WILL SMITH (Hancock/Producer)

WILL SMITH (Hancock/Producer) has enjoyed success in a career encompassing hit films, his own television series and multi-platinum records. He earned his first Academy Award® nomination and a Golden Globe® nomination for his portrayal of boxing legend Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's acclaimed biopic Ali. Smith more recently starred in and produced the critically acclaimed, true-life drama The Pursuit of Happyness. His performance brought him his second Academy Award® nomination, his fourth Golden Globe® nomination and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nomination for Best Actor.

Smith most recently starred in the blockbuster I am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence. He will next re-team with the director and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for Seven Pounds, an emotional drama about a man who will change the lives of seven strangers.
In 2005, Smith starred in and produced the hit romantic comedy Hitch, directed by Andy Tennant. The year prior, he starred in and executive produced the sci-fi smash I, Robot, adapted from the book by Isaac Asimov and directed by Alex Proyas. Also that year, he voiced the central character of Oscar in the blockbuster animated feature Shark Tale, opposite Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro.

In July 2003, he reunited with Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys II, the sequel to their 1995 hit Bad Boys. Smith had earlier starred in two blockbusters that topped the box office in back-to-back summers. In 1996, he took on alien invaders in Roland Emmerich's science fiction actioner Independence Day. The following year, he starred with Tommy Lee Jones in Barry Sonnenfeld's sci-fi comedy Men in Black, for which Smith also recorded the Grammy-winning title song. In 2002, Smith, Jones and Sonnenfeld reteamed for the sequel Men in Black II.

Smith was already a Grammy-winning recording artist when he made his successful transition to acting in television and films. Following roles in the movies Where the Day Takes You and Made in America, he received widespread critical acclaim for his starring role in the drama Six Degrees of Separation, with Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland. In 1995, he was named ShoWest's Male Star of Tomorrow. His film credits also include Enemy of the State, opposite Gene Hackman; Wild Wild West, for which he also recorded the hit title song; and the title role in Robert Redford's The Legend of Bagger Vance.

Smith began his career in the music industry while still in high school. Teaming with his friend Jeff Townes to form DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Smith became a chart-topping rap artist. Together, they recorded several platinum and multi-platinum albums and won numerous awards, including two Grammys and three American Music Awards.

Smith's musical success led to his starring in the hit television sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which ran for six years on NBC and earned him two Golden Globe nominations.
Continuing to record, Smith released his first solo album, "Big Willie Style," in 1998, for which he won a Grammy and four American Music Awards. In 1999, he was honored at the NAACP Image Awards as Entertainer of the Year. His next CD, Willennium, featured the hit single "Will2K" and went double platinum.

As a producer, Smith is partnered with James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz in Overbrook Entertainment, which has produced such projects as Ali, I, Robot, Saving Face, Hitch, ATL, and The Pursuit of Happyness. Under the Overbrook banner, Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, also co-created and produced the popular television comedy series "All of Us," which recently concluded a four-year run. Smith's upcoming projects as a producer or executive producer include, in addition to Seven Pounds, Lakeview Terrace, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington; and The Human Contract, which marks the feature directorial debut of Jada Pinkett Smith.