Will Smith: Box Office Superstar (USA Today Lifeline Biographies)

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (b. 1968 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He is one of a small group of people who have enjoyed success in three major entertainment media (TV, film, and music) in the United States. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammys. Smith rose to fame as a rapper under the name the Fresh Prince in the late 1980s. Smith's most notable television role was that of William "Will" Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In his film work, his notable roles were in Men in Black and its sequel, Men in Black II, Ali, as well as his role in the blockbuster Independence Day and more recently in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and in I Am Legend (2007). He is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office. Upcoming film projects include Seven Pounds (2008) and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2009).