Will Smith has had a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, but there are a few films that really formed the foundation of his success. As a young man, Smith began his entertainment career as a rapper. He was part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, which began to gain recognition and success in its own rite. After releasing a few songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Smith finally got the chance to play a fictional version of himself on a television show. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990.
Smith’s acting talent meant he was a natural on the small screen, and the show would become a huge hit, lasting a total of six years and inspiring a current reboot that began airing in 2022 titled simply, Bel Air. However, Smith’s ambition and talent propelled him to work on bigger projects, and it wasn’t long before he made the transition from hip-hop star with his own comedy to a movie star who would rise to the top of the A-List. But there were seminal films that took his career in that direction.
8 Where the day takes you
1992
starting with Where does the day take you?Will Smith’s film debut came in this star-studded crime drama that featured a host of young talents who would go on to become big Hollywood stars. The story revolves around a gang of fugitives led by a young man named King. Together, they support and share the little they have to ensure that despite life’s hard knocks, they can overcome them. However, when another misfit named Tommy Ray starts to turn things around, King and his friends could find themselves in trouble.
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Smith had one of his minor roles in this film, as he played one of the supporting characters with little screen time. Will Smith’s character, Manny, was born without legs and is a close friend of King’s who is part of his group. However, due to his vulnerability as a wheelchair-bound homeless man, Tommy Ray initially targets Manny to try to find King. Manny is stubborn and more than willing to defend himself, but when Tommy Ray threatens and attacks him, there is little he can do to stop his attacker.
7 Six degrees of separation
1993
The following year, while Smith’s comedy was at its peak, he had his first leading role in the film. Six degrees of separation. The film was based on a true story of a New York con man who managed to charm his way into the homes of wealthy upper-class people and take advantage of their wealth for his own benefit and pleasure. Throughout the film, this young man’s intentions become clearer as other victims of his scam begin to come forward and share their stories.
Smith takes on the role of Paul, the young man who shows up on the doorstep of a wealthy Upper East Side couple looking for help. After convincing them that he knows one of their children, Paul finds it easier to work his way into their lives and use their generosity for his own benefit. Will Smith’s talents are on display as he plays a charming young man, who slowly reveals his darker, less genuine side in this classic film.
6 bad boys
1995
Will Smith was already becoming a household name at that time. bad boys was released in 1995, but in terms of a true featured role, this was it. Two police officers take on their most challenging and dangerous job yet when they are assigned to protect a vital witness in a murder case. The buddy cop movie stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as the detectives, and has since inspired multiple sequels that follow these fun, high-octane officers on their adventures.
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Will Smith had a natural gift for comedy, but it wasn’t until bad boys That his ability to take on the role of an action star really began to shine. Additionally, Smith’s ability to connect and develop genuine chemistry made his films that much more interesting, as it helped those around him shine in their roles as well. However, there were bigger action roles ahead, and bad boys It was just the beginning.
5 men in black
1997
Somehow, men in black Followed a formula similar to bad boysfeaturing two agents who come together and create a unique chemistry while fighting criminals, but MIB turned the story into something with high stakes as the bad guys were replaced by aliens who wanted to take over planet Earth. Instead of being on equal footing with his colleague, Smith’s Agent J was much less experienced than his partner, Agent K, but that made the dynamic even more interesting.
Seeing Smith take on a high-stakes sci-fi role not only cemented Smith’s career as an action star regardless of genre, but also made him a star accessible to audiences of any age. Many of his previous films were aimed at young adults or a more mature audience, but men in black made Smith a star that children and adults alike admired and praised for his incredible performances and the variety of characters he played.
4 Ali
2001
Until 2001, Smith limited himself mainly to action films or comedies. There was some rare drama there that allowed him to develop into a more emotional and nuanced role, but for the most part, before 2000, Smith was in his “Oh, hell no!” phase. That changed slightly when he was cast as the solo lead in the biographical drama. Ali. The film was a thoughtful piece that explored the life of world boxing champion, Muhammad Ali.
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Smith was at the center of things, and there was nowhere and no one else to hide behind since his face and name were used so prominently in the film. However, Smith accepted the challenge and proved that he was more than just a comedy actor or action star. This was also the first time Smith was nominated for an Oscar, which speaks to the type of film this was and the quality of Smith’s performance. From now on, Smith was everywhere and people knew him no matter what age group they were in.
3 I, robot
2004
Having proven his ability to play a solo lead role, the next phase of Smith’s career saw him become the lead in many more films, and this all began in 2004 with I, robot. Smith brought together his talents for science fiction, drama and action, playing the heartbroken detective assigned to investigate rogue artificially intelligent robots. Due to an incident in which a robot decided to save the life of his young daughter, Detective Spooner had a special dislike for robots.
While this film had some similarities to previous action or science fiction films, it marks a turning point in Smith’s career, where he alone became a strong enough lead actor to promote films with just his name and face. After that, Smith starred in several more action and sci-fi hits as a solo star, including I am legend and hancock. From there, Smith was unstoppable and this marked the first time Smith appeared as a producer on a feature film, which became the standard for many of his later projects.
2 The pursuit of happiness
2006
Just two years later, Smith reached another personal milestone when he starred in The pursuit of happiness with his son, Jaden Smith. The pursuit of happiness is one of Smith’s best dramatic films of all time, as it follows the heartbreaking story of a struggling father, who has sole custody of his young son and struggles to make ends meet. However, through determination, courage, and the desire to build a better life for his son, he strives to create the future he wants for his family.
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This film features a career-defining performance from Smith, and his sincerity and intensity are only enhanced by including his own son in the role of his on-screen son. Smith’s ability to convey real stories, with depth and emotion, and still make them entertaining and thought-provoking, stands out. As a result, Smith continued to appear in more dramatic and biographical roles, as well as having the pleasure of sharing the screen with his son in more films.
1 King Richard
2021
Finally, the most recent film in Will Smith’s filmography that revolutionized his career was the stunning true story, king richard. Smith plays Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, who helped train, coach and inspire his young daughters to become the world-class tennis legends they are today. As with many previous roles, Smith plays a father, it’s a dramatic role and the film is based on real events, but there is one key difference.
king richard It was the first and only film to date in which Will Smith won an Oscar for his performance as the protagonist. Throughout his career, Will Smith has taken home dozens of awards and starred in Academy Award-winning films, but despite being nominated for an Oscar on two previous occasions for his own performance, he lost out on the top spot. on both occasions. At the 2022 Academy Awards, that changed when he was recognized for his outstanding work and finally gained recognition for his incredible talents.
Will Smith Date of birth September 25, 1968 Place of birth Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA