Will Smith

Will Smith

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a television sitcom portraying the lives of upper

class African Americans. The star of the show is Will Smith, which is a fictionalized version of himself. The character Will Smith (Will) was born and raised in West Philadelphia.  He was a street smart teenager that always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. One day, he fought with a neighborhood gang and his mother became worried for safety. As a result, she sent him to live with her sister’s family in Bel-Air, where he stood out like a sore thumb. He was culturally different from everyone in that area. The kids of Bel-Air were rich, preppy, white kids and he was a poor black kid from the hood. Now living with Uncle Phil, Aunt Vivian, and cousins Carlton, Ashley, and Hilary, his former lifestyle clashes with theirs. Will is outgoing and loved by everyone he comes into contact with as shown in the video below. He is extremely influential and has a positive outlook on life regardless of the situation. Will is this vibrant character, and Will Smith the person (Smith) tends to have many similarities with Will, but they also have differences.

Smith is a successful actor, rapper, and father. He was born in West Philadelphia to Caroline and Willard Smith. His family was well off. His father was the owner of a refrigerator company, and his mother was an employee of the school board. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School where he excelled academically. His charming personality and quick tongue got him out of many sticky situations. This ability to think quick on his feet gained him the nickname Prince from his peers. At the age of twelve, he began rapping, which led him to meet his childhood best friend Jazzy Jeff. That connection led to the birth of the famous rappers Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince (Will Smith Bio). Will and Smith are practically one and the same.

Intelligence is one of the many traits that Will and Smith share. In the show, Will comes off as being this big goofy kid who only cares about having fun. He is always making noise, whether it’s making a joke or laughing at the top of his lungs. Will is a class clown, and teachers and student perceive him as such. For example, in one episode, the day has come for Will and his cousin Carlton to take the SATs. Carlton is a fairly bright student, and he studies nonstop for days at a time to prepare for the SAT. Will on the other hand forgets and spends zero time studying for the exam. He shrugs it off like it’s no big deal and finally they leave to take the test. The results come back in and Carlton is ecstatic that he made a pretty good score. Carlton’s rubs it in Will’s face that he did better, and Will still doesn’t care. Will finally looks at his score and he scored in the 91^st percentile which was light years ahead of Carlton’s score. The entire family was in shock when they heard the news, but Will played it off like he was capable of this type of work the entire time. Smith is also immensely intelligent. As a kid in his neighborhood, being smart was looked down upon. He was often bullied walking home from school because he carried books. This occurred so often that he had to think of a way to get out of being bullied every day. He came up with a plan, and somehow it worked. He ditched the bags and traded it in for a pizza box. Instead of carrying his books, he put them inside of a pizza box and from then on, had no problems with bullies (Will Smith Doc). 

Creativity is also a trait that both the Will and Smith share. In the show, Will attends Bel-air academy which is a private school for males. They are required to wear a full uniform, and he hates the idea of someone telling him what to say, wear, or do. He looks for a loophole, and he finds one. He becomes aware of the inside of his uniform jacket. He noticed it had a nice pattern, so he flipped the jacket inside out and that was his new style. Still within uniform policies, he was able to portray his creativity.  Smith is an ultra-creative human being. He lives by the quote, “If you’re not willing to fall on your face, you can’t create at a high level.”. Being willing means that you’ve made a conscious decision that no matter the outcome, it was all worth it. Falling on your face is something you can take one or two ways; One being failure and quitting, and the other being failure and learning. Will Smith applies this quote to his everyday life. He believes that if your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough (Simon). He has become a successful rapper, actor, and father. Most recently using his creative abilities to become a director for some of the best movies of the decade.

Someone’s personality determines who they are. Will is known for his vibrant personality. When he steps into a room, he demands attention. No matter what he does or who he talks to, he draws their interests because he is a pleasure to be around. Will is an extremely bold character, and doesn’t mind standing up for a cause he believes in. For example, in one episode, Will began to feel as if he had become culturally diffused, and so he decided to take a stand. He permed his hair, changed his wardrobe, and styled this unique look to his Uncle’s client’s party. Uncle Phil was furious by his decisions and demanded him to change. Will had a different agenda in mind. He kept the clothes on and wore his hair how he wanted, despite the punishment he knew would come. This example shows how strong-willed his personality is. Smith’s personality is slightly distant from that of the character. Smith is a guy who would preferably play the background role. He is truly an introvert, but his lifestyle and experiences made him into what he is today (Will Smith Doc). He is a talented and wise guy. Even though Smith and Will’s personality differs, they both still stand up for what they believe in. Smith being the father of three kids, is faced with many critics. These critics often question the methods of how he raises his children. He teaches his children to stand for what they believe in as well. To do what makes them happy in life, and be the best at it. Though his children take standing up to the extremes, he is still there supporting them every step of the way (Robinson). He credits his parents on implanting morals that have made him the man he is today.

Will and Smith will seem to be identical from the outside looking in. Both are very passionate, fun-loving, and adored. They an intellectual and creative in ways that capture one’s attention. From the inside looking out you are able to dissect the difference between the two internally. Will is the same inside and out, but the Smith has a different approach to life. Smith always set goals and had a deeper respect for the things life thrown his way. Whether it’s having to spend the day with Will or Smith, you’ll always enjoy their presence.