Willard Carroll Smith Jr. was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began his career as a rapper under the name “The Fresh Prince,” achieving success with hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.” Smith’s transition to acting came with the hit television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which ran from 1990 to 1996 and made him a household name.