Will Smith in Men In Black III
It has been four years since Will Smith has graced the big screen, last seen in Seven Pounds, as he has concentrated on producing as well as supporting his kids as they moved into acting.
But this week he is back on the big screen in Men In Black III in which he returns to the role of Agent J alongside Tommy Lee Jones.
So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the best Will Smith movies and performances over the years.
- Independence Day
It was 1996 when Independence Day was released onto the big screen and this was the movie that really announced Smith onto a global acting stage.
He showed that not only could he transfer his comedy skills from the small screen to the silver screen but also that he was a great action actor.
Alongside Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman the actor was kicking some alien ass as Earth came under attack.
The movie went on to gross in excess of $817 million at the global box office and it was the first of Smith's monster hits.
- Men In Black
A year later and Smith was battling aliens once again as he teamed up with Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld for Men In Black.
Agents J & K monitor the aliens that are coming in and out of New York City but they find themselves have to save the city and the world when they threaten to destroy the earth.
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith turned out to be one of the best movie partnerships in recent years; Jones has a dry sense of humour compared with Smith's wit and charm.
The film was a hit and grossed over $589 million worldwide and kicked off a franchise. The sequel followed in 2002 and this week they are back for a third outing.
Men In Black III is the first film in the franchise in a decade Smith, Jones and Sonnenfeld are back while Josh Brolin and Emma Thompson are just a couple of the new faces on the cast list.
- Ali
Smith moved away from action and comedy in 2001 when he took on the role of boxing legend Muhammad Ali in Ali, a biopic of his life and career.
Directed by Michael Mann the movie focused on the years 1964 - 1974, where he won the heavyweight title, criticised the Vietnam War and was part of legendary fight The Rumble in the Jungle.
While this was a huge departure for Smith the movie and his performance earnt him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
While he lost out to Denzel Washington for his role in Training Day the movie showed Smith in a different light; that he wasn't just about action and comedy.
- The Pursuit of Happyness
One of Smith's greatest roles came in 2007 when he took on another biopic project The Pursuit of Happyness.
He took on the role of Chris Gardner in the movie who struggled with homelessness for a year whilst raising his son as he was part of an internship programme to be a stockbroker.
The movie is an emotional rollercoaster as Chris tries to better himself for his son and the struggles that he faces on a daily basis to put a roof over their head.
The movie too over $307 million worldwide and Smith was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar once again, losing out to Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland.
- I Am Legend
He returned to action in 2007 in I Am Legend, which was an adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name.
Smith took on the role of Dr Phil Neville in the movie one of the few survivors in New York City after a man made virus killed most of the population and turned the rest into monsters.
This was another action packed role for Smith as he returned to the genre for which he was best known.
I Am Legend became Smith's seventh consecutive movie to break $100 million at the U.S. box office, Hancock would go on to also achieve this feat.
- Seven Pounds
Seven Pound was the last time that we saw Smith on the big screen as he teamed up with director Gabriele Muccino as well as Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson and Barry Pepper.
The movie follows Tim Thomas as he embarks on a journey to improve the lives of seven strangers in search of redemption.
This was a powerful and moving performance from Smith that tackled themes of grief and guilt.
Men In Black III is released 25th May
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw