Will Smithis truly a jack-of-all-trades in the entertainment industry; he’s a highly-revered actor, talented rapper, and visionary film producer. His impressive career can be traced back to the mid-1980s, when he was one-half of a talented hip-hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff. The music sensations released five joint studio albums and created hit songs like the classics “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.”
Smith made a transition to acting when he appeared as a fictionalized self-portrayal on thebeloved ‘90s sitcomThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.The mega-hit series launched the performer to wider fame attracted audiences around the world, and served as a stepping stone for a remarkable and diverse film career.
Smith is not afraid to embrace a wide variety of roles, having starred in critically acclaimed dramas likeSix Degrees of SeparationandThe Pursuit of Happyness,as boxing legend Muhammad Ali in the biopicAli,the romantic comedyHitch,and of course in a string of memorable actioncomedies starting back withBad Boysin 1995. The decorated and renowned performer has earned four Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award and is likely to continue winning prestigious accolades. His films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally at the box office, proving he is truly a force to be reckoned with. These are the best Will Smith movies, ranked.
Update June 28, 2025: This article has been updated with even more of Will Smith’s best movies and where you may stream each title.
10Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
For the 1993 Fred Schepsi dramedySix Degrees of Separation,Will Smith joined acting greats Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland, and Ian McKellen, portraying the skillful con artist Paul, who attaches himself to an affluent New York City Couple (Channing and Sutherland). Adapted from John Guare’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, the drama centers on the esteemed Ouisa and Flan Kittredge as they battle to shake the compelling yet intrusive con man, an act that proves difficult to achieve.
Method Acting Gone Too Far?
Despite a lukewarm box office response, critics praised the picture and its talented leads, with Channing earning both an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination. Smith revealed in his memoir that he got so into the role of Paul that his dedicationto method actingcaused him to briefly fall in love with Channing during filming, causing a severe strain on his new marriage. While mostly a forgotten part of Smith’s filmography, it was an important one in his career and showed he was willing to take chances.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
9Aladdin (2019)
Successfully giving a beloved Disney classic the live-action film treatment is no easy feat, and it’s an even tougher task to take on a role that thelate and great Robin Williamsmade famous. And yet, both Guy Ritchie and Will Smith rose to the occasion and delivered a worthy adaptation of the 1992 original masterpiece, with Smith headlining the big screen extravaganza and dazzling audiences as the wise-cracking Genie. The 2019 fantasy musical Aladdin features Mena Massoud as the titular street urchin whose luck and life take a drastic turn for the better after he stumbles upon a magical lamp and genie who grants him three wishes.
An Intimidating Yet Fruitful Endeavor
Smith had admitted that he was “terrified” to take over the role of the Genie after Williams so spectacularly made the character his own, and he set out to give the comical role his own unique spin butstill found that"[he] found a lane that pays homage." Despite his initial intimidation, Smith’s vivacious and refreshing performance as his performance as the Genie received rave reviews andAladdinwent on to gross a whopping $1.054 billion at the box office, with its dazzling reception leading to Disney announcing a sequel was in development. After a series of disappointments likeAfter Earth, Collateral Beauty,andBright,Aladdinwas just the boost Smith’s career needed and reminded audiences of why they loved him in the first place.Stream onDisney+
8Hitch (2005)
The 2005 romantic comedyHitchstars Will Smith as date doctor Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, a man who makes a living teaching men how to successfully woo women. When the smooth-talking Hitch falls for the cynical columnist Sara Melas, he discovers that his seemingly foolproof game doesn’t work on the writer. The film co-stars Eva Mendes as Sara and Kevin James as the shy accountant Albert, whom Hitch takes on as a client.
Smith Radiates Charisma
Will Smith serves up some major charm and humor for the rom-com flick, which was a hit with audiences and raked in over $350 million.The Herald Sunpraised the actorfor taking on the role, proclaiming, “Will Smith’s first-ever rom-com. Needless to say, the versatile star was up to the job at the first time of asking.” The romantic comedy genre isoften lacking in diversity, and that’s what makesHitchsuch a knockout for moviegoers: its leads are an African American and Cuban-American, and it is refreshing for audiences to see a powerful interracial couple.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
7I Am Legend (2007)
The 2007 post-apocalyptic thrillerI Am Legendis loosely based on the Richard Matheson novel of the same name and follows US Army Virologist Robert Neville as he is seemingly the last human left in New York City, and must battle for survival against nocturnal cannibalistic mutants. After years of experiencing development hell, the project found new life in 2006with Smith signing onfor the lead role.
A Challenging Acting Endeavor
The star found the character of Neville to be one of his toughest acting challenges, due to the film’s dark tone and subject, and took the part becausehe felt it could be like“Gladiator[or]Forrest Gump—these are movies with wonderful, audience-pleasing elements, but also uncompromised artistic value. [This] always felt like it had those possibilities to me.” To prepare for the thriller, Smith visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia and met with a person who had been in solitary confinement as well as a prisoner of war.I Am Legendwas a critical and commercial hit that further cemented the actor’s status as a box office draw and is a surprisingly tender and melancholy story about a man (and his beloved dog) dealing with grief and isolation. In 2022, it was revealed that asequel was currently in development, with Smith set to return, with Michael B. Jordan also confirmed to have a starring role.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
Related:These Movie Characters Love Their Pet(s) More Than They Do Any Human
6Ali (2001)
Michael Mann’s 2001biographical sports dramaAlifocuses on the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali over a ten-year period between 1964 and 1974, highlighting his many triumphs and controversies from his banishment from boxing to his iconic return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971. To prepare for the epic role, Will Smith spent a year learning about the famed athlete’s life, and spent up to seven hours a day training to box, along with studying the Islamic faith.
A Knockout Performance
Production favored the use of actual boxing for the film as opposed to ‘Hollywood fighting;’ all the boxers in the film are current or former heavyweight champion-caliber fighters and were instructed to hit Smith as hard as they could so long as they didn’t knock him out.Alialso stars Jamie Foxx and Jon Voight, with the latter and Smith earning Academy Award nominations for their portrayals. For his powerhouse performance, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor.Rent/Buy onApple TV+
Comedic dream team Will Smith and Martin Lawrence joined forces for the 1995 buddy cop action farceBad Boys,in Michael Bay’s directorial debut. The hilarious comedy follows two Miami narcotics detectives, Mike Lowrey, and Marcus Burnett, as they protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room at their precinct.
A Comedy Dream Team
The energetic tone and off-the-charts chemistry between Smith and Lawrence helpedBad Boysbecome a commercial success and led to a cult-like following from fans. Bay wasn’t a fan of the script and encouraged the two funnymen to ad-lib and improvise when the cameras were rolling, resulting in plenty of side-splitting scenes. Smith is able to show off both his innate comedic chops and stunt-propelled action skills.Bad Boysspawned two successful sequels: 2003’sBad Boys IIand 2020’sBad Boys For Life. The latter became thehighest-grossing filmof the franchise and of 2020, and led to immediate plans for a fourth installment in the series, which is currently in the works.Stream onPrime Video
Related:Best Comedy Movie Trilogies of All Time
4The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Will Smith once again took on the biographical drama genre with 2006’sThe Pursuit of Happyness,telling the real-life story of businessman and motivational speaker Chris Gardner as he struggled with homelessness and raising his son in the early 1980s. The tender and deeply moving film features Smith as Gardner and co-stars hisreal life son Jaydenin his big-screen debut as Gardner’s son Christopher Jr.
Dynamic Father/Son Duo
When Smith nabbed the lead role, Chris Gardner initially thought it was miscast because the actor was best known for big blockbuster pictures; he later claimed his daughterbluntly told him, “If [Smith] can play Muhammad Ali, he can play you!” The movie star garnered widespread acclaim for his endearing portrayal of the struggling Gardner, receiving both an Academy and Golden Globe Award nomination.Rolling Stoneravedabout the actor’s performance, having commented, “Smith is on the march towards Oscar…[His] role needs gravity, smarts, charm, humor and soul that’s not synthetic. Smith brings it. He’s the real deal.”Stream onPeacock
3King Richard
Centering on the life of Richard Williams, father, and coach of famed tennis titans Venus and Serena Williams, 2021’s biographical dramaKing Richardstars Will Smith in the title role and includes the additional talents of Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, and Jon Bernthal, among others. Smith produced the drama, and when the pandemic caused Warner Bros. to releaseKing Richardon HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously, he personally wrote “checks to the cast” to compensate for his fellow actors' loss of earnings. The film won Smith both the Golden Globe Award and Oscar for Best Actor.
King RichardEarned Smith His Oscar
Smith delivered a scene-stealing performance as the passionate Richard Williams andBaltimore Magazinedeclared, “Williams is a larger-than-life character who just so happens to be real, and Smith embodies his underdog, combative, indefatigable spirit to perfection.” While much of the discussion around the performance has since been overshadowed by the slap at the Academy Awards, the performance was a great showcase of Smith’s entire career and stands on its own.Stream onMax
2Independence Day (1996)
Centering on a diverse group of people who assemble in the Nevada desert in the aftermath of a worldwide attack by destructive aliens, 1996’s blockbuster sci-fi action flickIndependence Daystars Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum as mankind’s last hope. Director Roland Emmerich wanted Smith to headline the epic picture after seeing his strong performance inSix Degrees of Separation;Ethan Hawke was originally offered the role but turned it down because hethought the script was terrible.
Smith Become a Bonafide Leading Man
Smith memorably portrays family man Captain Steven Hiller, a Marine F/A-18 pilot who rises to action to protect his beloved planet from the menacing extraterrestrials.Independence Daywent on to become the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and was anunexpected star-making role for Smith, certifying him as a prime box office draw and cementing his movie star status.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
1Men in Black (1997)
Barry Sonnefield’s 1997 sci-fi action comedyMen in Blackstars Hollywood greats Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as Agent K and Agent J, two members of a secret organization called the Men in Black who supervise and hide extraterrestrial lifeforms living on Earth. Smith portrays a newly recruited former NYPD detective who is mentored by the gruff and humorless Agent K, and their charismatic on-screen chemistry and conflicting personalities made the film a knockout hit.
Smith & Jones Are Cinematic Gold
Smith was partially cast because Sonnefied’s wife was a massive fan ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air;when executive producer Stephen Spielberg called him to discuss the project, the actor didn’t believe at first that it was really him.Men in Blackwas a slam dunk with moviegoers and critics alike, earning over $500 million at the box office and receiving praise for its script, visuals, and delightful performances by Jones and Smith. The beloved sci-fi flick led to two lucrative direct sequels: 2002’sMen in Black IIand 2012’sMen in Black 3, along with the more recentMen in Black: International, but Smith’s absence from that film was palpable, and without the renaissance man’s acting,it fizzled out.Rent onApple TV+
