Looks like Big Willy has still got it. Indeed, given the box-office success of Bad Boys For Life this past weekend (earning roughly $34 million), it seems Will Smith hasn't lost his popularity after all. Question is, does the character of Mike Lowery rank as one of Smith's all-time best?
Tough one, right? Let's face it, Smith has played several memorable characters over the decades, none more lasting than as the title role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. However, today we're more concerned about Smith's film work.
Robert Neville (I Am Legend)
Being the last man on Earth is an immeasurably difficult position to be in, yet at no time did we disbelieve Smith would save the day as Robert Neville in I Am Legend.
Based on the 1954 Richard Mattheson novel, the story concerns the lone survivor of a cataclysmic Earthly event. Smith plays said survivor, tasked with not only finding refuge but also to guide us the audience through a harrowing gauntlet of horrors. The onus of having the weight of the world on his shoulders makes this a monumental role.
Chris Gardener (The Pursuit Of Happyness)
Playing a real-life character always ups the ante and raises the stakes, so for Smith to play such a nonheroic everyman who goes above and beyond the call of duty, the role ranks as one of his very best.
Mr. Gardener is an ambitious entrepreneur who sells bone density scanners. However, when sales falter, he's forced to take care of his son by taking an internship as a stockbroker while continuing to peddle his wares. It's an inspiring tale of perseverance, hard work, and doing whatever it takes to ensure familial survival.
Dr. Bennet Omalu (Concussion)
In Concussion, Smith plays yet another real-life character in Dr. Bennet Omalu, a deeply complicated character dedicated to science but also to his sense of morality.
The unpopular doctor is at the forefront of CTE research, studying the effects of traumatic brain injuries sustained among pro football players. Omalu tries to inform the players, as well as the masses, to incite change regarding NFL safety practices. Smith transforms his physical appearance, replete with a Nigerian accent, and gives one of his most nuanced performances.
Robert Dean (Enemy Of The State)
The late great Tony Scott directed Smith to a great performance in Enemy of the State, in which Big Willy plays a high-powered lawyer who gets ensnared in a murder-plot involving the NSA.
While supported by a series of sordid side characters, Smith anchors the film and guides the audience through the multilayered tale as Robert Dean, a man dedicated to doing right by his wife and son. When he accidentally obtains a videotape showing the murder of a politician, Dean must outrun law enforcers of every stripe until proving his innocence.
Bagger Vance (The Legend Of Bagger Vance)
Smith portrays yet another real-life character in the title role of Bagger Vance, doing so under the directorial eye of the great Robert Redford. Every actor should be so lucky!
Bagger Vance rose to prominence in the world of professional golf, not as an athlete, but as a caddy wise beyond his years. The legendary bagman served as a spiritual guru of sorts, an advice-giving mystic, who offered far more to his golfers than just wedges and nine-irons. Smith owns the role of a man of majesty willing to impart his wisdom to others!
John Hancock (Hancock)
In one of his signature roles, Smith made possible the unthinkable: turning a drunk, self-destructive superhero into a really likable person!
After becoming the laughing stock of L.A. for his drunk shenanigans and sloppy public service, Hancock must get out of his own way in order to do what he does best: save people. It's a redemption song for the character who, the more he patches his old wounds, the easier it is to assist others in times of peril. Of course, Charlize Theron helps!
Steven Hiller (Independence Day)
Smith's first mega-franchise came just a few years after departing Bel-Air. Who knew leaving Los Angeles would lead to Independence!
In ID4, Smith plays Captain Steven Miller, a brash and cocky fighter pilot who is put in charge when Earth is invaded by several alien spacecraft. As the world panics and the U.S. braces for its July 4th holiday celebration, Miller and others must confront the aliens and mount a counterattack of their own. Liberty is at stake!
Mike Lowery (Bad Boys)
Smith has rarely been cooler or more confident on-screen than as the character of Mike Lowery in the action-packed Bad Boys franchise. The dude just radiates a laid-back aura!
Beyond being so comfortable in his own skin, what makes Lowery one of Smith's best roles is the credible command he brings as a police detective. It's also a role he's played over three films now, so the breadth of the character is far greater than many Smith has portrayed in the past.
Jay (Men In Black)
Speaking of ultra-cool tailor-made roles, few have been more form-fitting on Will Smith than Agent Jay in the Men in Black series!
Part of what makes Smith so great as Jay is the droll interplay between his curmudgeonly partner, Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones). Agent Jay represents the cool, younger generation who abides by his own code of conduct, one Kay can't quite grasp. Between their relationship and Agent Jay's interactions with the aliens, it's simply one of Smith's best!
Cassius Clay (Ali)
Of course, there can be only one definitive best. And we highly doubt anyone would argue against Ali being the number-one greatest role Smith has played to date.
Cassius Clay (Muhamad Ali) is one of the most important figures in the history of sports. In the ring, he was a celebrated heavyweight champion. Outside the ring, he was a conscientious objector who stood behind the conviction of his beliefs. Smith knew what a monumental responsibility he had in portraying such a larger than life giant, and gave one of his all-time best performances as a result.