Will Smith

Article summary

Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. His films as a leading man have grossed over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. Smith first gained recognition as part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The duo released five studio albums between 1985 to 1994, which contained five US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles—"Parents Just Don't Understand", "A Nightmare on My Street", "Summertime", "Ring My Bell", and "Boom! Shake the Room". Smith released the solo albums Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), Lost and Found (2005), and Based on a True Story (2025). Two of his singles, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Wild Wild West", reached number one in the US. Smith began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996), for which he won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series. Smith emerged as a film star with leading roles in the film franchises Bad Boys (1995–2024) and Men in Black (1997–2012).…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1968-09-25 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 2002 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1968-09-25 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of birth: 1992 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of birth: 1998 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. date of birth: 2002 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
7. release date: 1985 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
8. release date: 1986 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
9. release date: 1986 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
10. release date: 1998 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
11. release date: 2005 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
12. release date: 2007-12-14 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
13. release date: 2002 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1968-09-25". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "2002". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1968-09-25". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of birth is "1992". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of birth is "1998". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the date of birth is "2002". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. The record states that the release date is "1985". What evidence would count against this claim?
9. The record states that the release date is "1986". What evidence would count against this claim?
10. The record states that the release date is "1986". What evidence would count against this claim?
11. The record states that the release date is "1998". What evidence would count against this claim?
12. The record states that the release date is "2005". What evidence would count against this claim?
13. The record states that the release date is "2007-12-14". What evidence would count against this claim?
14. The record states that the release date is "2002". What evidence would count against this claim?
15. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
16. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377338150