WILL SMITH By: Julia Kirkpatrick Stephen Feinstein

Summary Will Smith started out as a rapper. Then he got his own TV show that became a famous movie. This playful, inspiring biography (book review) tells the exciting life of this African-American hero.

The Class Clown  He was born on September, in Philadelphia.  When he was young his parents would read to him.  Will’s favorite books were Dr. Seuss books.  He loved the rhymes and thought they were lots of fun.  Will’s grandma would take him to church every Sunday, one year he got to be in the holiday play and loved it.  Will learned how to play one the piano.  His parents loved music.  They wanted Will and his brother and sisters to perform together.  Will dreamed about becoming a performer.  Will’s favorite comedian was Eddie Murphy… his look alike  He loved to watch him on Saturday Night Live.  Will’s whole family was very funny.  At dinner, everyone joked and laughed a lot! Eddie Murphy  Once Will learned he could make people laugh, he never stopped trying.  At school, Will enjoyed being the class clown.  His funny stories and funny faces made the other kids laugh.  His friends called him “Prince” because he was so funny yet smart.  Will loved being the center of attention, but he knew when to stop fooling around.  His parents excepted Will to do well in school, and he did.

Will Becomes A Rapper  Will was 12 when he became interested in rap.  Will enjoyed being a rapper at parties, and playing records for other kids.  He really wanted to perform rap music.  Will loved rhyming words forever.  When will was 16, he met another DJ named Jeff Townes at a party.  They performed raps at parties and clubs in Philadelphia.  Jeff wrote the music and Will played them.  They called themselves Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.  When Will and Jeff began making records, they became famous.  Their first album was called Rock The House.  The next year, their album He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper sold over a million copies.  Will and Jeff won BEST RAP ALBUM and BEST RAP ARTIST.  In February, the two became the first rappers to win a Grammy Award, Their hit song “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was named a rap single.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air f.p.o.b.a.(Fresh Prince In Bel-Air)  Will ended up as a millionaire.  He wanted to try something new.  He wanted to act.  In 1989, Will net a man named Benny Median.  Ben had an idea for a television show.  About a young African-American who moves from Philadelphia to live with rich relatives in Bel-Air, California.  Benny wanted Will to star in the show.  The show F.P.O.B.A. was a big hit.  Will was a good actor and he was very funny.  On the show, Will played a fun-loving, street-smart young African-American.  The series ran from 1990 to 1996.

Will Becomes A Movie Star  While Will was still working on the TV show, he began acting in movies.  His first movie role was in Where the Day Takes You in  Will then appeared in the movies Six Degrees Of Separation and Bad Boys.  In the movie Independence Day in 1996, Will played a brave fighter pilot who helped defeat invaders from outer space.  Will had been a big fan of Star Trek TV series.  He was happy to act in a science-fiction film.  He later appeared in two more science-fiction films: Men in Black in 1997 and I, Robot in Fun Fact: In 2000, Will played the great boxer Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali. He was nominated for an Academy Award. Will did not win, but he was proud of the hard work he did and how good the movie was.

Will’s Family  In 1992, Will married Sheree Zampino.  In December, their son, Willard Smith III, was born.  They called him Trey, which was nickname for the third.  Will’s marriage with Sheree ended in 1995, but he stayed close to his son.  Trey was in the video for one of Will’s most famous songs “Just The Two Of Us”.  In 1997, Will married the actress Jada Pinkett,  They later had two children, a boy named Jaden and a girl named Willow.