Will Smith has had one of the most remarkable and unexpected careers of any celebrity, and yet he managed to break it down in less than three minutes with Jimmy Fallon when they presented “The History of Will Smith.”
Of course, the only way to to do it right is to do it in rap, since that’s how Will launched his career. And it’s a love he’s returned to time and again, seemingly finding success every time.
With props throughout, Will talked about his early days with his best friend DJ Jazzy Jeff as they tried to make parents understand. “Then I was rapping just to make bus fare, then I moved in with my auntie and uncle in Bel-Air,” he rapped.
Of course, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” would launch Will into the next phase of his career: acting. “Six whole years I lived with the Banks, so if you can dance the Carlton, I still give thanks,” he rapped, busting out the iconic dance move with Fallon.
From there, they worked their way through his film career from its beginnings in action comedies like “Bad Boys,” “Indepenence Day” and “Men in Black,” before working their way through his eclectic body of work from dramatic works like “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness” to superhero fare like “Hitch” and “Suicide Squad,” and even his turn as Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin” remake.
But it wasn’t just Will’s filmography that mattered for this story of his life, because Will Smith is a world-renowned personality outside of his work, too. From mentions of wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s “Red Table Talk” to Will’s wild bucket list, including jumping from a helicopter, it seems like every aspect of who he is was covered.
We loved the use of props like movie posters and a red table to tell his story, but the funniest was the green-screen front brought out so they could visually recreate that skydiving moment that Will gifted himself for his 50th birthday.
This was easily one of the most fun autobiographies we’ve ever experienced, and a great primer to throw in the face of anyone who dares say they’re really not familiar with Will Smith.
And for super-fans of the rapper and actor, it’s a great reminder of just how much he’s done in his career and what an impact he’s made in multiple arenas of the entertainment sphere. And, for what it’s worth, he’s still got that killer flow.
Could we get some new Will Smith jams on the new “Bad Boys for Life” soundtrack? It’s been 15 years since he dropped an album (“Lost and Found”) so we’re long overdue. Let’s make it happen, Will, and you can even throw this gem on there as a bonus track.
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