Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is a Golden Globe- and two time Academy Award-nominated American actor, and a multiple Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist. He is one of a small group of people who have enjoyed success in three major entertainment media in the United States. Newsweek has called him the most powerful actor on the planet. Smith's most notable television role was that of William "Will" Smith (his namesake role) in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In his film work, his notable roles include Agent J in Men in Black and Men in Black II, Muhammad Ali in Ali, as well as his role in the blockbuster Independence Day and more recently as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness with his son Jaden Smith and as Robert Neville in I Am Legend with his daughter Willow Smith. Biography Early life and education