Will Smith

The nostalgia-laced “Summertime” delivers the “soft subtle mix” promised by MC Fresh Prince at it’s opening, and the song’s laid-back groove and good-natured carnality would become Will Smith trademarks both throughout his rap and his acting career. Initially achieving fame as a rap artist, his Fresh Prince persona would become the template for his character on the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The series was a sit-com that in addition to being culturally groundbreaking in many ways was also a huge success running six seasons and was frequently hilarious.

It was fortunate that Will Smith’s drift into acting landed him in this particular series. The characters possessed enough depth to give Smith a chance to refine his acting talent, as the series long running status allowed for broad character arcs and occasional soap opera style revelations that called on Smith to convey complicated emotions drawing on his and the audiences memories of several seasons worth of material.

While Smith’s decidedly un-gangsta approach to rap had closed off some of his potential audience, many appreciated his positive music, and many of his peers consider DJ Jazzy Jeff to be an excellent DJ (he still records, produces, and tours). He faced similar jibes when moving into acting, but an increasingly long resume, impressive box office numbers, and critical praise have since put the peanut gallery to rest.

Having established his big screen presence in the 1995 buddy cop movie Bad Boys, Smith went on to star and provide comic relief in several action films such as Men in Black and Wild, Wild West, in the process acting opposite such respected actors as Salma Hayek and Tommy Lee Jones. Following these successes came roles in more serious films such as The Legend of Bagger Vance and Ali—the latter of which scored him an Oscarâ nomination.

Will Smith has continued to challenge himself with challenging roles and spends time with his red-hot wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and their children.