Smith, Will (1968– )

US actor, singer, and entertainer. He has achieved huge popularity in a variety of media. Following a career as a rapper in the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, he began playing himself in the comedy television series Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990–96). He then moved into films, starring in the action thrillers Independence Day (1996) and Men in Black (1997). He also recorded the theme tune to Men in Black, which won a Grammy Award in 1998. In 2001 he took a step into more serious dramatic acting, playing US boxer Muhummad Ali in the film Ali.

Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and met DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeff Townes (c.1965– ) at school there, and they formed a rap duo. After the group's mainstream success, including a Grammy Award in 1991, he began his television and film career. He released his first solo album, Big Willie Style, in 1997, and released Willennium two years later. His other films include Bad Boys (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), The Legend of Baggar Vance (2000), Men in Black II (2002), Bad Boys II (2003), I, Robot (2004), and Hitch (2005).