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Born Willard Christopher Smith to Caroline, a school administrator for the Philadelphia School Board and Willard Christopher Smith Sr, a refrigeration engineer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Born Willard Christopher Smith to Caroline, a school administrator for the Philadelphia School Board and Willard Christopher Smith Sr, a refrigeration engineer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Influenced by hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash, Smith begins rapping. At Overbrook High School he is given the nickname Prince, which eventually becomes Fresh Prince.
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Meets Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff) at a party and begins collaborating with him under the name of Fresh Prince.
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D. J. Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance for Parents Just Don’t Understand
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Wins the title role in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
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Stars in Bad Boys with Martin Lawrence
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Stars in Independence Day.
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The Fresh Prince of Bel Air TV show comes to an end.
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Smith’s first solo album, Big Willie Style, is released
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Following the success of Independence Day and Men in Black, Smith now commands $12.5 million per picture.
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Marries actress Jada Pinkett.
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Turns down the role of Neo in the Wachowski Brothers’ The Matrix to star in The Wild, Wild West.
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Smith’s first child with Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre, is born
