Will Smith, who started his career as a music artist, was catapulted to fame with his breakthrough role in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was just the beginning of his on-screen career as he would go on to be one of the biggest names in the industry. However, his achievements were not merely a stroke of luck. In an interview on the Awards Chatter podcast, the Oscar winner shared the strategic approach he employed to select some of the biggest projects of his career.

Will Smith Wanted to be the Biggest Movie Star

In a 2015 interview with Awards Chatter Podcast, Hollywood star Will Smith shared that during the initial years of his acting career, he aspired to be the biggest movie star. He further shared that he worked with his manager, James Lassiter, and figured out a way to accomplish that.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
“I said to JL, ‘I want to be the biggest movie star in the world.’ And he said, ‘Okay. Well, let’s figure out what that means.’ And he went and got the top 10 movies of all time, the list of the top 10 movies of all time at the box office — top 10 box office successes — and we also looked at them, adjusted for inflation and views versus dollar value.”
The Emancipation star further shared that after going through everything and different variations, they were able to figure out the “center” of the biggest box office hits. Smith claimed that successful movies mostly had three elements, which included special effects, creatures, and a love story.

Independence Day
After their analysis, they started looking for movies that had these elements, and soon, he had his biggest box office hits, which at the time included Independence Day, Men in Black, and Hancock. The ranking has shifted as of 2023 however, with Aladdin, Independence Day, and Suicide Squad becoming the biggest hits of his career.

Will Smith Had Disappointments at Several Points in His Career

Although the actor had the formula for hit movies, things didn’t always go his way, as he shared on The Hollywood Reporter’s Actors Roundtable that he had had disappointments at several points throughout his Hollywood career.
Wild Wild West
“It’s funny because there have been disappointments, but every time I was disappointed, I came back with a newer, fresher attitude,” he shared. However, it has not been the same for his 1999 film Wild Wild West. Smith shared that following the huge success of Men in Balck, everyone was certain that his and Barry Sonnenfeld’s next collaboration would also be a hit.

However, the movie turned out to be a critical and commercial failure. “Everything is all ‘we can’t lose. We can’t lose.’ Then it’s like oh, tragedy!” he shared. While things have gotten a bit rocky after the 2022 Oscars, the actor still holds the position as one of the most bankable stars. He has also shared his exciting future plans, as he revealed that he is planning a fourth installment in the Bad Boys film series.