Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Noted for his work in music, television, and film, Smith has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and four Grammy Awards. He has also achieved and held several US and international box office records. As of 2021, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.Smith first gained recognition as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he released five studio albums and the 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" from 1984 to 1994. He released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), and Lost and Found (2005), which contained the US number one singles "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Wild Wild West".
Smith achieved wider fame for his fictionalized self-portrayal on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996). He subsequently starred in the action film Bad Boys (1995), and its sequels Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys for Life (2020), and the sci-fi comedies Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), and Men in Black 3 (2012). After starring in the thrillers Independence Day (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998), he portrayed Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001), earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He then starred in a range of commercially successful films, including I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), Hancock (2008), and Seven Pounds (2008). He received his second Academy Award nomination for portraying Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), and received commercial success for the film I Am Legend (2007).
Smith's portrayal of Bennet Omalu in Concussion (2015) was positively received, followed by portrayals of Deadshot in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero film Suicide Squad (2016) and Genie in the live-action Aladdin (2019). For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard (2021), Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor, making him the first rapper to win an acting Oscar, 33 years after he became the first musician to win a Grammy for rap music. However, Smith's image was blemished after slapping presenter Chris Rock over comments about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith moments prior; the incident is currently under investigation by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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