Chris Nickson - Will Smith

Table of Contents

INEVITABLY, it would be impossible for me to complete a book without huge thanks to a remarkable agent, Madeleine Morel. On this project, Im also grateful to John Rounds, a wonderful editor, for his faith and his prowess.

There are also large numbers of people whose support, in one way or another, helps me through. First and foremost, Linda and Graham, whose love is a rock for me, and who makes sure I actually have the time to write. Mike Murtagh, Dennis Wilken, Jonathon and Judy Savill, Paul Clark, Bob and Florence Hornbergthe friendship they all offer is felt, and appreciated. And credit must go to two more people, my parents, Ray and Betty Nickson, who gave me the impetus and encouragement to write in the first place.

Stephanie Ogle at Cinema Books in Seattle is one of the worlds great resources for anything to do with film. She is not only a fount of knowledge unto herself, but she also has a seemingly endless stock of literature that proved very useful. And the helpful people at both Seattle and King County libraries deserve a word of praise, too.

As to source material, the following proved invaluable during my research: How Will Smith Crossed Over from Hit Rapper to Hot Actor, in Jet , January 27, 1997. Can Mr. Smith Save The World? by Kimm Cunningham, People , July 15, 1996; Will Smith Stars as Marine Pilot in Action-Thriller Independence Day ,; in Jet , July 1, 1996.Will and Martin, Vibe , April 1995. Box Office Prince, by Allison Samuels and Karen Schoemer, New-sweek , July 22, 1996. Martin Lawrence, Will Smith Star in Hot Movie Bad Boys , in Jet , May 1 1995. Six Degrees of Trepidation, by Geoff Gordon, The Advocate , February 8, 1994. Can Will Smith Play on Park Avenue? by Meredith Berkman, Entertainment Weekly , December 24, 1993. Will Smith by Michael Segell, Cosmopolitan , October 1993. Will Smith Uses Christmas Show Jet . Phillys Flip, Hip Will Smith Takes on Hollywood as TVs Fresh Prince, by Jeannie Park, People , September 24, 1990. No Nightmares for DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, by Jeffrey Ressner, Rolling Stone 1989. Rap Star Finds TV Fame as Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Jet , 1990. Will Smith, by Mary Murphy, TV Guide , September 29, 1990. RapnRhyme with the Prince of Prime Time, by Mary Murphy, TV Guide , October 13, 1990. Will Power: From Fresh Prince to Hollywood Royalty, by Jessica Shaw, Entertainment Weekly, June 20, 1997. Mister Smith Goes to Stardom, by Gregory Cerio, People , July 22, 1996. Will Smith Settles Down and Gets Real, by Gordon Dillow, TV Guide , January 28, 1993. Will Power, by Cindy Pearlman, Cinescape , November/December, 1996. Angels on Her Shoulders, by Dennis Henslet, Movieline , December 1996. Making Superstardom and Love Work, by Lynn Norment, Ebony , September 1997. Iron Will, by Stephen Rebello, Premiere (UK), August 1997. Smith and Jones, by Rupert Howe, Neon , August 1997. Will Smith Saves the Planet, by Gerri Hirshey, GQ , June 1997. Will Smith, by Lynn Norment, Ebony August 1996. The Futures Bright, the Futures Black, by Anwar Brett, Film Review , September 1997. Mr. Jones, I Presume, by Susan Granger, Film Review Special , 1997. Alias Smith and Jones, by Nigel Floyd, SFX , August 1997. Smith & Jones, by David Eimer, Total Film , September 1997. Mr. Smith Takes a Bride by Alex Tresniowski, Jennifer Mendelsohn, Gerald Burstyn, Tom Cunneff, Craig Tomashoff,and Jennifer Longley, People , January 19, 1998. The Thinking Womans Actress by bell hooks, Essence , March 1998. The Fresh King, by Mike Sager, Vibe , September, 1998.

NINETEEN-SIXTY-EIGHT was a pivotal year for race relations in America. The previous couple of years had seen tensions mount into riots at various points across the countryWatts in 1965, Detroit in 67. The Civil Rights Act might have become legislation, but words didnt seem to have made much difference in the way blacks were treated across the U.S.

The Black Panthers, feared or revered depending on your viewpoint and color, organized themselves to help the ghetto communities in whatever ways they felt necessary, and 1968 showed them to be strong and fearless. And down in Mexico City, black American athletes gave the raised fist Panther salute while being awarded their medals. Politics had entered sport in a controversial way.

The war in Vietnam raged more strongly than ever, even as peace marchers demonstrated against it. The first flowering of the hippie culture might have died, but its legacy was influencing a generation across the Western hemisphere. Caught between hatred and war and love and peace, the world was becoming a far more complex place in which to live than it had been just a decade before.

Some, though, just got on with their lives, doing what they could, concentrating on work and family, letting much of what was going on in the outside world pass them by. Willard Smith and his wife Caroline were like that. They were hardly blind to what was going onthey couldnt ignore it, since it was all over the newspapers and televisionbut they had other things on their minds in 1968.

Phildadelphia was one of those cities whose inner city seemed like a powder keg waiting to blow at the timeit was volatile and occasionally violent. But in the Winfield neighborhood in the southwest of the city where the Smiths lived, things were calmer. It was made up of middle-class black families who still had to get up for work every day. The row houses were kept neat. These were people whod managed to make something of themselves, and were proud of it. They didnt want a revolution, just a paycheck.