It’s always fascinating to look back on the humble beginnings of someone likeIndependence Day’s Will Smith, who went on to become a colossal star. Whether it comes from learning about Jon Bon Jovi’s first job selling newspapers or the always important information that Margot Robbie used to work at Subway (and was darn good at it, if she does say so herself), these little nuggets of knowledge give fans an endlessly interesting look into the lives and personalities of their favorite celebrities.
So it’s naturally going to be pretty fun for many people to find out something new about Smith during the days whenFresh Princewas his biggest claim to fame. While the still beloved sitcom earned Smith a great deal of recognition and clout, it wasn’t until he starred in the original 1996Independence Dayfilm from20th Century Foxthat he seemed to shoot up into superstardom virtually overnight. But when did he himself first get the notion that things were about to get big for him?
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It turns out that lightbulb moment came courtesy of a phone call from Smith’s father in response toIndependence Day’s box office statistics, and he found it pretty funny in hindsight. The humor primarily came from the time difference due to Smith being far away from his hometown of Philadelphia, PA at the time, rather than from some hilarious family hijinks onewould see onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “When the box office receipts came out, my father was in Philly,” Smith said during a recent speaking tour promoting his upcoming memoirWill. “So it’s 6 a.m. in Philly, and he had seen thatIndependence Dayhad broken all these box office records. So I pick up the phone, ‘Hello,’ and he said, ‘HEY! Did you see these numbers?’ And I said, ‘No, Dad, I didn’t see these numbers. It’s 3 o’clock in the morning.'”
Smith’s dad, Willard Smith Sr., was reacting to a surprise surge due toIndependence Daybeing released a day earlier than originally planned. Audiences were clamoring to see the film to the point where the last-minute decision was made to move the premiere up, and it seems like that was the right call (unlikeWild Wild West, another of Smith’s movies that he still hates to this day). Smith Sr. went on to rave about how big his son was clearly about to become, and he didn’t mince words. “Remember when I told you there ain’t no such thing as luck, only what you make?” he continued. “Remember I told you there ain’t no such thing as luck, luck is when opportunity meets preparation, you remember I told you that? … Man, that’s a bunch of bull****, because you’re the luckiest mother******.”
The elder Smith’s bluntness may offer a bit of background into why Smith the younger seems to hold his own air of sincerity both on-screen and off. FromBad Boysall the way toMen In Blackand beyond, there’s a certain appeal to the star that keeps bringing fans back. Of course, the same can be said for many actors. But Smith possesses a very specific quality that very few have been able to emulate.
His dad may not be the only reason for that, but he’s certainly one big part of it, at least if the story can be believed. Here’s hoping that vibe stays strong. The world needs that sort of charm, at least in its movies.
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