Will Smith earned the nickname "Prince" from his grade-school teachers because this smooth-talking tyke from West Philadelphia was more charming than any monarch's son. Smith completed his nom de rap by tacking on "fresh" (a popular hip-hop adjective of the mid-eighties), and the Fresh Prince tapped his considerable charisma to become a Grammy-winning musician, the star of a long-running sitcom, and--returning to his birth name--a big-screen action hero.

A born entertainer, Smith started rapping at the age of twelve and shortly thereafter teamed up with Jeff Townes, who, as Jazzy Jeff, became the Fresh Prince's musical partner. Eight years later, the duo had produced two platinum albums, including the Grammy-winning He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. It featured the crossover hit single "Parents Just Don't Understand" and scads of clever, gangster-free lyrics that elicited knowing chuckles from middle-American teenagers.

With musical success achieved, Smith expressed a desire to try acting to several business associates, including Warner Brothers Executive Bunny Medina. It turned out that Medina, who was born poor in Los Angeles but lived as a teen with a rich Beverly Hills family, had been unsuccessfully pitching a sitcom based on his demographically diverse life. Smith would be perfect, Medina figured, as the protagonist in this fish-out-of-water-tale--a modern Beverly Hillbillies.

According to Hollywood legend, Smith read the script for NBC's suits with such élan that they bought the concept on the spot. Fresh Prince of Bel Air premiered in 1990, and with its well-timed quips and pratfalls from Smith, the successful show stayed on the air for six years.

Despite his homeboy swagger, Smith himself grew up middle class (his father is an engineer; his mother works for the school board) and did so well in school that M.I.T. offered him a scholarship, which he refused in order to pursue a show-business career. A millionaire by age eighteen, Smith was nonetheless deeply indebted to the I.R.S. when he landed the sitcom. Produced by Quincy Jones, the series' success enabled Smith to not only remedy his I.O.U.s, but also establish a well-connected professional family, which includes much of Hollywood's African-American royalty: Quincy Jones, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Sidney Poitier, and Denzel Washington.

In fact, it was Denzell Washington who counselled Smith on how to proceed with his first starring movie role, as a young gay con man in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). Although it was scripted that his character would kiss another man, Smith was reluctant. He sought counsel from Washington, whose advice boiled down to, ''Don't be kissing no man." Smith informed the furious director, Fred Schepsi, that the homosexual smooch would have to be faked. When the movie opened, the controversy was smoothed over by critical praise for Smith's performance.

For his follow-up flick, Smith teamed with fellow sitcom star Martin Lawrence in the action-heavy, gay-kiss-free Bad Boys (1995). The buddy movie was a smash, Smith's asking price rose to $5 million per film, and offers poured in. He opted to play a heroic fighter pilot in the surefire blockbuster Independence Day (1996).

Sadly, as the actor's stardom was growing, his three-year-old marriage to Sheree Zampino was falling apart. The couple divorced in December 1995, and Smith relinquished primary custody of their son William C. Smith III (whom they call Trey). Smith is now romantically linked with Nutty Professor star Jada Pinkett.

Professionally speaking, Smith next appears opposite Tommy Lee Jones in the comedy Men in Black, and is considering the lead role in the John Singleton baseball drama Brushback.