1-Sentence-Summary: Will is world-famous actor and musician Will Smith’s autobiography, outlining his life’s story all the way from his humble beginnings in West Philadelphia to achieving fame as a musician and then global stardom as an actor and, ultimately, one of the most influential people of our time.
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Video Summary
Will Smith’s memoir, Will, is a story about his life and career. It starts with his early hip-hop days and ends, at the time of writing, with making movies and becoming one of the most influential actors in the industry.
Smith was born in Philadelphia and grew up in a modest home. He began rapping at an early age. But it wasn’t until he started working with DJ Jazzy Jeff that he made a name for himself. He released his first album when he was 16 years old.
After graduating high school, Smith moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time, a decision that would eventually lead him to star on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Eventually, he would become one of Hollywood’s biggest names.
The book is packed with valuable lessons derived from a life of learning. Here are three of my favorite ones:
- Your future success is not determined by a poor upbringing or imperfect parenting.
- Life rewards those who push through adversity and make it to the other side of challenging times.
- Everything beautiful in life is on the other side of fear.
Let’s explore these valuable lessons from Will Smith!
Will Summary
Lesson 1: You can’t control where you’re born, but you can control who you become.
Will Smith is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, but he didn’t grow up in a rich and educated family. In fact, he grew up in a poor neighborhood with an alcoholic father who threatened him and his mother.
Will’s life has been full of ups and downs, but he always managed to bounce back from each challenge. This can be attributed to his strong work ethic and positive attitude toward life. At one point, he thought he made it, but he lost everything due to not paying taxes.
Will had to learn to become resilient, so he started to build his career again. He is proof that you don’t need to be born into a wealthy, educated family to make it in life.
Will’s story is one of tragedy but also of triumph. After being kicked out of school, he worked as an usher at a movie theater. He saved his money and went to college, then graduated and began working as a DJ in Philadelphia clubs.
From there he moved on to acting, which became his passion—and eventually led him to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history.
Lesson 2: Adversity teaches us to become more resilient and achieve success.
Will Smith is a successful actor, producer, and rapper who has been in the business for decades. However, his path to success wasn’t easy. One of the most difficult times of his career was when he owed the IRS over $3 million dollars in taxes.
When he first made it big as a rapper, he spent way too much money and underpaid his income taxes. Eventually the IRS took many of his possessions and future income.
At the time, his first marriage with a woman named Sheree was also crumbling, which made things even more difficult for him. Initially, Will refused to divorce Sheree because he viewed it as a failure. Eventually, however, they did manage to agree and get divorced.
Despite all this adversity, however, Will Smith did not give up on himself or his dreams of becoming successful. Instead, he took responsibility for his actions and worked hard to turn things around. He eventually got a grip on his taxes and, in 1997, he married Jada Pinkett, and they are still together today.
Lesson 3: Facing your fears is one of the best things you can do for your growth.
Will Smith, known for his roles in movies like Independence Day and Men in Black, is famous for saying that God put all the beautiful things in life on the other side of fear. That’s why he faced his fears and jumped out of a plane, trying skydiving for the first time despite being terrified of heights.
In an interview with People magazine, Smith said: “If there’s one thing that I have learned over the years, it’s that you can never go back to where you were before.” “I’ve always been terrified of heights,” he continued. “But when I was 35 years old, my wife told me ‘you have to get over it’—so I did!”
If you want to live a life of joy and success, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. You just have to take that leap of faith, which is something Will learned the hard way.
Still, he doesn’t want people to see him as an expert on this. Will believes anyone can do it, and that it’s just a matter of facing your fears and taking the leap into the unknown. Often, taking a risk and betting on yourself pays off.
Will Review
Will Smith’s memoir, Will, is a quick and easy read. The book has different sections that have various meanings for Will personally. Each section has an introduction that gives you some background on what you are about to read.
Some sections are more fun and entertaining, others deep and thoughtful. Overall, I would say that this book is worth reading if you’re interested in learning more about Will Smith, need some inspiration to accomplish big dreams, or just want a lighthearted read on your next vacation.
Who would I recommend the Will summary to?
The 33-year-old actor who is going through a tough time and needs inspiration from someone else’s story, the 43-year-old fan who is passionate about Will Smith’s movies and his life, and anyone who wants to find motivation in their life to achieve their wildest dreams.
Last Updated on June 15, 2023
