Occupation: Actor, Rapper
Date of Birth: September 25, 1968
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pa., USA
Smith was last seen starring with Matt Damon in “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” directed by Robert Redford. His performance earned him an NAACP Award nomination for Best Actor.
In 1999, Smith starred as James West in the box-office hit “Wild Wild West,” which has earned over $250 million. His theme song for the movie went gold and the soundtrack on which he appears—produced by his company, Overbrook Entertainment—went double platinum, selling 2 million copies.
Prior to thrilling audiences in the suspenseful “Enemy of the State,” Smith starred in two of the ten all-time top-grossing films worldwide—1997’s summer smash “Men in Black,” for which he also recorded the Grammy-winning title song, and 1996’s “Independence Day.” In addition, Smith starred in Columbia Pictures’ “Bad Boys,” one of the largest grossing films of 1995. His box-office power was twice recognized by NATO/ShoWest, first when he was honored as the “Male Star of Tomorrow” in 1995 and then, two years later, when he won the International Box Office Achievement Award. In addition, Smith was named “1999 Entertainer of the Year” by the NAACP Image Awards.
His other film work includes a critically acclaimed performance in the Oscar-nominated “Six Degrees of Separation,” “Made in America” and “Where the Day Takes You.”
A legendary music sensation, Smith made his first record as a high school senior and subsequently embarked on a rap career with friend Jeff Townes. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince recorded several platinum and multi-platinum albums, winning two Grammys and three American Music Awards. Smith’s first solo album, “Big Willie Style,” has sold 8 million copies. His album “Willennium” and the featured single “Will2K” went double platinum, selling over 2 million copies each.
