Will Smith Biography

Fast Facts

• Got the nickname "Prince" from a teacher at Philadelphia's Overbrook High School because of his regal bearing and ability to talk his way out of trouble
• Turned down a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Teamed with Jeffrey Townes for rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; their hit song "Parents Just Don't Understand" won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1988
• Played a gay hustler in his first major movie role, 1993 drama Six Degrees of Separation, but refused to film an on-screen kiss with costar Anthony Michael Hall
• For the title role in 2001 biopic Ali, put on 30 pounds of muscle and followed the actual training regimen legendary boxer Muhammad Ali used to prepare for his bouts
• Named one of TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols by TV GUIDE in 2005
• Supported then-Sen
• Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign; asked during the campaign what actor he'd choose to portray him in a potential film, Obama suggested Smith
• Production company, Overbrook Entertainment, is named for the Philadelphia neighborhood in which he grew up