Will Smith

Will Smith

Willard Carroll Smith Jr was born in West Philadelphia on the 25th September 1968. His fame spans a wide range of fields having excelled as an actor, producer and rapper. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards and has won four Grammy Awards. Having first started his career as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince, he switched to TV in the hugely popular show; The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In the mid-1990’s Smith moved over to feature length films, taking part in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office. Some of his numerous blockbusters include: I,Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, I am Legend, Independence Day, Enemy of the State and Bad Boys II.

Engagement in Cultural Diplomacy

Humanitarian Causes

Will Smith and wife, Jada Pinket Smith, founded the Will and Jada Smith Foundation for the benefit of inner-city community development, youth educational projects and under-privileged children and families. The Foundation forms part of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers and has awarded a $15,000 grant to enable therapists to provide group sessions for children with eating and feeding disorders, among other things. Will Smith was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2009 for his “commitment to education, cultural diversity and social responsibility.”

Philanthropic Donations

In the year of 2008, Will and wife Jada Smith donated over $1.3 million dollars to a variety of donations. The biggest donation was made to Yesha Ministries of Philadelphia, the vast sum $250,000. He also donated $122,500 to the Church of Scientology.

Further Information

Humanitarian Award Speech

External Links

Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award