Smith got his start in show business as half of the Grammy Award-winning rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. An auspicious acting debut in television's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–96) led to an equally successful movie career, including leading roles in the blockbusters Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black II (2002), Ali (2001), and Hitch (2005). He got critical acclaim for his role in 2006's The Pursuit of Happyness in which his young son costarred.