In the mid-1990s, Smith transitioned from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films that received broad box office success.. Family and early life Born and
Trang 1Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr was born September
25, 1968 He is an American actor, film producer and pop
rapper He has enjoyed success in music, television and film
In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor on
the planet Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe
Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy
Awards
In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper
under the name The Fresh Prince In 1990, his popularity
increased dramatically when he starred in the popular
television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The show ran for
nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been
syndicated consistently on various networks since then In the
mid-1990s, Smith transitioned from television to film, and
ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films that received broad box office success In fact, he is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office
Fourteen of the 19 fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings
of over $100 million, and 4 of them took in over $500 million in global box office receipts His
most financially successful films have been Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Hancock, Wild Wild West, Enemy of the State, Shark Tale, Hitch and Seven Pounds He also earned critical praise for his performances in Six Degrees of Separation, Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.
Family and early life
Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Smith also spent time in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia His mother, Caroline, was a school administrator who worked for the
Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer He was raised Baptist His parents separated when he was 13, and did not
actually divorce until Smith was around 30
Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as
Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box The trio was known for
performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime" They gained critical acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category (1988) Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt
Trang 2against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a
sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him The show was successful and began his
acting career
In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Independence Day The film was a
massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in
Enemy of the State Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no
regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was
superior to what he himself (Smith) would have achieved
On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on
Hollywood Boulevard Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world
renowned theater in front of many fans Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007 Despite marginally positive reviews, its opening was
the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December
President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears" Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency
He is currently filming Men in Black III for a 2012 release playing Agent J one of his more
popular earlier roles, making this his first major starring role in four years
Personal life
Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his own involvement in the lives of his three children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us." Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992 They had a son, Willard
Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995 Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just The Two Of Us" Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997 Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998),
his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who
appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend
READING COMPREHENSION
1. What is Will Smith’s full name? _
2. When was he born? _
Trang 33. Where was he born? _
4. Why is he a celebrity?
5. What TV show launched Will’s acting career?
6. Name 4 films starring Will Smith
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7. What is your favourite Will Smith movie? Why?
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8. Who performed ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ with Will?
9. How much money did Will owe the Internal Revenue Service?
10. What big film role did Will turn down?
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11. What happened on December 10, 2007?
_
Trang 412. How many times has Will Smith been married?
13. How many children does Will Smith have? What are their names?
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14. Why are his children famous?