one son, Trey Smith, born on November 11, 1992,[39] and divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". He also acted in two episodes of the sitcom All of Us, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on the David Blaine: Real or Magic TV special.
Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett in 1997. Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth, and Willow Camille Reign Smith (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend. Smith and his brother Harry own Treyball Development Inc.,[40] a Beverly Hills-based company named after Trey. Smith and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.[41]
Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40.

Religious beliefs

Smith was raised in a Baptist household and went to a Catholic school, but he no longer identifies himself as religious.[42] Though he is not a Scientologist and has denied rumors claiming him as a member of the Church of Scientology,[43] he has spoken favorably about it, saying "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious."[44][45]
Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [.....] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel."[46] Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy.[47] Federal tax filing showed that Will Smith donated $1.2 million to the school in 2010.[48]

Political views

Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.[49] On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway to celebrate Obama's winning of the prize.[50] In 2012, Smith came out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage.[51]

Discography

Main articles: Will Smith discography and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince discography

Filmography

Main article: Will Smith filmography

See also

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        Actor · willsmith.com
        Willard Carroll "Will" Smith, Jr. is an American actor, producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood".Wikipedia
        Born: September 25, 1968 (age 47), West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
        Height: 1.88 m
        Spouse: Jada Pinkett Smith (m. 1997), Sheree Zampino (m. 1992–1995)
        Children: Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Trey Smith, Willard Christopher Smith III
        Quotes
        Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.
        Money and success don't change people; they merely amplify what is already there.
        I don't know what my calling is, but I want to be here for a bigger reason. I strive to be like the greatest people who have ever lived.
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        Movies and TV shows
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        Focus (2015)
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        2015
        The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 – 1996)
        The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air
        1990 – 1996
        Independence Day (1996)
        Independence Day
        1996
        Suicide Squad (2016)
        Suicide Squad
        2016
        I Am Legend (2007)
        I Am Legend
        2007
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        Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been married since 1997. Will Smith wrote the story for and Jada Pinkett Smith produced After Earth.
        Jada Pinkett Smith
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        Jaden Smith is Will Smith's son. Will Smith wrote the story for and Jaden Smith appears in After Earth.
        Jaden Smith
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        Willow Smith is Will Smith's daughter. Both appear in I Am Legend.
        Willow Smith
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        Will Smith and Sheree Zampino were married for 3 years (until 1995).
        Sheree Zampino
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        Trey Smith is Will Smith's son.
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