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Will Smith is one of the most recognized actors in Hollywood. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star began his career as a rapper and then went on to star in his own sitcom. Smith graduated to the movies and had his breakout as an action star with films like Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black.
Smith’s son Jaden Smith has also made his mark as an actor and a musician. The Grammy-nominated rapper is probably best known for his role in 2010’s The Karate Kid, a loose remake of the original that starred Jackie Chan in the lead role. He has worked with his father, Will Smith, on multiple occasions. Here are the duo’s appearances ranked from worst to best.
3. After Earth
Will Smith and Jaden Smith in After Earth | Credits: Sony PicturesStarting with the father-son duo’s last appearance on the big screen together (Will Smith’s vlogs do not count), M. Night Shyamalan’s After Earth was his follow-up to 2010’s The Last Airbender. And it was not an improvement. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, After Earth featured Will Smith and Jaden Smith as a pair of father and son who crash land on an abandoned Earth and need to survive.
Talking about working with his son, Will Smith mentioned that Jaden was more mellow and calm compared to him. He said to Jake’s Takes,
You know he is he’s a very unique kid. You know he’s very understated and…very delicately emotional and I’m all…I’m loud. It’d be very different. I just can’t even imagine him in [something like] Bad Boys.
After Earth received negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, continuing Shyamalan’s streak of box office disasters. The film reportedly earned $243 million against a $130 million budget (via BO Mojo).
After Earth is available to stream on Max.
2. Men in Black II
Jaden Smith and Trey Smith in Men in Black II | Credits: Sony PicturesThe sequel to one of Will Smith’s breakout roles may not have made as much as the original but Men in Black II was nonetheless a financial success. Smith returned along with Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld after their disastrous previous outing Wild Wild West. While the film received mixed reviews and was not as well-received as the first, it earned $441 million at the box office against a $140 million budget (via BO Mojo).
The film was Jaden Smith’s first on-screen appearance. He appears in a small scene during the chase sequence along with his half-brother Trey Smith (Will Smith’s son from his first marriage with Sheree Zampino). While there is not much information about Jaden’s cameo in the film, he acknowledged his presence in an interview with Jake’s Takes.
Men in Black II is available to rent on Apple TV.
1. The Pursuit of Happyness
A still from The Pursuit of Happyness | Credits: Sony PicturesWill Smith played businessman and motivational speaker Chris Gardner in the biopic The Pursuit of Happyness. The drama earned Smith his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor after Ali and he would not get another one until 2022 for his role in King Richard. The film saw Jaden Smith in his first full-fledged role as Gardner’s son Christopher Gardner Jr.
Smith mentioned in the Full Send Podcast that the film’s director Gabriele Muccino had auditioned many kids for the role and was not satisfied. However, he reportedly overheard a young Jaden saying that he could play his son and was impressed. However, Will Smith reportedly made Jaden audition for the role and distanced himself from the decision-making process. He said in his memoir (via BET).
[Jaden] was asked to audition an unprecedented nine separate times. The studio simply didn’t want the problems that came along with casting him. But audition after audition, in all of his innocent, 6-year-old glory, he proved himself the right actor for the role.
The film was a huge success and is often considered among Will Smith’s best performances. It was also a commercial success, earning $307 million against a $55 million budget (via BO Mojo).
The Pursuit of Happyness is available to rent on Apple TV.
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