Now, this is a story all about how Will Smith's life got flipped, turned upside down….yes,
just like the Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's story has had some major twists.
From rapper to slapper – Will Smith is never boring.
You might be surprised to discover that Will Smith's story actually doesn't begin in film,
but in music. Performing as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Smith and his DJ, Jeffrey Townes,
were the first ever recipients of a Rap Grammy for 1989's "Parents Just Don't Understand."
The duo picked up another trophy in 1991 for "Summertime." Then came Smith's solo music career
and "Men In Black" — the song he wrote for the movie earned him his third Grammy. And in 1999,
"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," scored Smith Grammy number four.
He's had some nominations since then — no small feat — but has put his music career
on the shelf to focus on acting. For most people, four Grammy wins
and eight nominations would be enough to retire. For Smith, it was a side project.
Will Smith is no stranger to critical bombs, as his Rotten Tomatoes scores show.
Between Wild Wild West at 16 percent, Bright at 27, and Suicide Squad at 26,
these movies fall squarely into "bomb" territory. Still, it's hard to beat M. Night Shyamalan's
2013 sci-fi flop After Earth, which received a rancid 12 percent on the Tomatometer. Ouch!
In this movie, Smith plays a wounded father to a scared kid, played by his real-life son,
Jaden. Set on a hostile planet after a crash landing, it's hard to tell whether the acting,
direction, or screenplay was the worst part of this film. But for Will,
the worst part was almost certainly the backlash against Jaden, who was just 14 at the time.
Smith told Esquire:
"That was a valuable lesson for me a few years ago with 'After Earth.'
That was the most painful moment in my career."
Of course, Smith's Rotten Tomato numbers aren't all bad — Men In Black got 92 percent,
and King Richard scored a 90!
After a successful run on the sitcom, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — which ran for six seasons, from 1990
to 1996 — Smith got the chance to prove he was more than a rapper-turned-comedian by starring
in Ali. This 2001 biopic about legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay,
follows Ali's career from the mid-'60s to the mid-'70s. This was a tumultuous period for
the fighter, during which he won several iconic matches while publicly commenting on hot-button
issues like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. While Ali didn't break any box office
records, it was a hit with critics, demonstrated by this Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus blurb:
"Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of
Muhammad Ali, Mann's direction and Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch."
The role also nabbed Smith his first Oscar nomination for best actor in a leading role.
It was proof that while he was bankable as an action/comedy star,
he could also hold his own with the best when it came to drama.
Will Smith was riding high at the end of the '90s, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,
his success in the music industry, and his leading man status in several blockbusters
had all turned him into a household name. But did you know he was almost the star of
another '90s franchise? Maybe you've heard of it – a little sci-fi movie called The Matrix?
"What is the matrix? it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes."
That's right, Smith was almost Neo! But the reason it didn't happen might surprise
you – Smith turned down The Matrix to star in Wild Wild West, a decision that seems a bit,
um, misguided in retrospect. Because while The Matrix is a beloved and
thought-provoking sci-fi gem, Wild Wild West was a forgettable bomb.
Smith posted a YouTube video explaining what happened.
"I did turn down Neo in the Matrix."
According to Smith, he was a bit overconfident following the success of Independence Day, and
probably trusted his gut a little too much. But he isn't throwing any shade on the sci-fi classic.
"Like, Keanu was perfect. Lawrence Fishburne was perfect."
And as Smith said in the video,
it was all for the best – "I probably would've messed The Matrix up [...] I would've ruined it."
Will has always been a proud family man, including his kids in projects whenever he can. For example,
he starred with Jaden in a number of movies — and while After Earth might've been a mistake,
The Pursuit of Happyness certainly was not. In this 2006 movie,
Smith stars as a homeless man desperately trying to make a better life for his son,
Christopher, played by Jaden. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it was a critical favorite,
and an excellent debut for Jaden, just 8 years old at the time. Will's on-screen portrayal of
a man who deeply loves and wants the best for his son was clearly genuine.
The Smiths seem to think the world is clamoring for every detail of their personal lives.
"We ride together, we die together"
"Bad marriage for life!"
But there's a fine line between "open and honest" and really, really awkward.
For example, in his memoir, Will goes into excruciating
detail about his sex life with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, saying:
"We [...] had sex multiple times every day,
for four straight months […] as far as I was concerned, there were only two possibilities:
One, I was going to satisfy this woman sexually, or two, I was going to die trying."
Imagine being one of his kids and reading that.
Speaking of the kids, where do we even begin with Red Table Talk,
a Facebook show in which Jada, daughter Willow,
and Jada's mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris say things the public really doesn't need to know?
"Jeez"
"This is scary but it's real."
For example, our hosts discuss how Willow learned about sex after catching her parents in the act
and how, um, "self-service" has always been a part of Jada's life.
Listen, transparency is cool, but so is keeping some things to yourself.
While having famous parents certainly gave Smith's kids a big advantage,
this doesn't mean Jaden and Willow aren't talented in their own right.
And since their success is also a win for Will, it lands on the "best" category of our list.
Other than being a Smith, daughter Willow is most famous for her undeniably catchy 2010 single,
"Whip My Hair," which peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. pop charts!
As for brother, Jaden, he was featured on Justin Bieber's 2010 song "Never Say Never," which peaked
at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Never Say Never" was the theme song for The Karate Kid
reboot with Jackie Chan, a film that Jaden also starred in. And let's not forget that The Pursuit
of Happyness, another movie he co-starred in with his dad, was a critical favorite.
It's nice growing up rich, to famous and well-connected parents. But fame's
got a darker side, too, and the Smiths haven't been immune to it. Buzzfeed had
all the details of a conversation Smith had with daughter Willow,
who was touring Europe with Justin Bieber at age 10, to promote her 2010 hit, Whip My Hair.
One day after finishing her set and leaving the stage, Willow said to Will "Thank you, Daddy,
I’m finished." The ever-professional Smith tried to convince his daughter to complete
her tour obligations, to which Willow replied, "It doesn’t matter to you that I’m done, Daddy?"
"it's a lotta work!"
This question affected Will, who realized his own feelings had never been considered when he was
growing up. He then realized he'd been dropping similar baggage on his daughter. Fortunately,
the encounter changed his approach to parenting, from what he described as —
"Pushing and prodding and cajoling people into the vision that I had,
demanding that people do the things I had envisioned for them [...]"
— into something much different, with Smith desiring:
"[To] water and nourish and nurture that seed to become what it already is."
Now, you might've realized that Will Smith isn't in many billion-dollar blockbusters.
Those seem to be reserved for superhero movies these days, and Smith's main attempt
to get his foot in that door resulted in Suicide Squad — hardly a badge of honor.
"Uh oh…"
"Not good!"
"Don't forget, we're the bad guys."
But that doesn't mean he isn't bankable. Although only 2019's Aladdin made it to the
one billion dollar mark, his cumulative box office haul stretches far into the billions.
Business Insider brought the receipts on 25 of the highest paid movie roles of all time, and Will
Smith appears a few times: pulling in 40 million for King Richard and most impressively, nabbing
the top spot with a 100 million dollar paycheck for his role as Agent J in Men In Black III.
"You know?"
"Yeah."
We've already discussed the awkwardness that is Red Table Talk. But the most noteworthy incident,
by far, had to be the July 2020 episode when Jada invited Will on the show to
admit that the rumors that she had cheated on him with rapper August Alsina were true.
She explained that the affair happened because she and Will
had been going through a rough patch, saying:
"I just wanted to feel good. It had been so long since I felt good.
[...it] was really just a joy to just help heal somebody."
Even if you didn't watch the bombshell episode, you probably saw the memes of
Will's face from the episode, where it looks like he's bursting at the emotional seams.
Even more embarrassing, while Will referred to the incident
as a "transgression" that he's willing to look past, Jada said:
"I actually don't look at it as a transgression at all."
It's weird to even mention it in the context of the now infamous "slap"
that preceded it by a few minutes, but we do need to note that Will
Smith did take away one of the top prizes at the 2022 Academy Awards:
Best Actor. And it's not like he didn't earn it — Smith received massive acclaim for his portrayal
of Richard Williams, the hard-driving father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams.
"Venus and Serena, gonna shake up this world."
On Rotten Tomatoes, Smith is praised in the critics consensus:
"'King Richard' transcends sports biopic formulas with refreshingly nuanced
storytelling — and a towering performance from Will Smith in the title role."
But the slap overshadowed what should've been a triumphant moment.
"I want to apologize to the Academy… I want to apologize to all my fellow
nominees. […] Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father,
just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things."
"You're gonna be the greatest of all time."
He did get a standing ovation when he was done, but there would be massive blowback to follow.
The 2022 Oscars should've been a slam dunk for Will,
but his Best Actor victory was overshadowed by what occurred just moments before. In response
to a joke host Chris Rock made at Jada Pinkett's expense, a comment that touched on her Alopecia,
Will stormed the stage and slapped Rock across the face. Any notion that the incident
was staged was put to bed when Smith shouted obscenities at Rock after returning to his seat.
It immediately became one of the most talked about moments in award season history.
The fallout of the "Slap Heard 'Round The World" hit right after the ceremony was over.
In an interview with Gayle King, Jim Carrey said he was "sickened
by the standing ovation" Smith received after his Oscar win.
Smith did speak on Instagram the next day, saying, quote: "I would like to publicly apologize to you,
Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong." But as sincere as the apology may have been,
consequences were inevitable: the BBC says that in April, the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences elected to ban Smith for 10 years over the incident,
while The New York Post says Netflix and Apple pulled out of a bidding war for an
upcoming Will Smith biopic. Netflix has also pulled the plug on a sequel to their hit film,
Bright, which would've netted Will Smith a hefty $30 million ["thirty million dollar"] payday.
As you can see, Smith isn't just the King of Bel-Air – he's also the King of the career
ups and downs. Will he make his way back up to the top? Stay tuned to find out!
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