Introduction
Willard Christopher Smith Jr. commonly known as Will Smith is a known rapper and an American hero who continue to inspire a generation with his talents. Will Smith influences millions of people over the world with his respectable personality, charisma and his active and effective parenting style which goes beyond the norm and style displayed by other actors and celebrities. Various discussions have been put forth to discuss his career, life and marriage, with this, I wish to explore his achievements success, failures and learn life lessons from his experiences following his fame and status as a celebrity from the African American society.
The person
Reason for choice
Coming from an African American background Will Smith presents a good choice as a representative of the challenges of racism, segregation and junior ranking to showcase how he has become successful and an influential personality. My main reason for choosing him is to gain an understanding of the critical elements of his life and evaluate the factors that have contributed to his achievements, good character and lead to his emergence as a positive role model to the contemporary society. Besides, his fame and popularity makes him a good choice as an exploration of his mistakes and undertakings from his teenage hood to maturity.
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Main accomplishments
Will Smith is known for his many accomplishments to form an early age. At the age of twelve, he started his rapping career as a student following heroes’ rappers as grandmaster flash. At sixteen he formed a dual with DJ Jeff Townes which led to the emergence of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the French prince (Schuman, 2012). They produced hit songs such as “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.” In the 1990s he was part of the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air which began his successful career. He became a superstar through the bad boys’ film. Since then he undertook leading roles both as an actor and a producer. In Hancock in 2008, he has released various films like ‘Lakeview Terrace’ and ‘The Secret Life of Bees’. Others include comic blockbusters like ‘Hit Suicide Squad’.
Facts of his personal life
Will Smith life is encompassed of specific events from his own life which has shaped his career and success as a rapper and actor. For example, his divorce from his first wife Sheree Fletcher and his later her marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith impacted his life positively. Jada who he met when trying out the role in the fresh prince of bel-air as his girlfriend but did not get the part which was awarded to Nia Long has been supportive in shaping his family life and accomplishment such as the founding of Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation (Schuman, 2012). Others facts include his knowledge of Spanish and his two main regrets which he terms as the biggest mistake of his life. In his acting career, Smith regrets turning down a lead role in the Neo Matrix. He is also remorseful for taking part in The Wild Wild West.
Birth and death
Will Smith whose full name is Willard Carroll Smith Jr. was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on September 15 th in 1968. His parents were Caroline (Bright), who was a Philadelphia school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith, Sr. who was an engineer in refrigeration. He was nicknamed prince from an early age due to his ability to figure out his way out of trouble as well as his charming personality. Will Smith is still alive an active to date involved in his acting career and enjoying life with his family. He has launched a You Tube channel form where he shares his experiences and has garnered many subscribers in 2018.
Family incidents related to personal life accomplishments
Will Smith though not religious has claimed that his grandmother was the most spiritual person he has ever met played a significant role in his achievements as an actor. In his interview with The Christian Post, he quotes his role in the film Concussions as Bennet Omalu as successful form his faith as a Christian which was instilled by his grandmother. He assesses his grandmother's belief in heaven even on his deathbed and his commitment to Christian festivities in which she put her children and grandchildren first as an essential part of his life which has played a significant role in his career (Schuman, 2012). His family has also inspired and supported many charities with the backing of his family and colleagues.
Review of educational opportunities and accomplishments
Smith was a bright student with a promising future through education. He attended Overbrook high school and had been reported to have turned down a scholarship organized by his mother through her administrative position (Schuman, 2012). He claims that his failure to apply for college as emerging from his love for music where his interest was based on his enthusiasm for rap. He had been admitted to a summer program in engineering which his mother hoped would lead to his attendance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Having achieved high SATS and the advantage of being African American he would have produced higher academic qualification but had no intention of pursuing education. However, his talent compensated his academic deficiency as his career progressed successfully.
View of the subject
Reasons for fame
Will Smith is famous as the French prince which he started through the hip-hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff which successful and brought them in the limelight. Their first album known as the ‘Rock House’ received a Grammy award for the best rap song performance in 1987. They fame spread in the release of the single ‘Parent Just Don’t Understand’ and later 'Summertime.' He was also famous for starring in the sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ through which he started his acting career. He continued to gain fame in acting where he performed significant roles in the drama ‘The Six Degrees of Separation’ and the film ‘Bad Boys’ and recently in ‘Men in Black’ as well as the release of several notable albums. He is famous for being an actor, producer, rapper and songwriter.
Reasons for admiration
I cherish Will Smith because he is fantastic, cool, respectable and funny. He is down to earth, can make people feel good and light them up in comparison to other celebrities. He is known for his excellent character inspiring others to follow their dreams and achieve success. Will Smith as a great actor and rapper is hardworking, committed and determine and has excellent parenting skills which should be emulated by all parents. I would match his traits such as honesty, determination commitment, love for his family and his ability to tackle difficult situations. I also admire his philanthropic life and his care and respect for the needy in society. His participation in charities and giving back to the community through the building of schools and infrastructure are also traits I would take form him and practical incorporate into my life.
Lesson learned to be applied at personal level
From the life and career of will smith, I draw several lessons applicable to my life. Smith has made individual mistakes and has regrets which serve as essential learning blocks for me. For example, his lifestyle as a young person where he mindlessly spent all his earning and faced 2.8 million dollars tax debt teaches me to be responsible financially. His love and care for his family give in me insights on valuing loved ones and allocating more time to spend with family. His life inspires me to be respectable, lively smart, embrace a positive attitude and personality as a means to a successful and fulfilling life.
Life Experiences
The main incidents in Will Smith life were as a teenager when he was introduced to DJ Jazzy with whom they formed a duo that released hits and made the experience for them as rappers. His contract for the sitcom the fresh prince of bel air is also a vital incident for Smith which allowed him to solve his financial crisis and also enabled him to meet his lifelong partner Jada Pinkett who had also auditioned for a role in the sitcom. Smith role in the biographical drama ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ which he performed with his son Jaden as father and son also mark a notable incident in his life. The influential people in Smith's life include his parents from an early age supported him and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Others in his successful career including DJ Jazzy Jeff, whose real name is Jeffery Townes and producer Clarence Holmes as Ready Rock C. will smith is an inspirational and a motivating personality who has taught me to not to give up, love life and cultivate happiness which is found in relationships and especially with family. I have also learned to be determined and committed as well as learn from my mistakes.
Conclusion
Will Smith success in career and many lessons make him a role model to other people. His life crowned with being a rapper, an actor, a producer, and a songwriter displays his love for life and especially his family. His creativity and introduction of new content continues to inspire and motivate the young generation all over the world. His life is legendary that deserve the accolades he has received and many more.
References
Schuman, M. (2012). Will Smith: A biography of a rapper turned movie star . Berkeley Heights, N.J: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
