Ever since his breakout role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith has become a household name in the world of Hollywood. His acting ability ranges from comedic to dramatic, and these are our top 20 favorite Will Smith performances that showcase his acting ability the best.
20. Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West flopped…there’s no other way to put it. Despite Will Smith’s vocal brilliance on the soundtrack, it couldn’t save this movie from being overhyped, way longer than it needed to be, and weirdly corny with some of its character choices. The decision to pair Smith with Kevin Kline was also a weird one.
All the same, there’s a level of nostalgia here with the movie. The scenery is quite nice, and there are a number of Smith one-liners which will have you laughing even to this day.
19. Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad was a weird movie which had multiple delays and reshoots en route to its eventual release a few months later. Smith was part of an ensemble cast which featured a number of very big actors (Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jared Leto). Though the film did have its moments, it simply didn’t work — nor did it allow for Smith to show the range we’re all so accustomed to seeing from him.
In the movie he plays an assassin with parental responsibilities. This performance wasn’t Smith’s worst — though the tone surrounding the movie didn’t exactly make it the best performance, either.
18. Hancock
Hancock was ahead of its time as a superhero movie which centered around the antics of an antihero (in this case, Will’s titular character). The problem was, despite being an antihero, Smith’s character wasn’t all that well liked. The plot of the story was a bit drab, and Charlize Theron was tasked with carrying large chunks of the on-screen content.
There are themes of redemption, heart, and love in the film. However, we just wish the writing would’ve enabled Smith to explore even more of the character.
17. I, Robot
I, Robot was among the run of sci-fi movies that exploded during the first decade of the 2000’s. Taking place in the future, Smith’s character is a detective tasked with exploring a case involving a murder. As fate would have it, some suspected that the murderer in question was a robot.
During the time of the plot, robots and humans coexist peacefully among one another (for the most part). As we’ll soon learn, there’s more than meets the eye in this thriller.
16. Aladdin
The live action remake of Aladdin featured Smith portraying the affable Genie. Now, it was a tall task transforming a cartoon fictional Genie into a real-life version. Even more, Smith had to live up to the amazing voice performance given in the original by Robin Williams.
We applaud Smith for putting his own twist on the character. There was no way he could try and replicate the manic yet brilliant portrayal set forth by Williams. Instead, he gave the character a bit more of a natural feel. Ultimately, it worked well.
15. Focus
Focus certainly had an interesting plot to it. Essentially, this film is built upon the star power of Smith and Robbie. Each were con artists aiming to progress as far as they could in life. The wrinkle: Both realized that they needed one another to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Along the way, the two fell in love.
The reviews for this movie weren’t tremendous. However, Smith’s chemistry with Robbie was very apparent. It’s one of those movies that will likely be looked upon in a more positive light years from now compared to when it came out initially.
14. The Legend of Bagger Vance
Directed by Robert Redford, The Legend of Bagger Vance has Smith alongside fellow A-List leading man Matt Damon. Damon is a golfer who’s beset by the loss of a relationship, PTSD from warfare, and also alcoholism. Entering a local tournament — with a cash prize — Damon’s character is hoping he can win the money in order to help salvage his love affair with Charlize Theron’s character.
Along the way, Smith’s character (Bagger Vance) helps Damon overcome a number of personal obstacles as his caddy. Smith does a great job here, and even maintains the mystery surrounding this alluring figure.
13. Ali
It took a strong figure to take on the task of playing the gigantic personality that was Muhammad Ali. Not only did that actor have to possess the requisite charisma and charm, but they also had to demonstrate the physical characteristics in being a believable boxer. While the film did have its flaws, Smith did have a very strong performance.
He was able to capture Ali’s patented mannerisms/vocal rhythm quite well. He was dedicated in getting into great shape for the role. Without question, this is a good enough movie where it could be re-watched.
12. The Pursuit of Happyness
This was a special role for Smith, as he got to act alongside his youngest son, Jaden. The Pursuit of Happyness showcased Smith as a single dad. The trials and tribulations of everyday life are expanded even further when Smith’s on-screen wife left him.
Along with raising a child in the Bay Area, Smith’s character became homeless — struggling with debt and the inability to have a stable job. It’s not the most joyful movie in the world, though it did have a (spoilers!) happy ending.
11. Independence Day
“WELCOME TO EARTH!”
This movie was all over the place. We saw some crazy overacting from various characters. The CGI/special effects didn’t exactly hold up too well despite a gigantic budget. However, for all of the flaws for this hyped movie, it was during Independence Day where we knew Smith would become a movie star. It was immensely evident that he was ‘built for this’ when watching him on screen. We’re talking about his courage in taking down a fleet of alien spaceships virtually by himself. Duly, his scenes with Jeff Goldblum were both funny and touching.
10. Where The Day Takes You
This isn’t the type of movie which has brought a ton of notoriety to Smith’s career. The content of the film is dark and heavy, and it wasn’t one of those big-budget box office hits. Every actor dabbles in the world of indie filmmaking, and this is exactly that Where The Day Takes You is for Smith.
This happened to be Smith’s film debut. Plot-wise, he plays a disabled homeless man with no legs. It is a very difficult movie to watch in general, as it showcases a bunch of young people living on the streets of LA. As you can imagine, they’re constantly dealing with drug use and violence.
9. Hitch
Hitch is one of those mid-2000 comedies where you’ll see it on tv — and will invariably watch it from whatever point the movies at. Pairing Smith with Kevin James actually was a smart idea. The two played off of one another quite well, with Smith being James’ dating coach.
Though not a completely original story, the serial dater Smith ends up falling in love with a woman (Eva Mendes) seemingly not impressed by his charm (which usually works 9 out of 10 times). Without giving the entire story away, you’ll certainly want to stay tuned for the ending.
8. Enemy of the State
Piggybacking on the global success of Independence Day, Smith began being cast in a number of big-budget, action-thrillers. Enemy of the State is a who’s who of Hollywood talent. Along with Smith, it features Regina King, Barry Pepper, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, and longtime leading man Gene Hackman.
This movie had an inordinate amount of twists and turns, with Smith’s character involved with both Government officials and even members of the mafia. With all of the action and fast-paced tempo of the film, it still holds up roughly 20 years later.
7. I Am Legend
I am Legend was a film which inherently differs from many of Smith’s other films tonally. This was almost akin to watching Smith on a personal journey of grief, despair, desire, and triumph. As the film goes, this post-apocalyptic world has been overrun by zombies. A scientist, Smith is hoping to cure those who’ve been bitten by said zombies.
Along with his trusty German Shepherd, Smith must navigate the new world — all the while evading freakishly athletic zombies trying to attack him at the same time. You also see Smith’s ability to exude sorrow (as he lost his entire on-screen family during the film’s story).
6. Bad Boys Franchise
The subsequent Bad Boys sequels weren’t all that good. However, the original stands on its own as a true cinematic experience. It hits all of Smith’s high-points — illustrating his natural likability paired with comedic wit, physicality, and his leading man looks.
Veteran comedian Martin Lawrence is the perfect fit here as Smith’s sidekick. Quick with his quips, Lawrence’s background in the industry seamlessly fits with everything Smith brings to the table. In short, Lawrence and Smith have great chemistry with one another.
5. Six Degrees of Separation
During the height of his sitcom days, Smith wanted to break out and showcase his talents on an even larger scale. Essentially, there’s no bigger platform for an actor than on the silver screen. We got to see Smith banter back-and-forth with some big-name actors (Ian McKellen, Donald Sutherland, Stockard Channing).
Smith’s acting range was seen publicly for the first time. At this point (1993), most knew Smith as a rapper-turned-comedian. Few realized that he actually had legitimate acting chops. In this film, he played a mysterious figure with plenty of intrigue.
4. Men in Black
Picture Ghostbusters with more of a modern twist. This film was a gigantic blockbuster during the summer months in which it came out. By this point, Smith was arguably the biggest actor on the planet. His natural charisma popped off the screen in this pseudo-action/sci-fi film.
Of course, pairing with Tommy Lee Jones acted as a nice foil for the film’s pace. We saw Smith’s versatility in terms of comedy, dramatic acting, and physical prowess in this film where he’s tasked with solving crimes involving aliens of all types, shapes, and sizes.
3. The Slap Heard ‘Round The World
Well this certainly was something. Chris Rock — a presenter of an award at the Oscar’s — made a joke about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett. It specifically made reference to her haircut (which is a byproduct of a medical condition she has). While Will appeared to laugh at the joke initially, he ended up providing us with one of the most shocking moments in the history of the Oscars.
Smith calmly walked up to Rock on stage before whacking him in the face with an open-handed slap. He then proceeded to take his seat — only to scream at Rock to “Keep [Jada’s} name out of [Rock’s] f* mouth.” He said it twice as a shocked Rock tried to regain his composure. Whether it was staged or not (and it doesn’t appear as if it was), this was one of Smith’s most notable performances.
2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The fresh faced musician out of West Philadelphia took the pop culture world by storm. Smith’s role in Fresh Prince remains utterly iconic. He brought a real sense of ‘cool’ to network television. All the while, the sitcom broke barriers in a number of ways.
Whether it was Smith singing, acting, or dancing on screen, we have to admit that the charisma brought to the table was special. It helped Smith grow into the actor he is today, and the show — along with its theme song — is still as popular as ever.
1. King Richard
It’s hard to argue that this wasn’t Smith’s best performance. Portraying Richard Williams — the famous father of Venus and Serena — Smith was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor. We must separate his performance from the incident involving Rock.
This role was perfect for Smith. He channeled his paternal instincts brilliantly, and was able to convey some real maturity as an actor. This performance perhaps more than any other really shows the growth/maturity Smith cultivated dating back to when he first started out as an immensely talented yet green performer.