Page 67 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

Bad Boys and Alien Invaders
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without him. Television is a business, and Smith knew his
decision would hurt his costars and the crew. When the show
ended, they would be out of work. However, from an artistic
standpoint, Smith felt The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air had gone
about as far as it could go. It seemed as if all the storylines
had already been done. The show was starting to get stale.
Only twenty years old when the series premiered,
Smith was now twenty-six. His character had spent six
years living in Bel-Air. He did not think he could continue
to realistically play a young man who did not fit in. Smith
was no longer the Fresh Prince. From now on, he would
use his real name, Will Smith.
After his success in Bad Boys, Smith had become an
actor in demand. Not only is he talented; but he attracts
fans of different races and age groups. To movie producers,
popular actors are reliable moneymakers.
After playing a con artist and a police officer in his two
previous movies, Smith was ready for another challenge.
He was delighted to be asked to play a lead in a science
fictionmovie to be titled IndependenceDay. It was something
he had always wanted to do.
Independence Day is another good-versus-evil movie.
Aliens invade the earth, causing death and destruction.
It is up to a handful of heroes to save the planet: the
president of the United States, played by Bill Pullman; a
brainy computer nerd, played by Jeff Goldblum; and a
pilot from the United States Marine Corps, played by
Will Smith.