Willard Carroll Smith Jr. born September 25, 1968 is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards. During the late 1980s, he achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he began starring in the NBC television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons until 1996. After the series ended, Smith transitioned from television to film and went on to star in numerous blockbuster films, most notably Independence Day (1996) and Men in Black (1997).