Movies Features

M&C takes a look at Will Smith

By Laurie Minsky Jun 30, 2008, 15:11 GMT

"In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground was where I spent most of my days..."

Try to find someone who can't finish that song, and try to find someone who doesn't know who sang it and what show it was from. This is the show and song that helped launch Will Smith's career.Smith entered the business as a rapper, then transitioned into a TV star and is currently a big time money making movie star.

With Will Smith is set to return to the big screen for yet another predicted blockbuster – Hancock (opening July 2nd), M&C thought it was time to take a look at one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.Before we jump into Smith's roles through out his career, it is important to address his record smashing July 4th opening weekends at the box office. Hancock will be Smith's fifth time opening at the movies on July 4th weekend and will hopefully break his previous records with this unlikely hero role. Collectively, Smith July 4th movie openings have made over $236 million in the US, and grossed over $853 million in the US, as well. Smith also broke a US December opening with I Am Legend, making over $77 million its first weekend.Let's start at the beginning of his acting career, when he was known as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and his partner in crime was DJ Jazzy Jeff, and not Jada Pinkett. Smith was the big-eared, loveable misfit from West Philly transplanted into the ritzy Bel-Air in which he never really fully became acquainted with. In the early seasons of the show, you can see Smith somewhat struggle with his acting as he has admitted that there are scenes you can see him mouth the words of his costars so he knew when his lines came in. The most memorable part of the show was not Smith's fat jokes towards Uncle Phil, wasn't that he always made fun of Carlton, and it wasn't even the Carlton dance; it was the theme song! As just mentioned, everyone knows the song. And the most memorable part of the theme song and opening is the end when he is knocking on the door of the mansion and swinging his head around to the music in that loud florescent hat! That Will Smith always had a keen sense of style!

With Father's Day not too far behind us, it wouldn't be fair to not mention that AOL Moviefone voted Will Smith's character, Chris Gardner, in The Pursuit of Happyness "Best Movie Dad Ever" in support of the Father's Day holiday. This role also earned Smith his second Oscar nomination for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role." Based on a true story, Smith played the father to his real-life son, Jaden, in the film. That said, the chemistry was naturally there, which definitely helped to win Best Movie Dad Ever, but lets look at the film as a whole and break down the relationship between Chris and his son Christopher.Since Chris's wife Linda left her husband and son when Christopher was young and when Chris was very vulnerable, in debt and out of a job, Chris and Christopher had formed a bond very early on since all they had were each other. With all the debt that has piled up, Chris and Christopher were forced out of their home and became homeless with no place else to go. Chris eventually takes an unpaid internship at brokerage firm Dean Witter Reynolds in hopes that it will lead to a full time job. While interning and living in the bathroom of Dean Witter Reynolds, Chris hits some lows, but knows he always has Christopher at the end of it all.

Independence Day was the first Will Smith film released on the July 4th holiday weekend, this was, how do you say, "where it all began," Mr. July was born. In this film, Smith played Captain Steven Hiller, a US Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot who encountered an alien in which he ends up injuring and taking over to Area 51 where scientist Dr. Brackish Okun examines the alien.Throughout the film, Smith charms the audience with his wit, which has become a trademark of his throughout the years. Smith portrayed Hiller as a smart and passionate man, who throws himself 100 percent into everything, such as his work and love life. Smith has a way of playing arrogant men who are extremely loveable. Take his character James Edwards/Agent J from Men In Black. When he put those black Ray Ban sunglasses on and smoothly announces that "I make this look good" has got to be one of the more egotistical yet adorable proclamations made in the film. His partner in the film, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) clash at times, which makes for funny dialogue, but deep down there was a strong bond between the two, which Agent J showed at the end of the film by wiping his memory with the Neuralizer, and sending him back to his previous life to live with his wife.

Men In Black was Smith's second July 4th weekend premiere and it not only made him one of the more recognizable movie stars, but it also put him back on the music scene! He recorded the movie's theme song Men In Black, which was sampled from the 1982 song, Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen, and used on his record: Big Willie Style. The song was catchy and the video featured Smith's talents and charm, as usual! There was a dance scene in which he was dancing with an alien. It really captured the theme of the movie and song.In Bad Boys and Bad Boys II, Will Smith played Detective Mike Lowrey, a character that again was loveable, but if you knew him in real life, chances are you wouldn't be his biggest fan.

Smith played opposite Martin Lawrence's character Marcus Burnett. The two Miami Police characters differed dramatically as Burnett is a committed family man while Lowery is a care-free bachelor. This equated to a great team that consisted of witty and quick banter, action sequences, oh and ladies: Smith's washboard abs.I Am Legend showcased Smith's ability to carry a film. Smith spent the majority of the film as the only human character as I Am Legend was based on the end of the world. As mentioned earlier, this film broke December box office records when the film was released in 2007, the biggest December opening ever.In Legend, Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, the last known man standing after the vaccine that cures cancer backfired and turned humans into extremely aggressive beings, who killed those who were not infected.

This is an extremely vulnerable role since Will Smith is a family man in real life, having to act in a film in which you lose your loved ones hit a little too close to home, as well as the fact his character lives in tremendous fear. When Neville is living on his own, he still has the family dog, and he sets up manikins throughout the city and speaks to them as he goes shopping, which provides for small comic relief. Neville has to be in his house before dark so he can lock up his house and hide from the cannibals (the humans who have turned into an aggressive state from the vaccine). Smith's role as Neville is astonishing. It takes a true star to be the only person in the film, and carry it so well that it breaks records. The 2001 film, Ali, earned Smith his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali. This was Smith's most critically acclaimed role and his first role in which he is not playing your typical action movie star running from explosions and chasing bad guys.In order to play "The Greatest of All Time," Smith had to become The Greatest of All Time. To do so, not only did Smith have to go through immense acting training to perfect his Muhammad Ali: the way he speaks, his persona, etc..., but he also physically trained for an entire year before shooting. Smith did such an incredible job portraying Ali in the film, there were times you would forget you were watching Smith portray him. This was a huge turning point in Smith's career in which he proved that he can play more serious roles as well as his action/comedy flicks. Smith has a way of captivating his audience. He uses his charisma, intelligence and talent to win over crowds. From the beginning, as his days as The Fresh Prince, to his current full-fledged movie star status, Smith has continued to maintain his down-to-earth, pleasant charm.