A television reporter holding a microphone.

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media (newspapers and magazines), electronic media (television, radio, documentary film), and digital media (such as online journalism). Reporters cultivate sources, conduct interviews, engage in research, and make reports. The information-gathering part of a journalist's job is sometimes called "reporting," in contrast to the production part of the job such as writing articles. Reporters may split their time between working in a newsroom and going out to witness events or interview people. Reporters may be assigned a specific beat or area of coverage.

Depending on the context, the term journalist may include various types of editors, editorial writers, columnists, and visual journalists, such as photojournalists (journalists who use the medium of photography).

Journalism has developed a variety of ethics and standards. While objectivity and a lack of bias are often considered important, some types of journalism, such as advocacy journalism, intentionally adopt a non-objective viewpoint.

Salaries and job outlook[link]

The Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia has conducted its Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates since 1997. According to its 2009 survey, the median salary earned by holders of either bachelor's or master's degrees in journalism and mass communication from colleges and universities in the United States (including Puerto Rico) entering the full-time job market in 2009 with $30,000. This was the same amount as in 2006, 2007, and 2008.^[1]

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, "employment of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents is expected to decline 6 percent between 2008 and 2018."^[2] The Occupational Outlook Handbook report that the median annual wage for news analysts, reporters, and correspondents in the United States was $34,850 in May 2008, with the middle 50 percent earning between $25,760 and $52,160, and the bottom and top 10 percent earning less than $20,180 and more than $77,480, respectively. Median annual wages for reporters and correspondents were $33,430 in "newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing" and $37,710 in "radio and television broadcasting."^[2]

Journalistic freedom[link]

Journalists may expose themselves to danger, particularly when reporting in areas of armed conflict or in states that do not respect the freedom of the press. Organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders publish reports on press freedom and advocate for journalistic freedom. As of November 2011, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that, 887 journalists have been killed worldwide since 1992 by murder (71 percent), crossfire or combat (17 percent), or on dangerous assignment (12 percent). The "ten deadliest countries" for journalists since 1992 have been Iraq (151 deaths), Philippines (72), United States (61), Algeria (60), Russia (52), Colombia (43), Pakistan (41), Somalia (35), India (27), and Mexico (27).^[3]

The Committee to Protect Journalists also reports that as of December 1, 2010, 145 journalists are jailed worldwide for journalistic activities. The countries with the ten countries largest number of currently-imprisoned journalists are China (34 imprisoned), Iran (34), Eritrea (17), Burma (13), Uzbekistan (six), Vietnam (five), Cuba (four), Ethiopia (four), Turkey (four), and Sudan (three).^[4]

See also[link]

Journalism portal

• Critic
• War correspondent
• 24-hour television news channels
• 24-hour news cycle
• Broadcast journalism
• Electronic field production (EFP)
• Electronic news-gathering (ENG)
• List of ITV journalists and newsreaders
• Local news
• News broadcasting
• News presenter
• News program
• Newsroom
• Outside broadcasting
• Student newspaper

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Fowler, Nathaniel Clark. (1913). The Handbook of Journalism: All about Newspaper Work.--Facts and Information of Vital Moment to the Journalist and to All who Would Enter this Calling. New York: Sully and Kleinteich.
• Huffman, James L. (2003). A Yankee in Meiji Japan: The Crusading Journalist. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. 10-ISBN 0-7425-2621-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-7425-2621-1
• Randall, David. (2000). The Universal Journalist. Sterling Virginia: Pluto Press. 10-ISBN 0-7453-1641-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-7453-1641-3; OCLC 43481682
• Stone, Ejijah Melville. (1921) Fifty Years a Journalist. New York: Doubleday, Page and Company. OCLC 1520155
• Woods, Donald. (1981). Asking for Trouble: Autobiography of a Banned Journalist. New York: Atheneum. 10-ISBN 0-689-11159-2; 13-ISBN 978-0-689-11159-4; OCLC 6864121

External links[link]

Look up journalist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Journalists

• Society of Professional Journalists

Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted^{[citation needed]} for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over Ricardo Arona. In the United States, he is known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jackson is the first person to unify any of the UFC and Pride FC championship belts, defeating Pride Fighting Championships Middleweight title holder Dan Henderson in 2007. Jackson is ranked as the #5 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog,^[1] MMAWeekly^[2] and Yahoo! Sports.^[3]

Jackson appeared for a second time as a coach on the reality series The Ultimate Fighter opposite Rashad Evans. They were scheduled to fight at UFC 107, but this bout was cancelled when Jackson took a movie role to play B. A. Baracus in The A-Team feature film.^[4][5][6] Jackson guest co-hosted WWE Raw on June 7, 2010, along with his A-Team co-stars Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley. Jackson refuted any doubts to whether acting was getting in the way of his fighting by saying, “I got a whole bunch of movies coming up, they ain’t got nothing to do with my day job,” he retorted at a UFC 135 kickoff presser on July 19, 2011. “I turn down movies all the time to fight. This is my day job fighting. This is what pays my bills and puts my kids through college and stuff."^[7]

Early life[link]

Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Jackson had his first taste of combat sports as a wrestler for Raleigh-Egypt High School, where his successful career included All-State honors. Originally, Jackson intended to pursue a career in professional wrestling after graduating high school, but ultimately extended his amateur career at the junior college level. After discovering mixed martial arts, Jackson trained in Las Vegas with BAMMA fighter Lewis Rumble.

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Early career[link]

Impressed by the success of other wrestlers in MMA, Jackson decided to try his own hand at the sport. Jackson built up an impressive record of 10 wins and 1 loss fighting for a variety of smaller scale American promotions, including King of the Cage, Gladiator Challenge and Dangerzone.

Pride Fighting Championships[link]

Japan's Pride organization in 2001 marketed Jackson as being a homeless person.^[8] Jackson, still a relatively unknown fighter, first was matched at Pride 15 against fellow wrestler and Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba, who was at that time Pride's most prominent domestic fighter.^[9] Jackson lost due to a rear naked choke from Sakuraba, but his performance opened the eyes of Pride's fan base and its executive office.

After beating pro-wrestler Alexander Otsuka in a fight for the Battlarts promotion, Jackson was invited back for Pride 17 where he scored a knockout victory over Otsuka's training partner, Yuki Ishikawa. In his next fight, Jackson was disqualified for a low blow against Daijiro Matsui.

Jackson then went on to defeat Masaaki Satake, Igor Vovchanchyn, Kevin Randleman and Mikhail Illoukhine in successive Pride bouts. He also made forays into kickboxing with a pair of victories over kickboxer Cyril Abidi, under K-1 rules.^{[citation needed]} The first kickboxing bout between Abidi and Jackson was on July 14, 2002. Many expected Jackson's wild style of striking would not translate into the K-1 ring, thinking he would be outclassed by such a schooled and disciplined striker as Abidi.^[10] Instead, Jackson overwhelmed Abidi from the opening bell, and knocked him down less than a minute into the bout. Jackson then scored a hard underhand right to the chin of Abidi, knocking him out only 1:55 into the very first round.

Later in the year, Abidi wanted to prove that his loss to the undisciplined Jackson was nothing more than a fluke, and faced him on the New Year's Eve Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye card, again in a K-1 rules bout.^{[citation needed]} Jackson laid a lot of criticism to rest by once again defeating Abidi, this time not by early knockout, but via a clear decision.^{[citation needed]} It would be Jackson's last foray with kickboxing, as he returned to full-time MMA competition after his second win over Abidi.

Rivalry with Wanderlei Silva[link]

Around this time, Jackson began stating his intentions to capture the Pride Middleweight (205 lb/93 kg) title from Wanderlei Silva. In the opening round of Pride's 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix, Jackson won a split decision over Murilo Bustamante. Three months later, Jackson defeated UFC fighter Chuck Liddell in the tournament's semi-finals at Pride Final Conflict 2003 by corner stoppage, putting him in place to battle Silva in the tournament finals that night. Jackson fought for the championship against Silva in what was called Fight Of The Year by various MMA media.^[who?] After taking Wanderlei Silva down and bloodying him, a stand-up was called by the referee and Jackson was stopped with a series of heavy knees to the head, leading to a referee stoppage.

Jackson continued his Pride career with a TKO victory over Ikuhisa Minowa at Pride Shockwave 2003. He then faced Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2004 with the winner to face Wanderlei Silva. Late in the first round Arona caught Jackson in a triangle choke, Jackson immediately picked up Arona and slammed him into the canvas earning the KO win.

Prior to his rematch with Silva, the notoriously brash Jackson made headlines with the public announcement of his conversion to be a Christian. In the fight itself, Jackson floored Silva in the opening round and later scored a takedown which led to a series of knees and elbows at the end of the round. Jackson scored another takedown in the second round, but Silva escaped to his feet and proceeded to knock out Jackson with multiple undefended knee strikes to the head.

Jackson fought Silva again at UFC 92 winning by knockout when he caught Silva with a left hook to the head.

Final bouts with Pride Fighting Championships[link]

Jackson's next two bouts were against Silva's Chute Boxe training camp partners. He won a split decision over Murilo "Ninja" Rua, but fell to Rua's younger brother, Shogun Rua, via TKO soccer kicks to the head ^[11][12]

Soon after his loss to Shogun, Jackson was contacted by veteran boxing and MMA trainer Juanito Ibarra, who saw potential in Jackson's natural abilities but viewed his profane reputation as a downfall. After a short conversation, Jackson entrusted Ibarra, a fellow born again Christian, with the managerial and training direction of his career.

Jackson then defeated Hirotaka Yokoi via TKO at Pride 30. In his final fight for Pride he won a unanimous decision over Yoon Dong-Sik at Pride 31

After Pride[link]

On May 16, 2006, the World Fighting Alliance announced it had signed Jackson to a multi-fight deal. He defeated Matt Lindland by split decision at WFA: King of the Streets on July 22, 2006. "He is a good fighter", Jackson said. "I trained hard. He is an Olympic silver medalist. So much respect to him. I knew I had to bring it."^{[citation needed]} The match turned out to be a tough one for the Memphis native who got caught in guillotine choke holds twice. Jackson managed to get out both times, and slammed Lindland a few times before cutting the bridge of his nose with ground and pound on his way to the win.

UFC[link]

On December 11, 2006, Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, announced it had acquired select assets from the World Fighting Alliance, which ceased operations as part of their sales agreement. Jackson's WFA contract was one of the assets acquired.^[13]

In an interview on the UFC program Inside the UFC, Jackson said it was finally time for him to enter the organization, and that he had not before because of his friendship with UFC fighter Tito Ortiz.^[14] Jackson said that because Ortiz was one of the biggest stars in the UFC, and that both were fighters in the same weight class, he did not want to interfere.

Jackson made his UFC debut at UFC 67, where he knocked out Marvin Eastman,^[15] avenging an early career loss.^[16]

Winning the Light Heavyweight Championship[link]

At UFC 71 on May 26, 2007, Jackson faced UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell in a title rematch of their 2003 Pride bout. Approximately 90 seconds into the first round, Jackson caught Liddell with a right hook to the jaw that sent him down to the mat,^[17] where Jackson landed a few more clean shots on the ground before a referee stoppage at 1:53 seconds to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight title.^[18]

Jackson then defeated Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson at UFC 75,^[19] on September 8, 2007, in London, England via unanimous decision to unify the two organizations' titles.^[20]

[edit] The Ultimate Fighter 7

On December 9, 2007, it was announced by Dana White at Spike TV's Video Game Awards show that Jackson will be one of the two coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 7.^[21] At the conclusion of the season, Jackson fought the other coach and number one contender Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.^[22] During the show Jackson showed his temper after his fighters repeatedly lost to Team Forrest. Going into the semifinals, only two of Jackson's original fighters made the cut while Forrest had 6 of his fighters advance. In the finale Team Griffin's pick, Amir Sadollah beat Team Jackson's top fighter C.B. Dollaway via armbar in the first round.^[23]

On July 5, 2008, he fought Griffin for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 86 and lost a judges' decision. In the first round of the fight Jackson wobbled Griffin with two solid power punches, and soon after knocked Griffin down. Jackson's power proved to be problematic for Griffin as Jackson tagged him throughout the fight.^[24] In contrast, Griffin pushed the pace of the fight from start to finish and stayed much more aggressive than Jackson for most of the fight with multiple leg kicks and by mounting Quinton and landing elbows and punches to his head. In later rounds Jackson managed to take Griffin down twice and work his own ground game, almost executing his signature power bomb. Many took note as Jackson was showing obvious discomfort from the effects of the leg kicks. The next three rounds were described by Sherdog as "somewhat uneventful" with Jackson searching for the knockout punch while Griffin threw whatever he could with long jabs, leg and body kicks.^[24][25] Griffin was awarded a unanimous decision with the scores 46–48, 46–48 and 46–49 in what many considered an upset.^[26]

After the fight both Griffin and his coach Randy Couture expressed that they thought the fight was close,^[25] and Jackson's coach, Juanito Ibarra, had planned to protest the unanimous decision with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.^[26] However, after speaking with the commission about his complaint, he decided not to file because he was informed that even if the judges scores were changed to his satisfaction, the fight would still result in a victory for Griffin by a majority decision.^[27][28] Soon after the fight, Jackson fired his long time trainer/manager Ibarra.^[29] There were talks of an immediate rematch after the fight. Following the loss of his belt, Quinton was involved in a hit and run incident and a high speed police pursuit in Newport Beach, California, charges followed to which he would plead guilty.^[30]

Back to title contention[link]

Jackson began training for his next fight at UFC 92, which would be against Wanderlei Silva, the only man to defeat Jackson twice.^[31] Jackson avenged his previous defeats by knocking Silva out with a vicious left hook in the first round.^[32] The fight was notable for some controversy surrounding the conclusion of the match, as Jackson followed Silva to the ground with another three punches before referee Yves Lavigne called the fight. Yves was unsuccessful at protecting Silva from the second and third punches.^[33]

Jackson's next fight was against Keith Jardine at UFC 96 on March 7, 2009. It was announced before the fight that if Jackson won he would fight Rashad Evans for the Light Heavyweight Championship and if he lost Lyoto Machida would fight for the title instead. Jackson then won the fight by unanimous decision.^[34] Jackson was on track to get his title shot but lingering injuries kept him from fighting. Lyoto Machida received the title shot and Evans was expected to defend his belt as the main event instead; Jackson had stated he would like to fight Rashad, however, he suffered torn ligaments in his jaw that will require surgery and five weeks of no contact.^[35] Therefore, Lyoto Machida replaced Jackson, and Jackson was expected to fight the winner of the Machida vs. Evans bout, though that fight never came to fruition.^[36]

[edit] The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights

Production of the tenth series of The Ultimate Fighter reality series began in June 2009 with Jackson coaching opposite former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. The season, featuring 16 heavyweight competitors including internet street fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, the former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson and former NFL players, made its premiere on Spike TV on September 16 with the finale scheduled for December 5.

At the UFC 100 Fan Expo event in Las Vegas, July 2009

Retirement and return[link]

On September 22, 2009, Jackson wrote in a blog on his website that he was "done fighting", due to maltreatment by the UFC. On December 4, 2009, Jackson informed the community via his web blog that he would return to the UFC to finish his contract and wanted to fight Rashad Evans.^[37][38][39] At the UFC 107 press conference, Dana White stated that if Rashad Evans could defeat Thiago Silva at UFC 108, then a fight between Evans and Jackson would finally come to fruition.^[40]

Jackson was expected to finally face Rashad Evans at UFC 113,^[41] but the bout was scheduled for May 29, 2010, at UFC 114.^[42] UFC President Dana White had officially confirmed that the fight against Rashad Evans would determine who would challenge Mauricio Rua in his first UFC Light Heavyweight Title defense.^[43] Jackson ended up losing to Rashad Evans via unanimous decision. Jackson was tagged in the opening moments and spent the next two rounds being taken down before hurting Evans in the third, but was unable to finish him.

Return to title contention[link]

On March 24, 2010, Dana White announced that Jackson signed a new six fight contract with the UFC.^[44] Jackson's next fight was against former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 on November 20, 2010. At UFC 123, Jackson met Machida in the main event. Jackson went on to win by a controversial split decision. UFC president Dana White put all doubts to rest and supported the judges' decision, saying that Jackson won the first two rounds and no rematch would be needed.^[45]

Jackson was expected to face Thiago Silva but Silva had problems in his UFC 125 drug test and was replaced by Matt Hamill on May 28, 2011, at UFC 130.^[46] Jackson put on a dominant display, easily defending the decorated wrestler's takedowns and winning the striking exchanges. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Second title shot[link]

Jackson faced Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight title on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135.^[47] Jackson lost by submission in the fourth round after Jones applied a rear-naked choke. The loss marks the first time Jackson had been finished during his run in the UFC.

Post title shot[link]

Jackson faced Ryan Bader on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144. Jackson missed weight the Light Heavyweight weight allowance of 206 lbs by 5 lbs, weighing in at 211 lbs for UFC 144.^[48] He cited a training injury that preventing him from doing road work. Bader accepted the fight at catchweight and received 20% of Jackson's purse. Jackson lost the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Jackson recently tweeted that he's leaving the UFC after his loss to Ryan Bader^[49] He was planning to face former Pride rival, Shogun Rua as his last UFC fight, but opted to have double knee surgery. Who he will face in his last UFC fight is currently unknown.

Championships and accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• PRIDE Fighting Championships
  • 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix (Runner-up)
• Sherdog
  • 2007 Fighter of the Year ^[50]
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • One successful title defense
  • Unified UFC Light Heavyweight and PRIDE Middleweight Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Three times)
  • Knockout of the Night (Two times)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • 2004 Fight of the Year vs. Wanderlei Silva on October 31^[51]
  • 2008 Fight of the Year vs. Forrest Griffin on July 5^[51]
  • 2007 Most Outstanding Fighter ^[51]

Mixed martial arts record[link]

== Kickboxing record ==

2 Win (1 (T)KO, 1 Decision), 0 loss
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Method	Round	Time
2002-12-31	Win	Cyril Abidi	Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2002, Japan	Decision	3	3:00
2002-07-14	Win	Cyril Abidi	K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Fukuoka, Japan	KO (Punch)	1	1:55

Acting career[link]

Jackson has appeared in Confessions of a Pit Fighter, Miss March, Bad Guys and The Midnight Meat Train, as well as an episode of The King of Queens, @#!*% and Pimp My Ride. He starred in The A-Team^[52] and is also set to appear in Never Surrender, Duel of Legends, and Death Warrior. He appeared in the Nike commercial, "Human Chain". Jackson also appeared on WWE Monday Night Raw on June 7, 2010, as a guest host.

Film and television credits[link]

Personal life[link]

Jackson resides in Ladera Ranch, California and has four children: D'Angelo and Raja from previous relationships and Elijah and Naname Nakia Jackson with his wife, Yuki. All three boys have the middle name "Rampage" while Naname has just "'Page". Jackson's wife, Yuki, separated from him in 2006 after a paternity test proved that he had fathered a child, Raja, with another woman in 2000. Quinton and his wife have since reconciled.^[53][54]

Arrest[link]

On July 15, 2008, 10 days after losing his belt to Forrest Griffin, Jackson was arrested in Costa Mesa, California and booked on suspicion of felony reckless driving, and felony hit and run after striking several vehicles. He led pursuing officers on a chase while driving on the wrong side of the street and on city sidewalks in his lifted Ford F-350 with his picture painted on the side. During the chase one of the tires blew out on his truck and he continued to flee while driving on his rims. On July 18, 2008, UFC President Dana White gave an interview to Yahoo! Sports in which he said that Jackson had initially been detained for a 72 hour stay, but that had been extended. White was quoted as saying, "I think it's going to be a while before we get him back."^{[citation needed]} White also claimed that before the detainment, Jackson did not sleep for four days, had not been eating, and had only been drinking energy drinks and became mentally ill from dehydration. According to White, no drugs were found in Jackson's system.^[55]

Quinton Jackson was charged with one felony count of evading police while driving recklessly, one felony count of evading police and driving against traffic, three misdemeanor counts of hit and run with property damage, and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving when he nearly hit several pedestrians. Jackson faced up to 3 years in prison if convicted.^[56]

On August 28, 2008, Jackson pleaded not guilty to the all charges; however, on January 8, 2009, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of evading a police officer and driving against traffic and one misdemeanor count of driving recklessly as part of a plea agreement. A judge dismissed the charges against Jackson on January 8, 2010, citing that he had successfully completed 200 hours of community service and complied with other terms and conditions.^[57]

Holly Griggs is one of the victims in the above police chase. She filed a civil suit against Jackson alleging "the impact of her abdomen with the steering wheel caused her amniotic fluid membranes (bag of waters) to rupture, ultimately resulting in the stillbirth of her baby." She is asking for $25,000 in damages for "property damage, personal injury and emotional distress. Farrah Emami, Spokesperson for the DA's office said "We reviewed all the medical records and spoke with the victim's physician, and the evidence showed that the loss of the fetus was not related to or a result of the crash caused by the defendant".^[58]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Quinton Jackson

• Official website
• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on Myspace
• Professional MMA record for Quinton Jackson from Sherdog
• Official UFC Profile
• Quinton Jackson at the Internet Movie Database
• Yuki Jackson Biography

Will Smith
Smith in 2011
Born	Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. (1968-09-25) September 25, 1968 (age 43) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Other names	The Fresh Prince
Occupation	Actor, producer, rapper
Years active	1985–1993, 1997–2005 (rapping), 1990–present (acting)
Spouse	Sheree Zampino (m. 1992–1995) «start: (1992)–end+1: (1996)»"Marriage: Sheree Zampino to Will Smith" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Will_Smith) Jada Pinkett Smith (m. 1997) «start: (1997)»"Marriage: Jada Pinkett Smith to Will Smith" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Will_Smith)
Children	Trey Smith Jaden Smith Willow Smith
Website
www.willsmith.com

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968),^[1] also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood.^[2] Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.^[3]

Fourteen of the nineteen fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office.^[4] His most financially successful films have been Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, I Am Legend, Hancock, Wild Wild West, Enemy of the State, Shark Tale, Hitch and Seven Pounds. He also earned critical praise for his performances in Six Degrees of Separation, Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life[link]

Born and raised in the Wynnefield section of West Philadelphia, Smith also lived in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer.^[5][6] He was raised Baptist.^[7] His parents separated when he was thirteen,^[8] and did not actually divorce until around 2000.^[9]

It is untrue, though widely reported, that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to the school,^[10] although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there.^[9] According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."^[11]

Recording and acting career[link]

Smith at the Emmy Awards in 1993

Early work (1985–1995)[link]

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer,^[12] as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime".^[12] They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988).^[12]

Smith had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Persian Gulf War song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes.^[12] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.^[13] Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.^[12]

The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world," studying box office successes' common characteristics.^[8] His first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) which he starred opposite of Martin Lawrence.

Breakthrough (1996–2000)[link]

In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.^[14] He later struck gold again in the summer of 1997 alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the summer hit Men in Black playing Agent J. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.^[12]

He turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West (1999). Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved.^[15] Though in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West he stated that he "made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better."^[16]

2001–present[link]

Smith in September 2009

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span.^[17]

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.^[18]

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans.^[19] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews,^[20] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique".^[21] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood."^[22] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.^[23]

Smith is currently developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he will star as Taharqa.^[24]

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.^[25]

Men in Black III opened on May 25, 2012. In it, Smith will play Agent J for the third time, being one of his more popular earlier roles coincides with the fact that it will be his first major starring role in four years.

On August 19, 2011, it was announced^[26] that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to make a new album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game.

Smith and his son, Jaden, are currently filming After Earth, which is set for a 2013 release.

Personal life[link]

Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow

Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his involvement in the lives of his own children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us."^[27] Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us".

Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend. Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc.,^[28] a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden^[29] and Philadelphia.

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. He donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.^[30] On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, when Obama had won the prize.^[31]

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious"^[32][33] and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different."^[34] He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths."^[35]

Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [...] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel".^[36] Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy, which uses Study Technology, a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.^[37] Federal tax filing showed that Will Smith donated $1.2 million to the school in 2010.^[38]

In 2012 he expressed support for the legalizing of same-sex marriage, in an endorsement of president Barack Obama's declaration to adopt this stance on the issue.^[39]

Discography[link]

With DJ Jazzy Jeff[link]

• Rock the House (1987)
• He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988)
• And in This Corner... (1989)
• Homebase (1991)
• Code Red (1993)

Solo[link]

• Big Willie Style (1997)
• Willennium (1999)
• Born to Reign (2002)
• Lost and Found (2005)

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]