Will Smith Turns 55: His 13 Best Film Performances, From ‘Ali’ to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’
variety.comClayton Davis Senior Awards Editor If Tom Hanks is America’s Dad, then Will Smith is the cool big brother. Smith has been a favorite of audiences and awards voters during his impressive three-decade career.
He’s explored multiple genres, such as drama (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), comedy (“Hitch”), action (“Bad Boys”), science-fiction (“Independence Day”), horror (“I Am Legend”) and animation (“Spies in Disguise”).
To celebrate Smith’s birthday, Variety is ranking the 13 best performances of his film career so far. With three career Academy Award nominations to his credit, which also include Michael Mann’s “Ali” (2001), as famed boxer Muhammad Ali, and Gabriele Muccino’s “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006), as single father Chris Gardner the Philadelphia-born actor and producer was a respected figure in the Hollywood biz.
As one of the producers of “King Richard,” he made history as the second Black man to be recognized in both categories in the same year, following Denzel Washington for “Fences” in 2017.
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