Will Smith is celebrating his 52nd birthday on September 25, 2020. Called
“the most powerful actor in Hollywood”
by Newsweek in April 2007, Smith is a proud winner of four Grammy Awards and has earned five and two nominations in Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards, respectively.
Smith started his career as a hip-hop artist known as The Fresh Prince, long before he became of the most bankable actors in the world.
After he made his debut as an MC with modest fame, his popularity increased once he starred in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, about his life.
When the show ended, he transitioned from television to film starring in many blockbusters.
He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, 12 consecutive films gross over $150 million as well as eight consecutive films which opened at number one spot in the domestic box office tally.
Because of this, he was ranked by Forbes magazine as the most bankable star worldwide.
6 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Will Smith
Number 1: He Made his Break into Music industry at 16 Years Old
Will Smith started his career as a part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince after he met Jeffery DJ Jazzy Jeff Townes one night while he was performing at a house party just a couple of streets away from Smith.
Call it faith or not, but in the same night Townes was missing his hype man and Smith decided to fill in.
Soon after they joined forces and together with another friend they released the first single, Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble, under the Philadelphia-based Word Up Records.
The single became a hit just a month after Smith graduated from high school.
Number 2: He Can Solve a Rubik’s Cube in Under a Minute
The famous actor has a lot of secret talents that not many people know about, and we bet you probably didn’t know about this incredible talent.
He is one of the few people who can solve a Rubik’s cube in under a minute. Yes, he has mastered the difficult task of solving cub in a bit under a minute.
Impressive, right? The event displayed his talent on live television as well. If you’ve seen The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and again The Pursuit of Happiness, you’ve noticed him solving a Rubik’s cube.
It wasn’t any trick involved, Smith really solved the cube!
Number 3: Smith is The First Hip-Hop Artist Nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar)
Upon the success of Bad Boys and Men in Black, he started his solo career with the release of Men in Black, the theme song from the film of the same name.
His solo album, Big Willie Style, went nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Number 4: By the age of 20 he became a millionaire
After he hit big with the song “Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble”, they attracted the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons who signed them to the label.
Their success grew bigger with the release of their first studio album, Rock the House.
They received their first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for “Parents Just Don’t Understand”, although “Summertime” was their most successful single.
By the time he turned 20 he made his first million dollars. Since then his net worth only grew as he transitioned into acting and taking roles in blockbusters like Men in Black and Bad Boys.
Today he has some money in the bank, approx. $300 million for which he received $20 million for Men in Black 3, Suicide Squad, Hancock, and The Pursuit of Happiness.
According to Internet Movie Database, his biggest payday was for I, Robot, approx. $28 million.
Number 5: He Learned to be an Actor on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
After his trouble with the law, he took the role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to pay back his debts. With a background in music he had no idea how to be an actor and had no idea how to act.
Smith had to learn fast and because of his background as a performer, he managed to get the hang of it pretty fast.
In order to remember his lines, because he had difficulties there, he had to memorize the entire script to help him remember his own.
“Then I’d be lipping everybody’s lines while they were talking.”
Number 6: Smith and His Wife Jada Pinkett Smith own Overbrook Entertainment
Together with his wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, they own the entertainment company called Overbrook Entertainment.
As you can see the two aren’t just an ordinary couple, they are also business partners.
The production company is responsible for producing several of Will’s films like I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds, and The Karate Kid.
The company is named after Smith’s neighborhood he grew up in.
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