WILL SMITH (Mike Lowrey) is an accomplished motion picture actor, television star, musician and producer. He took on the challenge of his career in the title role of Ali, a biopic exploring the life of the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. For his performance, Smith received Best Actor Award nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the NAACP, the American Film Institute and the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association.
Most recently Smith starred in Men in Black II, which reunited him with Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld. Via his company Overbrook Entertainment, Smith served as executive producer for the Warner Bros.’ action comedy Showtime starring Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy. In addition, the company has sold a new series, "All of Us," to UPN for debut in the fall.
As one of the industry’s most admired performers, Smith’s varied film credits include The Legend of Bagger Vance directed by Robert Redford, which earned Smith an NAACP Award nomination for Best Actor. Earlier he starred in Wild, Wild West, for which his theme song went gold and the soundtrack, produced by Overbrook, went platinum. Smith thrilled audiences in the suspenseful Enemy of the State produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starred in two of the ten all time top-grossing films worldwide -- 1997’s summer smash Men In Black (for which he recorded the film’s Grammy-winning title song) and the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day.
Smith also starred in the original Don Simpson Jerry Bruckheimer production, Bad Boys for Columbia Pictures. The studio’s largest grossing movie of 1995, Bad Boys transformed Smith from one of the funniest men in the entertainment industry into one of the sexiest action heroes in movies.
Smith was recognized as NATO/ShoWest’s "Male Star of Tomorrow" in 1995 and then in 2002, the organization honored him as "Male Star of the Year." In addition, he won the International Box Office Achievement Award in 1997 and was named "1999 Entertainer of the Year" at the NAACP Image Awards.
Other film work includes a critically acclaimed performance in the Oscar®-nominated Six Degrees of Separation (his film debut), Made in America and Where the Day Takes You.
A musical sensation, Smith made his first record as a high school senior and subsequently embarked on a rap career with friend Jeff Townes. Known as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, they recorded several platinum and multi-platinum albums, winning two Grammys and three American Music Awards. Smith’s first solo album, "Big Willie Style," sold 8 million copies. His album "Willennium" and the featured single "Will2K" went double platinum, selling more than 2 million copies each.
Smith made his transition into television as the star of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," a sitcom created for him by Quincy Jones. The hit NBC series wrapped its sixth and final season in 1996.
Smith is partnered with his longtime friend James Lassiter in Overbrook Entertainment.
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