Will Smith
Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage.com
Will Smith began his rise to fame as a rapper, but has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s leading box office actors and successful entertainers. The road was rather bumpy early when by age 18, he had squandered most of his rap music fortune and was in debt with the IRS. When Warner Brothers tagged him to star in “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, Will Smith spent six years as the main character (DJ Jazzy Jeff) and began the transition into a movie career.
Smith recieved a 2007 Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Pursuit of Happyness.
On his marriage to Jada, “We were together for two years before she even laughed at something I said! She thinks I’m hilarious now, it just took her some time to work into it, but we connected intellectually. Our conversations were always very serious, about the world and how we can make it better. We connected intellectually and worked into the comedic side.”
When Will was asked to reflect on his music career, “Rap music–which a lot of white America doesn’t understand–rap music is not just a music. Rap music is a subculture: hip-hop. It’s a style of dress, an attitude, a look, a language. It’s more than just music.”
When queried about Hollywood’s excessive lifestyle, Smith replied “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”