Will Smithhas had a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, but there are a few movies that really formed the foundation for his success. As a young man, Smith started his career in entertainment 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 some songs that charted on the Billboards Hot 100, Smith was eventually given an opportunity to play a fictionalized version of himself in a TV show,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airin 1990.
Smith’s talent for acting meant that he was a natural on the small screen, and the show would go on to become wildly successful, running for a total of six years, and inspiring a nowadaysreboot that began airing in 2022 titled simply,Bel-Air. However, Smith’s ambition and talent propelled him to work in larger projects, and it wasn’t long before he made the transition from hip-hop star with his own sitcom to a movie star that would climb to the top of the A-List. But there were pivotal movies that took his career in that direction.
8Where The Day Takes You
1992
Starting withWhere the Day Takes You, Will Smith’s feature film debut came in this star-studded crime drama featuring a whole host of young talent that would go on to be big stars in Hollywood. The story revolves around a gang of runaways led by a young man named King. Together, they support and share the little that they have to ensure that, despite life’s hard knocks, they get through it. However, when another misfit named Tommy Ray starts to shake things up, King and his friends could be in trouble.
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Smith had one of his most minor roles in this film as he played one of the supporting background characters with little screentime.Will Smith’s character, Manny, was born without legs, and he is a close friend of King’s who is part of their group. However, due to his vulnerability as a homeless man in a wheelchair, Tommy Ray initially targets Manny to try and find King. Manny is stubborn, and more than willing to stand up for himself, but when he is threatened and assaulted by Tommy Ray, there is little he can do to stop his assailant.
7Six Degrees Of Separation
1993
The following year, while Smith’s sitcom was at it’s peak, he had his first starring role in the film,Six Degrees of Separation. The movie was based on a true story of a con man in New York who was able to charm his way into the homes of wealthy upper class people, and leech from their wealth for his own benefit and pleasure. Throughout the movie, this young man’s intentions become more clear, as other victims of his con 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 has an easier time of worming his way into their lives, and tapping into their generosity for his own gain.Will Smith’s talents are on full displayas he plays a charming young man, who slowly reveals his darker, less genuine side in this classic film.
1995
Will Smith was already becoming a household name by the timeBad Boyswas released in 1995, but in terms of a true breakout role, this was it. Two cops take on their most challenging and dangerous job yet when they are assigned to protect a vital witness in a murder case. The film is a buddy cop starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as the detectives, and it has since inspired multiple sequels following these hilarious and high-octane agents on their adventures.
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Will Smith had a natural gift for comedy, but it wasn’t untilBad Boysthat his ability to take on the role of an action star really began to shine through. In addition, Smith’s ability to connect with and develop genuine chemistry made his films that much more interesting as he helped those around him to shine in their roles as well. However, there were bigger action roles ahead, andBad Boyswas just the beginning.
5Men In Black
1997
In some ways,Men in Blackfollowed a similar formula toBad Boys, with two agents coming together and creating a unique chemistry while they fight criminals, butMIBmade the story into something with higher stakes as the bad guys were replaced with aliens who wanted to take over the planet Earth. Rather than being on an equal footing with his colleague, Smith’s agent J was far less experienced than his partner, agent K, but that made the dynamic all the more interesting.
Seeing Smith step into a sci-fi role with high stakes not only cementedSmith’s career as an action starregardless of genre, but it also made him a star that was accessible to audiences of any age. Many of his earlier films were aimed at young adults, or more mature audiences, butMen in Blackmade Smith a star that kids and adults looked up to and praised for his incredible performances and the variety of characters he played.
4Ali
2001
Up to 2001, Smith stuck to primarily action movies, or comedy films. There was a rare drama in there that allowed him to develop within a more emotional and nuanced role, but for the most part, pre-2000, Smith was in his “Aw, hell no!” phase. That shifted slightly when he was cast as the solo lead in the biographical drama,Ali. The movie was a reflective piece which explored the life of the world-class 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 with his face and name being used so prominently in the film. However, Smith rose to the challenge and proved that he was more than a simple comedy actor, or an action star. This was also the first time Smith was ever nominated for an Oscar, which speaks to the kind of movie it was and the quality of Smith’s performance. From here on out, Smith was everywhere, and people knew him regardless of what age bracket they fell into.
3I, Robot
2004
Having proven his ability to play a solo lead, the next phase of Smith’s career saw him becoming the leading man for many more films, and this all kicked off in 2004 withI, Robot. Smith brought together his talents for sci-fi, drama, and action, as he starred as the heartbroken detective assigned to investigate rogue AI robots. Due to an incident where a robot decided to save his life over his young daughter, detective Spooner had a particular dislike of robots.
While this movie had some similarities to earlier action or sci-fi movies, it marks a turning point in Smith’s career where he alone became a strong enough lead actor to promote movies with just his name and face. After that, Smith starred in several more action/sci-fi hits as a solo star, includingI Am LegendandHancock. From there, Smith was unstoppable, and this marked the first time thatSmith appeared as a producer on a feature film, which became the standard for many of his subsequent projects.
2The Pursuit of Happyness
2006
Just two years later, Smith hit another personal milestone when he starred inThe Pursuit of Happynessalongside his son, Jaden Smith.The Pursuit of Happynessis 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, grit, and the desire to build a better life for his son, he pushes 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 is only enhanced by including his own son in the role of his on-screen son. Smith’s ability to convey true stories, with depth, emotion, and still make them entertaining and thought-provoking shines through. As a result, Smith continued to appear in more dramatic and biographic roles, as well as having the pleasure of sharing the screen with his son in more films.
1King Richard
2021
Finally, the most recent film inWill Smith’s filmographyto shake things up in his career was the stunning true story,King Richard. Smith plays Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars, Venus and Serena Williams, who helped to coach, train, and inspire his young daughters to become the world-class legends of tennis that they are today. Similar to many previous roles, Smith plays a father, it’s a dramatic role, and the movie is based on true events, but there is one key difference.
King Richardwas the first and only movie to date in which Will Smith won an Oscar for his performance as the leading man. Over his career,Will Smithhas taken home dozens of awards, and he has 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 both times. At the 2022 Academy Awards, that changed when he was recognized for his outstanding work, and finally got recognition for his incredible talents.
