Page 66 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

Will Smith
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In real life, however, Smith and Pinkett worked together
just fine. After she was turned down for the role on Fresh
Prince, Jada and Will stayed in touch and became close
friends. Like Smith, Pinkett is fromtheEast Coast (Baltimore,
Maryland) and grew up in a middle-class family. Her father
was a contractor, and her mother was a nurse. As an actor,
she understands the long hours and dedication one must
put in to do the job. In Smith’s opinion, her understanding
of him goes far beyond their shared pursuit of a career in
acting. “She’s really insightful,” he has said. “It was exciting
and new for me to have questions I felt only she could
answer. I found myself disappointed when I couldn’t talk to
her, when it was late or she was working.”7
AfterWill and Jada’s friendship blossomed into romance,
she moved into his sprawling ranch house, nicknamed La
Hacienda (large estate). Unlike many actors, Smith had not
settled in Beverly Hills or Bel-Air. He thought it would be
better to raise a family away from the show business
community. La Hacienda is in the town of Thousand Oaks,
about twenty miles from Beverly Hills. The majority of his
neighbors do not work in show business.
On television, Smith was about to say farewell to Bel-Air.
The 1995–1996 season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would be
the show’s last. Smith’s prediction that he would do a second
hundred shows would fall far short. But he believed the time
was right for him to leave The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The decision was not easy. The show was built around
Will’s character, and it would be impossible for it to continue