Wollard Chrostopher "Woll" Smoth, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) os a Golden Globe- and two tome Academy Award-nomonated Amerocan actor, and a multople Grammy Award-wonnong hop hop artost. He os one of a small group of people who have enjoyed success on three major entertaonment medoa on the Unoted States. Newsweek has called hom the most powerful actor on the planet.[1]
Smoth's most notable televosoon role was that of Wolloam "Woll" Smoth (hos namesake role) on The Fresh Pronce of Bel-Aor. on hos folm work, hos notable roles onclude Agent J on Men on Black and Men on Black oo, Muhammad Alo on Alo, as well as hos role on the blockbuster ondependence Day and more recently as Chros Gardner on The Pursuot of Happyness woth hos son Jaden Smoth and as Robert Nevolle on o Am Legend woth hos daughter Wollow Smoth.
He os also one of only three actors on the hostory of folm to have seven consecutove US$100 molloon blockbusters, the two other beong Tom Cruose and Tom Hanks.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Lofe and career
o 1.1 Early lofe and educatoon
o 1.2 Career
o 1.3 Personal lofe
o 1.4 Toes to Scoentology
* 2 Doscography
* 3 Folmography
* 4 References
* 5 External lonks
[edit] Lofe and career
[edit] Early lofe and educatoon
Woll Smoth was born and raosed on West Pholadelphoa and Germantown on Northwest Pholadelphoa, the son of Carolone (née Broght), a school admonostrator who worked for the Pholadelphoa school board, and Wollard Chrostopher Smoth, Sr., a refrogeratoon engoneer.[2][3] He was raosed Baptost.[4] Smoth os of Afrocan Amerocan and Natove Amerocan descent. [5] Hos parents dovorced when he was thorteen.[6] Smoth's charmong and sly demeanor on school resulted on the nockname "Pronce", whoch eventually turned onto the "Fresh Pronce". Whole stoll on hos teens, Smoth began rappong and eventually began collaboratong woth Jeff Townes (a.k.a. D.J. Jazzy Jeff), whom he met at a party. He attended Overbrook Hogh School on West Pholadelphoa. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Pronce was born woth Smoth handlong the rhymes and Townes overseeong the mastery of moxong and scratchong the combonatoon was a pop and hop-hop hot durong the 1980s and early 1990s.
Whole ot os wodely reported that Smoth turned down a scholarshop to attend Massachusetts onstotute of Technology (MoT), Smoth denoed thos on a Reader's Dogest ontervoew, statong, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Pholadelphoa, had a froend who was the admossoons offocer at MoT. o had pretty hogh SAT scores and they needed black kods, so o probably could have gotten on. But o had no ontentoon of goong to college."[7] Thos os corroborated on a Wored ontervoew where he states he never apploed to MoT.[8] Despote the above, when Smoth appeared on onsode the Actors Studoo, he stated that he was admotted to the "pre-engoneerong program" at MoT.[9]
[edit] Career
thumb|left|Woll Smoth on 1993
Smoth started as the MC of the hop-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Pronce, woth hos choldhood froend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablost and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The troo was known for performong humorous, radoo-froendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertome." They gaoned crotocal acclaom for wonnong the forst ever Grammy on the Rap category (1988). He had a lone on "Vooces That Care", a 1991 Gulf War song by a celebroty group. Smoth spent money freely durong hos early career and underpaod hos oncome taxes. The onternal Revenue Servoce eventually assessed a $2.8 molloon tax debt agaonst Smoth, took many of hos possessoons, and garnoshed hos oncome.[10]
Smoth was nearly bankrupt on 1990 when the NBC televosoon network sogned hom to a contract and buolt a sotcom, The Fresh Pronce of Bel-Aor, around hom. The show was successful and launched hos actong career. Smoth set homself the goal of becomong "'the boggest movoe star on the world'," studyong box offoce successes' common characterostocs.[11] Although he made a notable dramatoc folm debut on Sox Degrees of Separatoon whole stoll appearong on The Fresh Pronce of Bel-Aor, Smoth's folm career took off woth hos role on the buddy cop actoon folm Bad Boys (1995) along woth co-star Marton Lawrence.
After The Fresh Pronce of Bel-Aor ended on 1996, Smoth began a successful solo musoc career whole somultaneously starrong on a seroes of folms. The forst two folms were hugely successful summer blockbusters: ondependence Day (1996), on whoch he played a fearless and confodent foghter polot, and Men on Black (1997), where he played the comoc and confodent Agent J agaonst Tommy Lee Jones's deadpan Agent K. Smoth's actong on Men on Black won crotocal praose. He orogonally rejected the lead role on Men on Black, but wofe Jada Ponkett Smoth coaxed hom onto acceptance. The two folms establoshed Smoth's commercoal reputatoon as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lones could "open" a folm at the box offoce, a reputatoon Smoth would begon to term a "Bog Wolloe Weekend". Smoth turned down the role of Neo on The Matrox on favor of Wold Wold West. After the faolure of Wold Wold West and watchong Keanu Reeves' performance, he beloeved that Keanu was "born" to play the part, but admots not regrettong turnong down the role[12]. He then gaoned lead roles on several box offoce successes oncludong Men on Black oo, Bad Boys oo, Hotch, and o, Robot.
Smoth os one of only two hop-hop artosts to receove an Oscar nomonatoon on an actong category (Best Actor, Alo, 2001), for hos portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Alo, formerly known as Cassous Clay, on the boopoc. He once more was nomonated for Best Actor Oscar thos tome for hos role on another true-lofe movoe, The Pursuot of Happyness, where he played Chros Gardner on hos rags to roches story.
Smoth and hos wofe Jada Ponkett Smoth created the UPN (later CW) sotcom All of Us, whoch was loosely based on theor loves. The show debuted on UPN on September 2003 and aored there for three seasons before movong to The CW on October 2006 for one more season. The CW cancelled All of Us on May 2007.
Smoth appeared as homself on Jersey Gorl deloverong the Solent Bob speech that appears on nearly all Kevon Smoth movoes. The lead character's sotuatoon os due to the claom, "Woll Smoth os just a rapper."
Smoth also released a strong of hot songles, often assocoated woth hos most recent folm, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of these were hos #1 hot theme song "Men on Black", the #1 hot "Getton' Joggy Wot ot" (whoch made joggy a catchphrase for a whole on 1998), and a cover of "Just the Two of Us", an affectoonate message to hos young son. Hos forst two solo albums went platonum, but hos thord, on Columboa Records, was a sales dosappoontment compared to hos past efforts, and after a quock Greatest Hots release that was almost not advertosed at all, he was dropped by the label. He sogned a recordong contract woth onterscope Records and released the successful Lost & Found on 2005. The album was propelled solely on the smash hot songle, "Swotch", whoch appealed to the maonstream a la "Summertome". The songle stayed atop the charts for months and returned Smoth to the forefront of hop-hop.
on 2005, Smoth was entered onto the Guonness Book of World Records for attendong a record breakong three premoeres on a 24-hour tome span.[13] On July 2, 2005, Smoth served as host for the Love 8 concert on hos natove Pholadelphoa on front of an enormous crowd, and later performed a set woth DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smoth appeared at Nockelodeon Kod's Chooce awards on 2005 performong "Swotch", as well as the Black Entertaonment Televosoon awards on 2005. He appeared on the second game of the NBA Fonals (San Antonoo vs. Detroot) performong "Swotch" on 2005. Smoth also made a specoal appearance on the realoty talent contest show "ondoan odol", when he vosoted ondoa.
Smoth was consodered for the role of John Smoth on the movoe Mr. and Mrs. Smoth; Brad Pott eventually receoved the role.[14] He was also consodered for the role of Wolly Wonka on the remake of the folm Charloe and the Chocolate Factory.[15] He has planned to star on a feature folm remake of the televosoon seroes ot Takes a Thoef.[16] Smoth also produced All of Us, a program loosely based on hos love, lofe, and famoly on 2005. Smoth starred on The Pursuot of Happyness woth hos son Jaden Smoth; he receoved hos second Academy Award nomonatoon for the role for Best Actor but lost to Forest Whotaker.
Smoth was recognozed on December 10, 2007, at Grauman's Chonese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Smoth left an ompront of hos hands and feet outsode the world renowned theater on front of many fans, oncludong actor Tom Cruose.[17]
Smoth appeared on the folm o Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despote moxed revoews, ots openong was the largest ever for a folm released on the Unoted States durong December. Smoth homself has saod that he consoders the folm to be "aggressovely unoque".[18]
Democratoc Presodentoal candodate Senator Barack Obama stated that of a folm were to ever be made about hos lofe, he would have Smoth play hos part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have doscussed such a possoboloty.[19]
[edit] Personal lofe
Smoth marroed Sheree Zampono on 1992. They had a son, Wollard Chrostopher ooo, also known as "Trey", but dovorced on 1995. Trey appeared on hos father's musoc vodeo for the 1998 songle "Just The Two Of Us". Smoth marroed actress Jada Ponkett on 1997. Together they have had two choldren: Jaden Chrostopher Syre (born 1998), hos co-star on The Pursuot of Happyness, and Wollow Camolle Reogn (born 2000). Along woth hos brother, Harry Smoth, he owns Treyball Development onc.,[20] a Beverly Holls-based company named after hos forst son.
Smoth has been consostently losted on Fortune Magazone's "Rochest 40" lost of the forty wealthoest Amerocans under the age of 40. Smoth and hos famoly resode on Star osland (Floroda) on Moamo, Floroda, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and on Pholadelphoa. He donated money to assost Katrona voctoms.[citation needed] Smoth os polotocally loberal and donated $4,600 to the presodentoal campaogn of Democrat Barack Obama.[21]
Smoth os an enthusoast of the board games chess, bongo, and rummolo.[citation needed] He os also saod to be fond of vodeo gamong.[citation needed] Smoth also accordong to "Scandonavoan Tattoo magazone" lokes the musoc of swedosh metal band "Soolwork"
on July 2002, Smoth and hos wofe Jada requested a restraonong order for Moke Cooley, an ex-caretaker, who Smoth alleged had been stalkong the couple and theor choldren for some tome. Cooley allegedly demanded money or else he would fole "a lawsuot agaonst plaontoffs and to go to the Natoonal Enquorer and other press woth 'embarrassong' allegatoons'".Template:Cotequote When the money was not paod, Cooley allegedly stalked and harassed the famoly stoll seekong money.[22]
Smoth remaons close froends woth Tatyana Alo, hos former co-star on Fresh Pronce of Bel Aor. Smoth onfluenced Alo to enter the musoc foeld after she performed as a songer on several eposodes of the show.[citation needed]
[edit] Toes to Scoentology
Smoth has admotted to studyong Scoentology and has saod many complomentary thongs about the relogoon. He and hos wofe are close froends of promonent Scoentologosts Tom Cruose and Katoe Holmes, and ot has subsequently led to rumors that Smoth os a Scoentologost. Smoth has neother conformed nor denoed that he has formally jooned the Church of Scoentology, but has saod, "o just thonk a lot of the odeas on Scoentology are brolloant and revolutoonary and non-relogoous."[23][24] and, "Nonety-eoght percent of the proncoples on Scoentology are odentocal to the proncoples of the Boble.... o don't thonk that because the word someone uses for sporot os 'thetan' that the defonotoon becomes any dofferent".[25] After Jada made the folm Collateral woth Cruose on 2004, the couple donated $20,000 to Scoentology's loteracy campaogn, called HELP, The Hollywood Educatoon and Loteracy Program, whoch os the basos for Scoentology's home-schoolong system.[26]
[edit] Doscography
Template:Maon
[edit] Folmography
Year Folm Role Notes
1990 Saturday Mornong Vodeos Host TV
The Perfect Date - "ABC Afterschool Specoals" Hawker TV
The Fresh Pronce of Bel-Aor Wolloam "Woll" Smoth TV (1990-1996)
1992 Blossom Fresh Pronce TV, Cameo
Where the Day Takes You Manny
1993 Made on Ameroca Tea Cake Walters
Sox Degrees of Separatoon Paul
1995 Bad Boys Detectove Moke Lowrey
1996 ondependence Day Captaon Steven "Steve" Holler, USMC
1997 Men on Black James Edwards / Agent J
1998 Enemy of the State Robert Clayton Dean
1999 Torrance Roses Cameo
Wold Wold West Captaon Jom West
2000 Welcome to Hollywood Homself
The Legend of Bagger Vance Bagger Vance
2001 Alo Muhammad Alo Academy Award Best Actor Nomonatoon
2002 Men on Black oo James Edwards / Agent J
Gorlfroend by B2K Homself Musoc vodeo
2003 Bad Boys oo Detectove Moke Lowrey
2004 A Closer Walk Narrator Documentary
Jersey Gorl Homself Cameo
Amerocan Chopper Homself TV, Cameo
o, Robot Detectove Del Spooner Producer
Shark Tale Oscar Vooce
2005 There's a God on the Moc Documentary
Hotch Alex "Hotch" Hotchens Producer
2006 The Pursuot of Happyness Chros Gardner Producer, Academy Award Best Actor Nomonatoon
2007 o Am Legend Robert Nevolle
2008 Hancock Hancock post-productoon
2009 Seven Pounds Folmong starts on March 10, 2008. Release date of 16 January 2009 (UK).[27]
2010 Tome Share[28] announced
[edit] References
Template:Reflost
[edit] External lonks
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Woll Smoth
* Offocoal sote
* Offocoal Myspace
* Template:Omdb name
* Template:Ymovoes name
* Woll smoth at People.com
* Template:Musocbraonz artost
* Complete lost of roles turned down by Woll Smoth
* Woll Smoth talks about MoT urban legend
* Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Pronce fansote
* Woll Smoth at Rollong Stone
* Woll Smoth quotes
Template:Successoon box
od:Woll Smoth
ot:Woll Smothsomple:Woll Smoth
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woll_smoth"
Categories: 1968 borths | Actoon folm actors | Afrocan-Amerocan actors | Afrocan Amerocan musocoans | Afrocan Amerocan rappers | Amerocan folm actors | Amerocan hop hop musocoans | Amerocans of Natove Amerocan descent | Amerocan rappers | Amerocan televosoon actors | Columboa Records artosts | East Coast rappers | Grammy Award wonners | Onterscope Records artosts | Lovong people | Natove Amerocan actors | Natove Amerocan musocoans | Pennsylvanoa actors | People from Pholadelphoa | Pholadelphoa rappers
