Will Smith

Born Willard Carroll Smith II in Philadelphia. His father owns a refrigeration company. His mother works for the school board. He grows up in Wynnefield, a middle-class neighborhood. His SAT scores are high enough for MIT. He doesn't apply.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince win the first Grammy ever awarded for Best Rap Performance, for "Parents Just Don't Understand." They boycott the ceremony because the award isn't televised. Smith is 20 and already broke. He'd earned his first million at 18, spent it all, and owes the IRS .8 million.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premieres on NBC. He's playing a fictionalized version of himself: a West Philly kid sent to live with wealthy relatives in Bel-Air. The show runs for six seasons, 148 episodes. His IRS debt is repaid by season two.

Independence Day grosses million worldwide. He punches an alien and says, "Welcome to Earth." The following year, Men in Black makes million. He becomes the most bankable star on the planet for a decade. Studios will greenlight anything with his name attached.

Stars as Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's Ali. He trains for a year, gains 35 pounds of muscle, and learns to box left-handed. Earns his first Academy Award nomination. Ali's daughter Laila says watching Smith makes her feel like she's watching her father.

Hitch grosses $370 million worldwide. He is the most bankable star in Hollywood. Three consecutive films topping $100 million domestically. No one opens a movie bigger. He turns down the role of Neo in The Matrix.

The Pursuit of Happyness. He plays Chris Gardner, a homeless single father who interns at Dean Witter while sleeping in a subway bathroom with his five-year-old son. His real son Jaden plays the boy. Second Oscar nomination.

Starts a YouTube channel. A 50-year-old movie star competing with teenagers for views. Bungee jumps out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon for his 50th birthday. The video gets 30 million views.

Wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for King Richard. Twelve minutes earlier, he walks onstage during the live telecast and slaps presenter Chris Rock across the face after Rock makes a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. The room goes silent. Smith returns to his seat. He accepts the award in tears. He is banned from the ceremony for ten years. The slap is viewed 100 million times in 24 hours.

Returns to music with Bad Boys: Ride or Die earning over million worldwide. Releases his first album in 19 years. The comeback is cautious and controlled. He films everything for social media. The public is still deciding what to make of him.