Biographic - Sunday April 22, 2012 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

A chart-topping recording artist, the star of a long-running sitcom and a major movie action hero whose blockbusters have earned billions. Will Smith has soared to the top of everything he has turned his hand to. Whats next? Well, he once famously remarked that "people laugh but if I set my mind to it, within the next 15 years I would be president" Willard Carroll Smith JR. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 25, 1968. He earned the nickname "Prince" for his ability to charm, his way out of trouble after meeting fellow hip hop fan Jeff Townes at a party, the pair began performing as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. The Duo won, the first-ever rap Grammy for "Parents just don't understand" and they followed up with such hits as "summertime" Will's genial persona led to a sitcom being created around him, Debuting in 1990 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-air " was a big hit, running for six years, By the time the show ended, thanks to box office smash such as "bad boys" and "Independence Day" "Will smith was a movie star. By this point, Will was also recording as a solo artist, racking up hits worldwide. The title track from the box office smash “Men in Black” was a huge success and “getting jiggy wit it” Introduced a new phrase into the national vocabulary. “Wild wild west" and “Enemy of the state” followed and by the time he made the “Men in Black" and "Bad boys" sequels, he was commanding fees of $20 million-plus a share of the gross profits! His acclaimed portrayal of boxing legend Muhammad Ali in 2001sa “Ali” Earned him oscar and golden globe nominations and the best actor MTV movie award, Subsequently, The likes of “Hitch" “I am Legend” and “Hancock" maintained his superstar status. Will - who returns to screens soon in "men in black II" and his wife, Jada Pinket Smith, are heavily involved in guiding the careers of their children- they produced 2010's "The Karate Kid" which starred son Jaden, and are reading a remake of "Annie" as a starring vehicle for pop star daughter Willow.

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