Here's how old Will Smith really was when he starred in HBO Max, the groundbreaking sitcom addressed heavy issues during its six-season run, and also introduced Smith into the mainstream. Nearly 25 years after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended, Smith remains a relevant cultural figure and one of the most successful movie stars of all time.
Will Smith is best known for starring in mid-1990s blockbusters like Men in Black; actions films that displayed his natural charisma and comedic timing. In the 21st century, however, Smith continued to evolve his craft with Oscar-nominated performances in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness. For many long-time fans, though, Smith will always be ed as one half of the hip-hop group DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - a west Philadelphia native who portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered in 1990, and at the time, Smith was approximately five years older than his character of the same name. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Will is 16 years old when he first arrives in California, whereas the real life Will was just two weeks short of his 22nd birthday when the series debuted. Being a teenager allowed viewers to watch Will grow up and mature, particularly through his relationships with his uncle, Phil (James Every), and his cousin, Carlton (Alfonso Ribiero).
When Bad Boys, a Michael Bay action film that featured two Black leads and raked in big money at the box office. After NBC refused to greenlight The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 7, Smith chose to leave the show for good instead of working with another network. The following year, he released his debut studio album, Big Willie Style, featuring the hits "Gettin' Jiggy wit It," "Just the Two of Us," and "Miami."
Smith has now entered his 50s and continues to land big movie roles. Despite the occasional misfires, he's starred in major box office hits like Bad Boys for Life. With a starring role as Venus and Serena Williams' father in the feature King Richard, Smith will further strengthen his cinematic legacy a full-quarter century after leaving The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
