Played a rapping fish?
Played a cop/government agent?
A lot of checks.
Everett Collection (2); Chiabella James/Warner Bros.
Let the pursuit begin.
34.After Earth(2013)
What else could be last?
The actor himself has called theout-of-this-world flopthe"most painful failure"of his career.
Frank Masi/Columbia/Sony
In reality, be careful what you wish for.
Not that Smith is bad, it’s just a wasted opportunity, just like the entireAnchorman 2fight scene.
The best thing to come out of this movie is setting up Long’sFresh Princerun as Will’s girlfriend.
Paramount Pictures
(The worst thing:Ted Danson in blackface.)
28.Hancock(2008)
Easily the biggest disappointment on this list.
Don’t get me wrong, the concept is great.
Everett Collection
Will Smith as an alcoholic superhero is a winning idea.
The execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired.
Other than that, nothing Smith or the movie did had anyone anticipating the sequel.
David James/Dreamworks
We wouldn’t mind if they neuralyzed our memories ofMIIB.
That’s not ideal when his most crucial relationships are with a robot and a cat.
Smith gets to be angry and frustrated, but it’s one of his most forgettable roles and films.
Oscar in ‘Shark Tale’.DreamWorks Animation
22.Wild Wild West(1999)
Hot take: Smith isn’t bad inWild Wild West.
Let’s be clear,Wild Wild Westis bad, likereallybad, but its star isn’t.
Sisqo!Stevie Wonder!
Everett Collection
On second thought, maybe those should have been Smith’s costars.
In 2004, he took a break from blockbusters to cameo inKevin Smith’s critical and commercial disappointment.
Bonus points for Smith’s amazing 2004 movie star outfit!
Frank Masi/Columbia Pictures
20.Winter’s Tale(2014)
Another cameo, another critical and commercial failure.
But inAkiva Goldsman’s film, the actor plays the complete opposite of Will Smith: Lucifer.
18.Bright(2017)
Another instance where the executiondoesn’t live up to the promise.
Clay Enos
17.Gemini Man(2019)
A for effort?
16.Spies in Disguise(2019)
What a busy 2019 for Smith!
That is howWill Smith’s take on Geniewas described more than a year before the film came out.
Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia Pictures
And, more importantly,Will Smith is rapping again!!
Once again, Lawrence gets to be the real comedic star, while Smith is the movie star.
13.Concussion(2015)
“Tell the truth!”
Bridget Moynahan, Sonny the Robot, and Will Smith in ‘I, Robot’.Everett Collection
For once, he isn’t sad, funny, or cool; he’s determined.
And like his past portrayals of real-life figures, the actor earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
in atruly dramatic turn, taking on the role of a young, gay con artist.
Merrick Morton/Columbia
(C’mon, 1993.)
And he makes the most of the opportunity, oozing with swagger as ladies man Detective Mike Lowrey.
“Welcome to Earth,” he says after punching an alien.
Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.
“Now that’s what I call a close encounter.”
Now that’s what I call a movie star-making performance.
In many of his films, it’s hard to see past Will Smith.
Everett Collection
“Oh, that’s just Will Smith with a badge.”
But here, you just see Ali.
And the Academy agreed, giving Smith his first Oscar nomination.
Miramax
Bonus points for pulling off the short shorts!
4.Enemy of the State(1998)
It’s not often that Smith plays an everyman.
Not able to just skate on his charisma, Smith excels at being overwhelmed and out of his element.
Warner Bros.
It’s quite possibly the best work of his entire career.
thegreatest rom-com ever made.
But it’s for good reason!
Wilson Webb/Columbia Pictures
You know what, just go watch the whole movie and fall in love all over again.
The emotional portrayal of unhoused salesperson/aspiring stockbroker Chris Gardner earned Smith his second Oscar nomination.
Matt Kennedy/Netflix
Paramount Pictures
Blue Sky Studios
Will Smith and Mena Massoud in ‘Aladdin’.Courtesy of Disney
Columbia/Everett Collection
Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia Pictures
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in ‘Bad Boys for Life’.Ben Rothstein/Columbia
Everett Collection
Frank Masi
Everett Collection
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in ‘Bad Boys’.Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
Everett Collection
Frank Connor/Columbia Pictures
Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney, and Will Smith in ‘King Richard’.Chiabella James/Warner Bros.
Linda R. Chen
Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.
Barry Wetcher/Sony Pictures
Zade Rosenthal/Columbia
