Will Smith is a worldwide recognized actor and musician, although he stuck longer with his movie career. Over the years, he has made a name for himself in different industries, that makes him a force to be reckoned with.

The father-of-two has done well for himself and grossed over $350 million in net worth. 

Although he always had the skills and knowledge to see his career through, he also listened to an advice from his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr. at a young age. 

Read below for more information.

Smith was born into the family of a U.S. Air Force veteran, Willard Carroll Smith Sr. and school board administrator, Caroline Bright. 

His father, also worked as a refrigeration engineer after his time in the U.S. and raised his kids in Philadelphia. 

Smith was also raised as a Baptist with three other siblings; an older sister and two younger ones. Smith was a student of a Catholic elementary school, Our Lady of Lourdes and moved on to Overbrook High School. After his graduation, he decided that he ‘wanted rap.’

Smith always wanted to be a rapper and after his High School education, he decided that he would not continue to college. 

Although his music career was short-lived, he still had his music break and recorded chart-topping tracks. In 1997, he kicked off his solo music career with a theme song in the movie titled “Men In Black.”

Along the line, Smith finished his debut solo album titled “Big Willie Style,” and this album recorded at top ten of the US Billboard 200. 

Many people would say that Smith’s music and movie careers are intertwined, and that’s not false. While the “Bad Boys For Life” actor was making waves in Hollywood, he did not leave behind his music career. 

However, as time went on, the actor decided to focus more on movies, than his music. 

Smith kicked off his acting career with incredible roles in movies like “Degrees of Separation” and “Bad Boys.” In 1998, he starred in “Enemy of the State,” alongside Gene Hackman. He was given a role in the popular series titled “The Matrix,” in 1999, but he turned down the job offer.

Smith’s movie career success story  began a long time ago, when he was growing up with his siblings. According to the actor, his dad gave him one advice while growing up that stuck with him for the rest of his life. 

“… Just concentrate and focus. If you do one thing well, everything else will come from that,” Smith Sr. said. 

Whether it was music or movie, Smith made sure that he followed his father’s advice to the latter. Sadly, Willard Carroll Smith Sr.  died after a long battle with cancer in 2016.