Will Smith's Real Name: Willard Carroll Smith Jr.

Quick answer: Will Smith's real name is Willard Carroll Smith Jr. "Will" is short for Willard. He was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia. He first became famous as rapper the Fresh Prince, then starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and blockbusters like Independence Day and Men in Black. He won the best actor Oscar for King Richard (2021) (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica's quick facts say "Will Smith" is the byname of Willard Carroll Smith, Jr. The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Smith, Will, 1968-," with the variant "Smith, Willard, 1968-." One LOC citation reads "Willard C. (Will) Smith, Jr.; b. Sept. 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pa.; Fresh Prince." LOC also records one publisher's data sheet giving the middle name as "Christopher." Most references, including Britannica, use Carroll. Some databases style him "Willard Carroll Smith II," but Jr. is the form Britannica and LOC use.

Britannica says he was nicknamed "Prince Charming" in high school and adapted it to "Fresh Prince" for a more hip-hop sound. In 1981 he met DJ Jeffrey Townes, and as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince they released "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble" in 1986. "Parents Just Don't Understand" (1988) won the first Grammy ever presented for rap performance.

Career highlights

NBC's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–96) was loosely based on his persona and ran six seasons, ending at his request. His first leading film role was Six Degrees of Separation (1993). Bad Boys (1995) proved his box-office power, and Independence Day (1996) was that year's top-grossing film. Men in Black (1997) brought a Grammy-winning title song, and his solo album Big Willie Style included "Gettin' Jiggy wit It."

Oscar nominations followed for Ali (2001), in which he played Muhammad Ali, and for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Other hits included Enemy of the State, I, Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend, and Hancock. Later he appeared in Concussion (2015), Suicide Squad (2016), and Aladdin (2019), in which he played the genie, and in Bad Boys for Life (2020).

As Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, in King Richard, he won the 2022 best actor Oscar. Britannica notes the win was partly overshadowed when he walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith later apologized. His memoir, Will, written with Mark Manson, appeared in 2021.

Name notes for searchers

Willard is his legal first name, and Will is the short form he uses. Carroll is his middle name, and he is a junior, named after his father. "The Fresh Prince" is his rap name, taken from his high school nickname.