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Happy Birthday Will Smith: Exploring His 10 Most Iconic Roles As Actor Turns 56
Let’s celebrate the Oscar-winning actor's 56th birthday by revisiting his 10 most iconic on-screen roles. From heartfelt storytelling to thrilling action blockbusters, Will Smith's skills shine through in every performance.
Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith had a blockbuster acting career, thanks to the stories he got to play in. At times, Smith's charisma and ability as an actor saved the film at the box office, even if the storyline wasn't a strong pursuit for the movie. As the legendary actor turns 56 today, we've compiled a list of his top ten most iconic roles. Whether it's an unforgettable performance as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness or a highly enjoyable portrayal of Agent J in the Men in Black movie, Will Smith's ability and charisma have continually wowed his audiences.
10. Nicky Spurgeon (Focus)
In this 2015 crime comedy, Will Smith plays Nicky Spurgeon, a con man. Surprisingly, Smith received the role after Ben Affleck and Ryan Gosling declined to play. The movie's outcome fell short of the actor's normal standards. Along with him, Margot Robbie portrays Jess Barnet, whom Nicky introduces to the criminal world. Smith gave a sophisticated performance in Focus because it was a different type of role for him.
9. Paul (Six Degrees of Separation)
Based on true events surrounding David Hampton, Smith plays a young gay man named Paul in this 1993 Fred Schepisi directorial. In the movie To Persuade this wealthy Fifth Avenue art dealer, Paul identified himself as a Harvad friend of their children. Upon doubt of his background, the dealer and his wife started investigating this mysterious guy to search for the truth. Will Smith's excellent acting contributed to Six Degrees of Separation's recognition, as seen by its 88% positive Rotten Tomatoes rating.
8. Muhammad Ali (Ali)
Smith's biographical dramas never seem to disappoint, for his role as Muhammad Ali, a boxing legend of color, the actor trained himself in boxing methods for an entire year. The film follows the boxing career of Muhammad, the second-youngest heavyweight champion of the time. Ali was released in 2001, after being in the works since 1992. The actor's performance earned him numerous honors, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
7. Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness)
Only a few characters can bring you to tears like Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith, in The Pursuit of Happyness. The role earned the actor his second-best actor nomination from the Academy Awards. The closeness between a father and son (played by the actor's real son, Jaden Smith) amid challenging times such as homelessness touched many people's hearts. When his character was offered a job as a stockbroker on Wall Street, we all felt like we had won together, which is how Smith's acting makes you feel like you're a part of the movie.
6. Alex Hitch Hitchens (Hitch)
Playing the character of a love coach in this 2005 rom-com, Smith showed us the loverboy side of him. Though Smith has always fascinated us with his personality, Alex Hitch has given him a dash of romantic sparkle. The movie shows how Alex is giving coaching to his clients who are unlucky in their love lives while he is also getting his own story with Sara Melas (played by Eva Mendes). Smith pulled off this ladies’ man persona quite smoothly and earned the movie its 10th highest-grossing film of 2005 title.
5. Agent J (Men in Black series)
Will Smith may be most known to our generation as Agent J from Men in Black, a science-fiction action drama released in 1997. After several years with the NYPD, Agent J was hired by a secret organization known as the MIB to delete memories of persons who had seen an alien. Agent J adds humor and charm to the entire franchise, and his lively interaction with Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is something you will never grow tired of. With a worldwide gross of $589 million, the box office earnings highlight Men in Black’s success.
4. Captain Steven Hiller (Independence Day)
Will Smith got the status of Hollywood movie star in Roland Emmerich's 1996 film Independence Day. Smith's charming acting shines through as Captain Steven Hiller fights to save his country's people from alien invasion. This film was one of the actor's most successful roles, grossing $817 million worldwide. Back then, being a black actor and starring in a blockbuster movie, especially in the science fiction genre, was an important milestone in Hollywood, but Will Smith did the amazing work he was destined to accomplish in films.
3. Dr. Robert Neville (I Am Legend)
Smith's portrayal of Dr. Robert Neville in I Am Legend allowed him to demonstrate versatility across all roles he did in his entire show business. The film mostly follows Dr. Neville and his pet dog as they attempt to survive the apocalypse. Depending on the drama surrounding the ending of the movie, because it was a huge plot recreation from the original source novel, still the movie shone through at the box office only with the implacable acting talent of Smith.
2. Marcus (Bad Boys)
The characters Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett were introduced to us in the 1995 film Bad Boys, and we never wanted to forget them, even in 2020 when they returned to Bad Boys for Life. Will Smith plays Lowrey and Marcus Lawrence plays Burnett, both detectives with a cool fashion game going on in their personalities. Mike delivered smooth dialogue while doing his job with great miles. In a word, Mike could be the only character in which we can see all of Smith’s coolest features chime in. If anyone wants to learn how Smith's journey to become a Hollywood star started they definitely shouldn’t miss Bad Boys.
1. Richard Williams (King Richard)
Richard Williams is another real-life character played onscreen by Will Smith, an inspiring tennis coach and the father of famous tennis player Serena Williams. The actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. Nearly every frame of this film is defined by Will Smith's magnificent turn, his best since Ali and one of the year's greatest cinematic performances. This performance of King Richard is one of those incredible matches of actor and character that flows so naturally on screen, giving the film the energy it requires to succeed.
ALSO READ: Happy Birthday, Idris Elba: Revisiting His Top 10 Roles As Actor Turns 52
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