It’s not uncommon for established actors to step into a producer’s role when they reach a certain level of popularity. Being credited as a producer allows an actor to take a more active role in the production process itself, and ensure that the director and crew live up to the standards that they desire. GivenWill Smith’s prominence at the box office early on in his acting career, it wasn’t long before he started working as a producer. It’s a role that he’s continued to play on both films that he’s starred in and other projects from his collaborators.
Smith had executive produced a few installments of his hit comedy seriesThe Fresh Prince Of Bel-Airduring its final installments. While he started off producing films likeShowtimeandRide or Diethat he didn’t star in, Smith later used his newfound producer role to bring some of his most successful projects to the forefront. It’s also a position that he used to spotlight members of his family, such as his son Jaden’s filmLife in A Yearand his daughter Willow’s central role in the remake ofAnnie. Smith has also promoted emerging filmmakers like Gina Prince-Bythewood, as well as documentaries about relevant social issues. Here are the best movies produced by Will Smith, ranked.
The same summer that superhero movies took off at the box office thanks toIron ManandThe Dark Knight, Smith tried to take his own crack on the genre with the original featureHancock. Rather than relying on a previously existing comic book character, Smith took on the role of the titular alcoholic, irresponsible superhero known for causing collateral damage. WhileHancockrelies a lot on Smith’s charisma to turn this initially unlikeable protagonist into a legitimate hero worth investing in, it also features some stunning visual effects sequences courtesy of futureBattleshipandLone Survivordirector Peter Berg.Hancockremains one of the bestnon-Marvel or DC superhero movies.
Smith is renowned as one of the biggest action movie stars of all-time, but he’s only occasionally dipped his toes into the romantic comedy genre. In an era filled with generic studio rom-coms,Hitchstands out as a relatively upbeat, clever reimagining of the cliches that are inherent to the genre. Smith takes on one of his most hilarious roles as Alex Hitchens (also known as “Hitch”), a professional “date doctor” that gives professional dating advice to seemingly hopeless men. He gets to do some hilarious soul-searching when he realizes that his charms aren’t as effective as he imagined when he finds that the gossip columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes) is impervious to his advances.
Related:These Are the Best Will Smith Movies, Ranked
6Charm City Kings
It’s always nice to see a star like Smith use their producing power to spotlight an ambitious film from an up-and-coming independent filmmaker.Charm City Kingsis a charming coming-of-age drama about the aspiring motorcyclist Mouse (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), who attempts to understand his own identity as he faces violence and bloodshed in the streets of Baltimore. The flashes of stylistic flourishes from director Angel Manuel Soto indicate a strong future in the industry, as he brings to life the challenges of growing up through an eclectic soundtrack. Unfortunately,Charm City Kingsoriginally debuted on HBO Max but was later removed from the service (viaThe Wrap).
5The Secret Life of Bees
While Smith has never starred in a film from a woman director (with the exception of Bryce Dallas Howard’s documentaryDads), he has helped to spotlight the brilliant auteur Gina Prince-Bythewood by producing her adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s novelThe Secret Life of Bees. Although Prince-Bythewood would go on to direct action epics likeThe Old GuardandThe Woman King, The Secret Life of Beesis a much smaller, intimate character study about the runaway teenager Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) and her friendship with the beekeeper August Boatwright (Queen Latifah). It’s a quietly moving examination of grief and loss, anchored by one of Latifah’s best performances.
Smith produced and starred in Alex Proyas’ underrated futuristic noirI, Robot, a sci-fi action film that managed to combine breathtaking setpieces and fascinating commentary on the nature of artificial intelligence. Set in 2035,I, Robotfollows the technophobic homicide detective Del Spooner as he investigates the mysterious death of U.S. Robotics founder Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). Although the film shows the dangers of putting too much faith in technology, there’s also an engaging relationship between Spooner and the robotic prototype Sonny (Alan Tudyk).
Related:Will Smith’s Best Action Movies, Ranked
3Emancipation
Emancipationgave Smith one of the most challenging roles of his career as the runaway enslaved man Peter, who escapes from imprisonment during the height of the American Civil War. Smith gave a more subtle performance that made the film much more heartbreaking, signifying his respect for such sensitive subject material.Emancipationis not for the faint of heart, as director Antonie Fuqua did not shy away from showing violent content during Peter’s escape from the bounty hunter Fassel (Ben Foster). However, this brutality was necessary to shed light on a terrible period in human history. Smith has said that he understands why someviewers would not wantto watchEmancipationafter the Oscars controversy, signifying his respect for the audience.
2King Richard
AlthoughSmith’s Academy Award winfor Best Actor inKing Richardwas shrouded in controversy, he nonetheless gives a stunning performance in this biopic of Richard Williams and the training of his two daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton). Williams’ real life was fascinating, as he set high expectations for both of his daughters that launched them as successful tennis stars. However, the film also shows the challenges that the Williams family endures due to Richard’s strict regime.
1The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happynessis one of the rare instances in which Smith acted alongside his real son, Jaden. Although actors sharing the screenwith their real childrenisn’t always effective, Smith was able to show the struggles of a hardworking father in this true story of Chris Gardner and his career as an aspiring salesman in the 1980s. Although Gardner faces many setbacks and can barely provide for himself as he lives without a home, he ultimately succeeds due to his dedication to his son.The Pursuit of Happynesswas heralded by theNew York Timesas “nothing like the usual success story depicted on-screen.”
