60 Fun Facts About Will Smith

In which US city was Will Smith born?

He grew up in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia and attended Overbrook High School.

What is Will Smith's actual first name?

He is Willard Carroll Smith II; his eldest son Trey is Willard Carroll Smith III.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched Will Smith's acting career in 1990, aired on which network?

NBC built the show around him at a moment when he was broke and being chased by the IRS.

Who was Will Smith's DJ and producer in his hip-hop duo?

Jeffrey Townes met Smith by chance in 1985 when Smith filled in as hype man at a house party a few doors from his home.

Which song by Will Smith's hip-hop duo won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance?

The duo were also the first rap act to win an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video with the same song.

The duo's first single, 'Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble', sampled the theme song of which TV show?

The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.

Roughly how big was the tax debt the IRS assessed against Will Smith around 1990?

The IRS took many of his possessions and garnished his income; NBC's sitcom offer arrived while he was struggling financially.

Which 1997 solo album was Will Smith's debut and went nine times platinum?

It reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 and, as of 2013, was among the best-selling rap albums of all time.

Which single gave Will Smith his first Billboard Hot 100 number one, in 1998?

It was the third single from Big Willie Style; 'Wild Wild West' became his second number one the following year.

Will Smith famously turned down which role, which went to Keanu Reeves?

He chose Wild Wild West instead, and later said Reeves' performance was better than his own would have been.

Which Christopher Nolan film did Will Smith turn down because he did not understand the story?

The offer came sometime between 2008 and early 2009; the role went to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Will Smith co-starred with Martin Lawrence in which 1995 action film?

It was Michael Bay's feature directing debut and grossed $141 million on a budget of about $20 million.

What is the name of Will Smith's detective character in the Bad Boys films?

Marcus Burnett is Martin Lawrence's character; the fourth film, Ride or Die, arrived in 2024.

In Independence Day, what military role does Will Smith's Captain Steven Hiller hold?

His squadron, the Black Knights, is stationed at MCAS El Toro; he punches an alien in the face and says 'Welcome to Earth'.

Who plays Agent K opposite Will Smith's Agent J in Men in Black?

Barry Sonnenfeld directed; the film grossed over $589 million on a $90 million budget.

Men in Black was based on a comic series published by which company?

Lowell Cunningham created The Men in Black comic; Ed Solomon wrote the screenplay.

Which Will Smith film won five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture?

It featured a giant mechanical spider and co-starred Kevin Kline in a dual role.

In Enemy of the State, Will Smith plays a man in which profession?

Robert Clayton Dean becomes a surveillance target after unwittingly receiving evidence of a political assassination; Gene Hackman co-stars.

In Six Degrees of Separation, Will Smith's con man claims to be the son of which actor?

The plot was inspired by real-life con man David Hampton, who fooled New Yorkers with the same story in the 1980s.

Which boxer did Will Smith portray in a 2001 Michael Mann biopic?

The film covers ten years from the Sonny Liston fight to the Rumble in the Jungle; Smith earned his first Oscar nomination.

In Hitch, what does Will Smith's character do for a living?

Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens' star client Albert Brennaman (Kevin James) is smitten with celebrity Allegra Cole.

Which real person did Will Smith play in The Pursuit of Happyness?

Smith became interested after seeing the man on 20/20; the role earned him his second Oscar nomination.

In The Pursuit of Happyness, what does Will Smith's character solve in a taxi to impress a manager?

Gardner had sunk his savings into portable bone-density scanners before landing the unpaid brokerage internship.

Which of Will Smith's children played his son in The Pursuit of Happyness?

It was the boy's film debut; the two teamed up again for After Earth in 2013.

What breed is Sam, the dog who keeps Will Smith's Robert Neville company in I Am Legend?

The film is loosely based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel; its December opening was the biggest ever for that month at the time.

Which of Will Smith's children appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend?

She was born in 2000, two years after her brother Jaden.

Who plays Mary, the wife of the PR man Will Smith's superhero rescues in Hancock?

Mary turns out to share Hancock's powers; the pair weaken when they are close to each other.

Which DC villain did Will Smith play in Suicide Squad (2016)?

He chose the film over returning for Independence Day: Resurgence, which he said would feel like clawing backwards.

In Concussion, Will Smith plays the doctor who first identified which condition?

He was reluctant to make a film suggesting football is dangerous until he met the real Dr. Bennet Omalu.

Which Will Smith film became his first to gross over $1 billion worldwide?

Guy Ritchie directed the live-action remake, in which Smith took over the Genie role originally voiced by Robin Williams.

In Gemini Man (2019), Will Smith's assassin faces off against whom?

Ang Lee directed; the project had passed through many actors' hands because the de-aging technology was not ready.

For which film did Will Smith win the Academy Award for Best Actor?

He played Richard Williams, father and coach of Venus and Serena, and also won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG awards for the role.

Which comedian did Will Smith slap on stage at the 2022 Academy Awards?

The joke referenced Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head; Smith won Best Actor later that same night.

For how many years did the Academy ban Will Smith from the Oscars and its events after the slap?

He had already resigned his Academy membership on April 1, 2022, a week before the ban was announced.

Will Smith was the fifth Black actor to win Best Actor. Who was the first?

The full list before Smith: Poitier, Washington, Foxx and Whitaker.

Which streaming service released Will Smith's 2022 slavery drama Emancipation?

Apple bought it for $120 million in 2020, the largest film-festival acquisition deal in history at the time.

Will Smith's 2017 Netflix urban fantasy Bright reunited him with which director?

It was Netflix's most expensive film to date and set a record for most-viewed Netflix film in its first week.

How did Will Smith celebrate his 50th birthday in 2018?

Lloyd's of London insured him for $200 million and the jump raised money for Global Citizen.

Who was Will Smith's first wife, and mother of his son Trey?

They married in 1992 and divorced in 1995; Trey later appeared in the 'Just the Two of Us' video.

How did Will Smith first meet Jada Pinkett?

They married on December 31, 1997, and later founded the production companies Overbrook Entertainment and Westbrook Inc.

Will Smith briefly dated rapper Sandra Denton in the late 1980s. By what stage name is she better known?

Sandra Denton, better known as Pepa, confirmed the relationship.

Who co-wrote Will Smith's 2021 memoir, Will?

Manson is the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck; the book covers his childhood, his father and his ayahuasca experiences.

Will Smith holds a Guinness World Record for attending three of what in 24 hours?

He set the record in 2005, the year of Hitch.

Will Smith performed the official song at the closing ceremony of which event in 2018?

He sang 'Live It Up' with Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi in Moscow.

Will Smith's National Geographic series follows a 26,000-mile trek between which two points?

Filming in the Ecuadorian Amazon helped discover the northern green anaconda.

Will Smith earned a Tony nomination in 2010 as a producer of which Broadway musical?

Along with Emmy, Grammy and Oscar nods, it makes him one of few Black actors nominated for all four major US entertainment awards.

Will Smith received an Emmy nomination in 2021 as a producer of which series?

His company Westbrook was behind the Karate Kid sequel series.

What was the title of Will Smith's 2025 studio album, his first in 20 years?

It has 14 tracks including the 2024 comeback single 'You Can Make It', made with Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir.

Who composed the music for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

Jones had just signed a development deal with Warner Bros. when the show was pitched to him.

Besides Will Smith, which Fresh Prince actor appeared in every single episode?

Avery played Uncle Phil across all 148 episodes and six seasons.

How many episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were made?

It ran six seasons on NBC from September 1990 to May 1996.

Which streaming service released Bel-Air, the dramatic 2022 reimagining of The Fresh Prince?

It grew out of Morgan Cooper's fan-made trailer, which Smith praised as a brilliant idea.

What was the profession of Will Smith's father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr.?

He was also a US Air Force veteran; Smith's mother Caroline worked as a school board administrator.

How did Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff first meet in 1985?

Townes was performing a few doors down and missing his hype man, so Smith filled in.

Which friend joined DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince as beatboxer, briefly making them a trio?

Their first single came out on Philadelphia's Word Records in 1986, a month before Smith finished high school.

Which famous DJ, working as an A&R man, introduced the duo to Champion Records in 1986?

'Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble' became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.

Which duo song was the pair's most successful single and earned their second Grammy in 1991?

Smith and Townes insist they never split up and have kept making songs under Smith's solo credit.

Roughly how much did Men in Black gross worldwide against its $90M budget?

It was 1997's third highest-grossing film, and its theme song topped singles charts including the UK.

Which TV news programme first drew Smith to the story of Chris Gardner?

He connected with Gardner during production of The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Jaden played his son.

Where did 'Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)', the Men in Black II theme, peak on the UK singles chart?

It led the 2002 album Born to Reign, which peaked at 13 on the Billboard 200 after a four-year musical hiatus.