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Acclaimed actor and rap artist Will Smith has achieved a level of Hollywood fame rarely attained by a Black celebrity. Early in his career, Smith aspired to be the world's most famous movie star and being named the world's top film attraction in 2008, fulfilled his goal. While his rise to a place of worldwide prominence and cultural relevance has made him iconic, his accomplishments have not received the full and thorough acknowledgement and analysis they merit.
This is the first full-length critical look at the significance of Will Smith's achievements over a more than 30-year career. Many of his films have broken cultural norms by depicting Black men in groundbreaking social settings, like the role of the world-saving hero in his most popular films. In addition to analyzing Smith's filmography, this work contextualizes other popular and common portrayals of Black men in media and society. Finally, this book examines Smith's work in his middle age, ruminating on his ability to adapt to the realities of a new Hollywood.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Prologue: A Slap Heard Round the World
Introduction: Deconstructing Will Smith
One-Reading Will Smith: Floating Signs and the Semiotics of Stardom
Two-Culturally Mulatto
Three-A Slave to Fashion
Four-Hottentot Adonis
Five-A Postlude to a Kiss
Six-Science Fictions and Racial Facts
Seven-Dynamic Duos and Magical Negroes
Eight-Genre, Interrupted
Conclusion: The Biggest Movie Star in the World
Filmography
Selected Videography
Chapter Notes
Works Cited
Index
About the author
Willie Tolliver is a professor of English at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta where he is director of Africana studies and film studies.
Summary
Offers the first full-length critical look at the significance of Will Smith’s achievements over a more than 30-year career. In addition to analysing Smith’s filmography, this work contextualizes other popular and common portrayals of Black men in media and society.
