title: Rihanna

text: In 2015, Rihanna appeared in the voice role of Tip in the animated feature film "Home" alongside Jim Parsons and Jennifer Lopez; the film was based on The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.


title: Rihanna

text: Rihanna played the recurring role of Marion Crane in the fifth and final season of "Bates Motel". The show received universal acclaim from critics. Rihanna also had a major role in the Luc Besson film "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets", an adaptation of the comic book series "Valérian and Laureline". Also starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, the film was released by STX Entertainment on July 21, 2017, in the US Rihanna was one of the all-female cast in the heist film "Ocean's 8", directed by Gary Ross and released by Warner Bros. on June 8, 2018. The movie grossed $300 million worldwide and became a major box office success.


title: Rihanna

text: In August 2018, it had been reported that Rihanna had been filming a secret project in Cuba titled "Guava Island" throughout that summer alongside Donald Glover. Glover's "Atlanta" collaborator Hiro Murai was directing, with Letitia Wright and Nonso Anozie also involved. The trailer for the full-length movie premiered on November 24 at the PHAROS festival in New Zealand. The exact details project were not announced until April 2019 when advertisements for Guava Island appeared on Spotify indicating something happening on "Saturday Night | April 13". It was later revealed Amazon Studios would distribute the film and Regency Enterprises had financed the film, which was released on April 13.


title: Rihanna

text: In 2007, Rihanna was named as one of the Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Ambassadors, with each celebrity representing a different global charity. To help raise awareness and combat HIV/AIDS, Rihanna and other public figures designed clothing for the February 2008 H&M Fashion Against AIDS line. In 2008, Rihanna performed a series of charity concerts entitled A Girl's Night Out to benefit the Believe Foundation. The concerts were made free for the public. Money from sponsors and advertisers were to be donated to provide medical supplies, school supplies and toys to children in need. In September 2008, Rihanna contributed to the song "Just Stand Up!" with fifteen other female artists, who shared the stage to perform the song live on September 5, 2008, during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special. The proceeds from the single were given to the fundraiser. The television special helped raise $100 million for cancer research.


title: Rihanna

text: Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) in 2012, in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Programs include the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, and education programs. The CLF hosts an annual Diamond Ball charity fundraiser event. The inaugural event in 2014 raised over $2 million and the second raised over $3 million. On February 12, 2012, Rihanna performed a benefit show at the House of Blues to raise money for the Children's Orthopaedic Center and the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program at Children's Hospital. In November 2012, Rihanna gave $100,000 to food bank donation for Hurricane Sandy. On January 3, 2014, Rihanna was part of the MAC Viva Glam campaign, which benefits women, men and children living with HIV/AIDS. In March 2020, Rihanna donated $5,000,000 to COVID-19 relief and followed that up with additional donations of personal protective equipment to the state of New York and an offer of $700,000 worth of ventilators to her home country Barbados. In April 2020, Rihanna further donated an additional $2,100,000, matching Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for a total of $4,200,000, to provide support and resources to individuals and children suffering from domestic violence amid the lockdown.


title: Rihanna

text: During her performance at the NCAA March Madness Music Festival, Rihanna expressed her disagreement with Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act that allows companies and individuals to use their religious beliefs as protection, in case of being accused of discrimination against LGBT people. Rihanna along with numerous other high-profile celebrities featured in an online video titled "23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black in America". The video was released in partnership with the We Are Here Movement and called for action against police brutality.


title: Rihanna

text: In January 2017, Rihanna participated in the 2017 Women's March, which took place in New York among protests the day after US President Donald Trump's inauguration. She has also criticized President Trump's immigration policies–including Executive Order 13769, which sought to ban citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States–and his response to the 2019 shootings in El Paso and Dayton. In October 2019, she stated that she declined to perform at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show in support of Colin Kaepernick following the controversy surrounding his role in the national anthem protests. In February 2021, Rihanna extended her support to Indian farmers' protest against the farm bills through Twitter.


title: Rihanna

text: Rihanna owns a $14 million penthouse in Lower Manhattan. She also purchased a house in West London for £7 million in June 2018, in order to be closer to her work with her FENTY fashion label. In December 2018, Rihanna put her Hollywood Hills mansion up for sale after a break-in six months before. The mansion was reported to have sold for $10.4m.


title: Rihanna

text: Rihanna began dating American singer Chris Brown in 2007. After their relationship ended in February 2009, she entered an on-again off-again relationship with Canadian rapper Drake, which lasted from 2009 to 2016. During an interview with "Rolling Stone" in January 2013, Rihanna confirmed that she had rekindled her relationship with Brown, although he remained under probation for their 2009 domestic violence case. Their reunion followed persistent media speculation that occurred throughout 2012. In May 2013, Brown stated during an interview that he and Rihanna had broken up again. In 2017, Rihanna began dating Saudi businessman Hassan Jameel. They split in January 2020.


title: Rihanna

text: On May 19, 2021, American rapper ASAP Rocky confirmed during an interview with "GQ" that he and Rihanna are currently in a relationship. On January 31, 2022, it was revealed that the couple were expecting their first child. On May 19, 2022, it was confirmed that Rihanna had given birth to a son.


title: Rihanna

text: On February 8, 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards was canceled. Reports surfaced that her boyfriend at the time, Chris Brown, had physically assaulted her. He turned himself into the police and was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with assault and making criminal threats. Due to a leaked photograph from the police department obtained by TMZ.com—which revealed that Rihanna had sustained extensive visible injuries—an organization known as STOParazzi proposed "Rihanna's Law", which, if enacted, would "deter employees of law enforcement agencies from releasing photos or information that exploits crime victims." Gil Kaufman of VH1 reported the "nonstop coverage of the Rihanna/Brown case has brought up a number of issues regarding the privacy of alleged victims of domestic violence, including the decision by almost all major news outlets to divulge the identity of the victim—which is not typically done in domestic-violence cases" and discussed the controversial distribution of the leaked photograph. Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles on June 22, 2009. On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault. Brown received five years of probation and was ordered to stay away from Rihanna unless at public events, which then would be reduced to .


title: Rihanna

text: On September 2, 2009, Brown spoke about the domestic violence case in a pre-recorded "Larry King Live" interview, his first public interview about the matter. He was accompanied to the interview by his mother, Joyce Hawkins, and attorney Mark Geragos, as he discussed growing up in a household with his mother being repeatedly assaulted by his stepfather. Brown said of hearing details of his assault of Rihanna, "I'm in shock, because, first of all, that's not who I am as a person, and that's not who I promise I want to be."


title: Rihanna

text: , Rihanna has sold over 250 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards and honors, including 9 Grammy Awards, 12 "Billboard" Music Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 8 People's Choice Awards, among others. Rihanna received the "Icon Award" at the 2013 American Music Awards and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. She holds six Guinness World Records. In the United States, Rihanna has sold over 10 million albums, while Nielsen SoundScan ranked her as the best-selling digital artist in the country, breaking a Guinness World Record for digital single sales of over 58 million as of 2012.


title: Rihanna

text: On July 1, 2015, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Rihanna had surpassed more than 100 million Gold and Platinum song certifications. In doing so, Rihanna has the most digital single awards and is the first and only artist to surpass RIAA's 100 million cumulative singles award threshold. In the United Kingdom, she has sold over 7 million albums, making her the third best-selling female artist this century. According to "Billboard", her total album sales stand at 54 million copies sold worldwide.


title: Rihanna

text: Rihanna has accumulated 14 No. 1 singles on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart for the third most No. 1 songs in the chart's history. She has been named the top Mainstream Top 40 chart artist of the past twenty years by "Billboard"; she ranks first with most entries (36), most top tens (23) and most No. 1 songs (10). , Rihanna has sold over 18 million singles and 6 million albums in the United Kingdom. She is the tenth best-selling and the second best-selling female singles artist in the country, only behind Madonna and is second only to the Beatles for the most million-selling singles in the UK of all time. Her collaboration with Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie", along with "Umbrella", "Disturbia", "Only Girl (In the World)", "We Found Love" and "Diamonds", are among the best-selling singles of all time. Rihanna has seven No. 1 singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and Airplay chart, as well as sixteen No. 1 singles on the Rhythmic chart. She has also earned over 30 top-ten songs in the UK and Australia, making her the only artist in the 21st century to achieve this feat so far.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, he won his first critical acclaim as an actor for his co-starring role as Stanley Rosiello in "The Lords of Flatbush". Stallone subsequently found gradual work as an extra or side character in films with a sizable budget until he achieved his greatest critical and commercial success as an actor and screenwriter, starting in 1976 with his role as boxer Rocky Balboa, in the first film of the successful "Rocky" series (1976–present), for which he also wrote the screenplays. In the films, Rocky is portrayed as an underdog boxer who fights numerous brutal opponents, and wins the world heavyweight championship twice.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1977, Stallone was the third actor in cinema to be nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. Stallone's film "Rocky" was inducted into the National Film Registry, and had its props placed in the Smithsonian Museum. Stallone's use of the front entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the "Rocky" series led the area to be nicknamed the Rocky Steps. Philadelphia has a statue of his character Rocky placed permanently near the museum, and he was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Up until 1982, Stallone's films were not big box office successes unless they were "Rocky" sequels, and none received the critical acclaim achieved with the first "Rocky". This changed with the successful action film "First Blood" in which he portrayed the PTSD-plagued soldier John Rambo. Originally an adaptation of the eponymous novel by David Morell, "First Blood"’s script was significantly altered by Stallone during the film’s production. Stallone would play the role in a total of five "Rambo" films (1982–2019). From the mid-1980s through to the late 1990s, Stallone would go on to become one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors of that era by appearing in a slew of commercially successful action films which were however generally panned by critics. These include "Cobra, Tango and Cash", "Cliffhanger", the better received "Demolition Man", and "The Specialist."


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone saw a decline in popularity in the early 2000s but rebounded back to prominence in 2006 with a sixth installment in the "Rocky" series and 2008 with a fourth in the "Rambo" series. In the 2010s, Stallone launched "The Expendables" films series (2010–2014), in which he played the lead as the mercenary Barney Ross. In 2013, he starred in the successful "Escape Plan", and acted in its sequels. In 2015, Stallone returned to the "Rocky" series with "Creed", that serve as spin-off films focusing on Adonis "Donnie" Creed played by Michael B. Jordan, the son of the ill-fated boxer Apollo Creed, to whom the long-retired Rocky is a mentor. Reprising the role brought Stallone praise, and his first Golden Globe award for the first "Creed", as well as a third Oscar nomination, having been first nominated for the same role 40 years prior.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone is the only actor in the history of American cinema to have starred in a box office number one film across six consecutive decades. He is also one of the most renowned physical culture icons in history.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City on July 6, 1946, the elder son of Francesco "Frank" Stallone Sr., a hairdresser and beautician, and Jacqueline "Jackie" Stallone ("née" Labofish; 1921–2020), an astrologer, dancer, and promoter of women's wrestling. His Italian father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy and moved to the U.S. in the 1930s, while his American mother is of French (Breton) and Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His younger brother is actor and musician Frank Stallone.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Complications during labor forced his mother’s obstetricians to use two pairs of forceps during his birth; misuse of these forceps accidentally severed a nerve and caused paralysis in parts of Stallone's face. This caused paralysis of the lower left side of his face (including parts of his lip, tongue, and chin), an accident which gave him his signature snarling look and slurred speech. As a result, he was bullied as a child and so he coped with bodybuilding and acting.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: He was baptized Catholic. His father moved the family to Washington, D.C. in the early 1950s to open a beauty school. In 1954, his mother opened a women's gym called Barbella's.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone attended Notre Dame Academy and Lincoln High School in Philadelphia, as well as Charlotte Hall Military Academy, prior to attending Miami Dade College.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: He spent two years, from September 1965 to June 1967, at the American College of Switzerland. He returned to the United States to study as a drama major at the University of Miami, from 1967 to 1969.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: After Stallone's request that his acting and life experiences be accepted in exchange for his remaining needed college credits to graduate, he was granted a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by the president of the University of Miami in 1999.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Until 1969, he appeared on the stage under the name Mike Stallone; in 1970, he started using the stage name Sylvester E. Stallone. While attending the University of Miami, Stallone had a role in the drama "That Nice Boy" (aka "The Square Root"), filmed in 1968.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone had his first starring role in the softcore pornography feature film "The Party at Kitty and Stud's" (1970). He was paid for two days' work. Stallone later explained that he had done the film out of desperation after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days. He has also said that he slept three weeks in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City prior to seeing a casting notice for the film. In the actor's words, "it was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope". The film was released several years later as "Italian Stallion", in order to cash in on Stallone's newfound fame (the new title was taken from Stallone's nickname since "Rocky"). Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play "Score" which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 to November 15, 1971, and was later made into the 1974 film "Score" by Radley Metzger.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: After moving to New York City, Stallone shared an apartment with his girlfriend, Sasha Czack, an aspiring actress who supported them by working as a waitress. Stallone took odd jobs around this time, including being a cleaner at a zoo, and a movie theater usher; he was fired from the latter for scalping tickets. He furthered his writing skills by frequenting a local library, and became interested in the works of Edgar Allan Poe.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1972, Stallone was on the verge of giving up on having an acting career; in what he later described as a low point, he tried and failed to get a job as an extra in "The Godfather". Instead, he was relegated to a background role in another Hollywood hit, "What's Up, Doc?", starring Barbra Streisand. Stallone is hardly visible in his two appearances.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone happened to be acting in a play that a friend invited him to partake in, and an agent in attendance thought that Stallone fit the role of Stanley, a main character in "The Lords of Flatbush", which had a start-stop schedule from 1972 to 1974 over budget issues. Stallone, around mid-1973, achieved his first proper starring role, in the independent film "No Place to Hide", playing a man who is associated with a New York-based urban terrorist movement, with a jewelry-seller as his love interest. The film was re-cut and retitled "Rebel" years later, this second version featuring Stallone as its star. In 1990, this film was re-edited with outtakes from the original movie and newly shot matching footage, then redubbed – in the style of Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" – into a parody of itself titled "A Man Called... Rainbo".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone's other first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in "MASH" (1970), as a soldier sitting at a table; "Pigeons" (1970), as a party guest; Woody Allen's "Bananas" (1971), as a subway thug; in the psychological thriller "Klute" (1971), as an extra dancing in a club; and in the Jack Lemmon film "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (1975), as a youth. In the latter film, Jack Lemmon's character chases, tackles, and mugs Stallone, thinking that Stallone's character is a pickpocket. He had his second starring role in 1974, in "The Lords of Flatbush". In 1975, he played supporting roles in "Farewell, My Lovely"; "Capone"; and "Death Race 2000". He made guest appearances on the TV series "Police Story" and "Kojak". He is also supposedly in "Mandingo". It is often said that his scene was deleted.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone gained worldwide fame with his starring role in the smash hit "Rocky" (1976), a sports drama about a struggling boxer, Rocky Balboa, taking on heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner fight. That night Stallone went home, and after three days he had completed the first draft of "Rocky". Stallone subsequently denied that Wepner provided any inspiration for the script, however Wepner filed a lawsuit which was eventually settled with Stallone for an undisclosed amount. Other possible inspirations for the film may have included Rocky Graziano's autobiography "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and the movie of the same name. Stallone attempted to sell the script to multiple studios, with the intention of playing the lead role himself. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff became interested and offered Stallone for the rights, but had their own casting ideas for the lead role, including Robert Redford and Burt Reynolds. Stallone refused to sell unless he played the lead character and eventually, after a substantial budget cut to compromise, it was agreed he could be the star. Upon its release critic Roger Ebert stated that Stallone could become the next Marlon Brando.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1977, at the 49th Academy Awards, "Rocky" was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Stallone. The film went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Film Editing.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone made his directorial debut and starred in the 1978 film "Paradise Alley", a family drama in which he played one of three brothers who get involved in professional wrestling. That same year, he starred in Norman Jewison's "F.I.S.T.", a social drama in which he plays a warehouse worker, very loosely modeled on James Hoffa, who becomes involved in labor union leadership.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1979, he wrote, starred, and directed (replacing John G. Avildsen) in "Rocky II". The sequel became a major success, grossing  million.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1981, he starred alongside Michael Caine and soccer star Pelé in "Escape to Victory", a sports drama in which he plays a prisoner of war involved in a Nazi propaganda soccer game. That same year, he starred in the thriller "Nighthawks", in which he plays a New York city cop who plays a cat-and-mouse game with a foreign terrorist, played by Rutger Hauer.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1982, Stallone starred as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, a former Green Beret, in the action film "First Blood", which was both a critical and box office success. Critics praised Stallone's performance, saying he made Rambo seem human, as opposed to the way he is portrayed in the book of the same name. It launched the Rambo franchise. That year "Rocky III" was released in which Stallone wrote, directed, and starred. The third sequel became a box office success. In preparation for these roles, Stallone embarked upon a vigorous training regimen, which often meant six days a week in the gym and further sit-ups in the evenings. Stallone claims to have reduced his body fat percentage to his all-time low of 2.8% for "Rocky III".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1983, he directed "Staying Alive", the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever", starring John Travolta. This was the only film Stallone directed that he did not star in. "Staying Alive" was universally panned by film critics. Despite being a critical failure, "Staying Alive" was a commercial success. The film opened with the biggest weekend for a musical film ever (at the time) with a gross of $12,146,143 from 1,660 screens. Overall, the film grossed nearly $65 million in the US box office against its $22 million budget. Worldwide it grossed $127 million. Though the US box office intake was significantly less than the $139.5 million earned by "Saturday Night Fever", the film nevertheless ranked in the top ten most financially successful films of 1983.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone during the 1980s was one of the biggest action film stars in the world, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Schwarzenegger-Stallone rivalry continued for years, they attacked each other in the press, and tried to surpass the other with more on-screen killings and larger weapons. Stallone occasionally attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, roles in different genres. In 1984, he co-wrote and starred alongside Dolly Parton in the comedy film "Rhinestone", where he played a wannabe country music singer. For the "Rhinestone" soundtrack, he performed a song. Stallone turned down the lead male role in "Romancing the Stone" in order to make "Rhinestone" instead, a decision he later regretted.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1985, Stallone continued his success with the "Rocky" and "Rambo" franchises with "Rocky IV" and "." Stallone has portrayed these two characters in a total of 13 films. Stallone met former Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu to develop his character's appearance for the films "Rocky IV", just as if he were preparing for the Mr. Olympia competition. That meant two workouts a day, six days a week. Both films were major financial successes.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: It was around 1985 that Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 James Cagney classic "Angels With Dirty Faces". The film would form part of his multi-picture deal with Cannon Films and was to co-star Christopher Reeve and be directed by Menahem Golan. The re-making of such a beloved classic was met with disapproval by "Variety" and horror by top critic Roger Ebert. Cannon opted to make the action film "Cobra" which was released in 1986 and became a box office success. It leads up to his production company White Eagle Enterprises.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1987, he starred in the family drama "Over the Top" as a struggling trucker who tries to make amends with his estranged son and enters an arm wrestling competition. This was poorly received by critics and was a box office failure. In 1989, he co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in the buddy cop action film "Tango & Cash", which did solid business domestically and overseas, grossing  million in foreign markets and over  million worldwide.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone became a boxing promoter in the 1980s. His boxing promoting company, Tiger Eye Productions, signed world champion boxers Sean O'Grady and Aaron Pryor.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone began the 1990s starring in the fifth installment of the "Rocky" franchise, "Rocky V". This film brought back the first film's director, John G. Avildsen, and was intended to be the final installment in the series. It was considered a box office disappointment and received negative reviews.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone next appeared in John Landis' period comedy "Oscar" which was both a critical and box office failure. In 1992, he appeared in Roger Spottiswoode's action comedy "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot" which was also both a critical and box office disaster. Stallone signed onto the film based on rumors that Schwarzenegger was interested in the lead. Schwarzenegger said that, knowing the script's quality was poor, he publicly faked interest in starring for producers to lure Stallone.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1993, he made a comeback with Renny Harlin's action thriller "Cliffhanger". which was a success in the US, grossing  million, and worldwide, grossing  million. Later that year, he starred in the futuristic action film "Demolition Man" directed by Marco Brambilla, co-starring Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 60% based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 5.43/10. The site's consensus reads: "A better-than-average sci-fi shoot-em-up with a satirical undercurrent, "Demolition Man" is bolstered by strong performances by Stallone, Snipes, and Bullock." The film debuted at No. 1 at the box office. "Demolition Man" grossed $58,055,768 by the end of its box office run in North America and $159,055,768 worldwide.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: His string of hits continued with 1994's "The Specialist" co-starring Sharon Stone and directed by Luis Llosa, which opened in the U.S. on October 7. While the critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, the film was a commercial success. In its opening weekend it made $14,317,765 and ended up making back its budget with $57,362,582 at the domestic box office while making another $113,000,000 overseas, giving it a worldwide gross of $170,362,582.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1995, he played the title character (from the British comic book "2000 AD") in the science fiction action film "Judge Dredd". His overseas box office appeal saved the domestic box office disappointment of "Judge Dredd", which cost almost  million and barely made its budget back, with a worldwide tally of  million. Despite the film's poor box office performance, Stallone signed a three-picture deal with Universal Pictures for $60 million, making him the second star after Jim Carrey to receive $20 million per film. The deal expired in February 2000 without him making any films, however, so he received no payment.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: That year, he also appeared in the thriller "Assassins" with Julianne Moore and Antonio Banderas. That same year, Stallone, along with an all-star cast of celebrities, appeared in the Trey Parker and Matt Stone short comedy film "Your Studio and You" commissioned by the Seagram Company for a party celebrating their acquisition of Universal Studios and the MCA Corporation. Stallone speaks in his Rocky Balboa voice with subtitles translating what he is saying. At one point, Stallone starts yelling about how can they use his Balboa character, that he left it in the past; the narrator calms him with a wine cooler and calling him "brainiac." In response, Stallone says, "Thank you very much." He then looks at the wine cooler and exclaims, "Stupid cheap studio!"


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1996, he starred in the disaster film "Daylight" as a disgraced former emergency services chief who attempts to rescue survivors of an underground tunnel explosion. "Daylight" also underperformed at the domestic box office, grossing $33 million, but did better overseas and grossed a total of $158 million worldwide.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1997, Stallone was cast against type as an overweight sheriff in the crime drama "Cop Land" in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta. The film was critically well-received and was a modest success at the box office earning $63 million on a $15 million budget and Stallone's performance earned him the Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor Award.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1998, he did voice-over work for the computer-animated film "Antz", which was a big hit domestically.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2000, Stallone starred in the thriller "Get Carter", a remake of the 1971 British film of the same name, but the film was poorly received by both critics and audiences. Stallone's career declined considerably after his subsequent films "Driven" (2001), "Avenging Angelo" (2002) and "D-Tox" (2002) were also critical and commercial failures.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2003, he played a villainous role in the third installment of the "Spy Kids" series: "", which was a huge box office success (almost  million worldwide). Stallone also had a cameo appearance in the 2003 French film "Taxi 3" as a passenger. Also that year, Stallone started to regain prominence for his supporting role in the neo-noir crime drama "Shade" which was only released in a limited fashion but was praised by critics. He was also attached to star and direct a film tentatively titled "Rampart Scandal", which was to be about the murder of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. and the surrounding Los Angeles Police Department corruption scandal. It was later titled "Notorious" but was shelved.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2005, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, he was the co-presenter of the NBC reality television boxing competition series "The Contender". That same year he also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the television series "Las Vegas". That year, Stallone also inducted wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, who appeared in "Rocky III" as a wrestler named Thunderlips, into the WWE Hall of Fame; Stallone was also the person who offered Hogan the cameo in "Rocky III". In August, Stallone released his book "Sly Moves" which claimed to be a guide to fitness and nutrition as well as a candid insight into his life and works from his own perspective. The book also contained many photographs of Stallone throughout the years as well as pictures of him performing exercises.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: After a three-year hiatus from films, Stallone had a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of his successful "Rocky" series, "Rocky Balboa", which was a critical and commercial hit. After the critical and box office failure of the previous installment "Rocky V", Stallone had decided to write, direct and star in a sixth installment which would be a more appropriate climax to the series. The total domestic box office came to .3 million (and  million worldwide). The budget of the movie was only  million. His performance in "Rocky Balboa" has been praised and garnered mostly positive reviews. That year, the development "Death Wish" remake began, when Stallone announced that he would be directing and starring in a remake of the 1974 film. Stallone said, "Instead of the Charles Bronson character being an architect, my version would have him as a very good cop who had incredible success without ever using his gun. So when the attack on his family happens, he's really thrown into a moral dilemma in proceeding to carry out his revenge." He later told the publication that he was no longer involved. In a 2009 interview with MTV, though, Stallone stated that he was again considering the project. However the role went to Bruce Willis with Eli Roth as director.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone partnered with a beverage company producing an upscale bottled water brand called Sly Water.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2008, Stallone reprised his other famous role as Rambo with the fourth installment of his other successful movie franchise which was titled simply "Rambo" ("John Rambo" in some countries where the first movie was titled "Rambo"). The film opened in 2,751 theaters on January 25, 2008, grossing on its opening day and over its opening weekend. Its box office was worldwide with a budget of  million.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In July 2009, Stallone made a cameo appearance in the Bollywood movie "Kambakkht Ishq", where he played himself.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: It was announced on December 7, 2010, that Stallone was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the non-participant category.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Also that year, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in the ensemble action film "The Expendables". The movie, which was filmed during summer/winter 2009, was released on August 13, 2010. Joining him in the film were fellow action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, as well as Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and cameos by fellow '80s action icons Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie took in its opening weekend, going straight in at No. 1 in the US box office. The figure marked the biggest opening weekend in Stallone's career. In summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than  million for its work on the film. In 2011, Stallone provided the voice of a lion in Kevin James' comedy "Zookeeper".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: "The Expendables 2" was released August 17, 2012; the sequel received a positive critical reception of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, as opposed to the original's 41%. As well as returning cast members from the first film, the ensemble cast also included Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. That year, Stallone co-wrote the book for the of "Rocky".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2013, Stallone starred in the action film "Bullet to the Head", directed by Walter Hill, based upon Alexis Nolent's French graphic novel "Du Plomb Dans La Tete". Also in 2013, he starred in the action thriller "Escape Plan", along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Caviezel, and in the sports comedy drama "Grudge Match" alongside Robert De Niro, harkening back to the "Rocky" franchise. Stallone was reported to be developing an English-language remake of the Spanish film "No Rest for the Wicked", though the project was shelved. That year Stallone was credited as writer for the Jason Statham action film vehicle "Homefront."


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: "The Expendables 3", the third installment in the ensemble action film series, was released on August 15, 2014. The returning ensemble cast also added Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford. This film was negatively received by both critics and audiences and became the lowest-grossing film in the series.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2015, Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in a spin-off-sequel film, "Creed", which focused on Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the son of his deceased friend/rival, Apollo Creed, becoming a professional boxer, played by Michael B. Jordan. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler, received critical acclaim. Portraying the iconic cinematic boxer for the seventh time in a span of 40 years, Stallone's portrayal of the character received widespread acclaim and accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and his third Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2017, Stallone appeared in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. In 2018, he co-starred in "" with Dave Bautista which was released straight to home-video. Upon wrapping production, he announced via his social media page that work on "" began immediately thereafter. In July, Stallone announced that he had finished a script for a sequel to "Creed", with a plot including the return of Ivan Drago from "Rocky IV". That year, Stallone was featured in Derek Wayne Johnson's "John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs," a documentary about director John G. Avildsen.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: "Creed II" went into production in March 2018, with a scheduled release on Thanksgiving 2018. Stallone was originally slated to direct before the appointment of Steven Caple Jr., in his feature film directorial debut. "Creed II" was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 21, 2018. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and it went on to debut to $35.3 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $55.8 million), marking the biggest debut ever for a live-action release over Thanksgiving.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: On July 23, 2019, in an interview with Variety, Stallone said that a Rocky sequel and prequel are in development. Producer Irwin Winkler said "We're very high on it" and that negotiations are underway for Stallone to write and star in the feature. "We're very anxious to make it." Stallone said the plot of the movie would be about Rocky befriending a young fighter who is an undocumented immigrant. "Rocky meets a young, angry person who got stuck in this country when he comes to see his sister. He takes him into his life, and unbelievable adventures begin, and they wind up south of the border. It's very, very timely." Stallone said. Stallone also said there are "ongoing discussions" about a Rocky prequel television series, which he hopes will land on a streaming service and the series will likely follow a young Rocky Balboa as a professional boxing hopeful. Stallone said producer Irwin Winkler is hesitant on making the series saying that "There was some conflict there, yes. He felt in his mind that "Rocky" was primarily a feature film, and he didn't see it as being translated for cable, so there was a big bone of contention." That year, Stallone hand-picked Derek Wayne Johnson to direct and produce a documentary on the making of the original "Rocky", entitled "40 Years of Rocky" (2020). The documentary features Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone formed a film studio named Balboa Productions with Braden Aftergood in March 2018, where Stallone will serve as co-producer for each of their projects. The studio signed a multi-year collaboration deal with Starlight Culture Entertainment to develop projects for film and television. In May 2018, a fifth installment in the "Rambo" franchise was announced, and in August 2018, Adrian Grünberg was confirmed as the director. "" began filming by September 2018, with a script co-written by Stallone, who also reprised his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. The plot centers around Rambo infiltrating a Mexican drug cartel to rescue a family friend's daughter. The film, which was released on September 20, 2019, in the United States, grossed $18.9 million in its opening weekend, the best debut of the franchise. The film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In late 2020, Stallone lent his voice as Rambo to the fighting video game "Mortal Kombat 11", as part of the game's 2nd Kombat Pack. In 2021, he voiced King Shark in the DC Extended Universe film "The Suicide Squad".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2022, Stallone starred in "Samaritan", a dark interpretation of the superhero genre, from a script written by Bragi Schut.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Following the releases of "Creed II" and "Rambo V: Last Blood", Balboa Productions has had an extensive production slate. A film depicting the history of Jack "Galveston Giant" Johnson, the first African-American boxing heavyweight champion, is in development. The project was announced after Stallone's instrumental involvement in helping get Johnson a posthumous pardon from US President Donald Trump.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone will later star in the film adaptation of "Hunter", a story which had originally been planned as the premise for "Rambo V: Last Blood". The story centers around Nathaniel Hunter, a professional tracker who is hired to hunt a half-human beast created as an experiment of a secret agency. The studio has yet to hire a screenwriter. A feature-length adaptation of the biographical novel "Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent" by Michael McGowan and Ralph Pezzullo about McGowan's career of over 50 undercover missions will follow, though there is no screenwriter attached to the project yet. Additionally, a film centered around black ops troops, being written by retired Army Ranger Max Adams, is also in development.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: The television production slate includes "Levon's Trade" created by Chuck Dixon and a series adaptation of Charles Sailor's "Second Son" being written by Rob Williams. It also includes "Tulsa King", in which he plays a Mafia boss, created by Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter and set to premiere on Paramount+.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone will star in "The Expendables 4", the fourth installment of the action film series. Stallone also announced in early May 2020 that a sequel to 1993's "Demolition Man" is in the works: "I think it's coming. We're working on it right now with Warner Brothers. It's looking fantastic. So, that should come out, that's going to happen".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone has continued to express his passion in directing a film on Edgar Allan Poe's life, a script he has been preparing for years. He has also mentioned that he would like to adapt Nelson DeMille's novel "The Lion's Game".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1977, for the first "Rocky", Stallone became the third man in history to receive the two nominations for best actor and best screenplay, after Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles. Like the aforementioned he wrote and took on the leading role in the film. Stallone is known for his recurring roles as Rocky Balboa, John Rambo, and Barney Ross. Stallone wrote and starred in all of six "Rocky" films, while taking on the task of directing in four of the sequels. Stallone starred and co-wrote the five films of the "Rambo" franchise, and the fourth one he also directed. Stallone wrote, directed and took the lead role in the first installment of "The Expendables" films. Stallone directed, starred and wrote in "Paradise Alley". John Travolta starred in "Staying Alive, "a sequel of "Saturday Night Fever", which Stallone wrote and directed. Stallone wrote and starred in "Cobra", and "Driven". Stallone co-wrote and starred in "F.I.S.T.", "Rhinestone", "Over the Top", "Cliffhanger", and "Creed II".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Asked in February 2008 which of the icons (Rocky or Rambo) he would rather be remembered for, Stallone said "it's a tough one, but "Rocky" is my first baby, so Rocky." He also stated that Rocky could be interpreted as the "conscious" and Rambo as the "unconscious" of the same character.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone has occasionally sung in his films. He sang "Too Close to Paradise" for "Paradise Alley" (1978), with the music provided by Bill Conti (who also collaborated with Stallone in prior years, having recorded the famous "Gonna Fly Now" theme for his Academy Award-nominated film, "Rocky" (1976) which was a U.S. No. 1 hit). In "Rocky IV" (1985), Stallone (as Rocky Balboa) sang "Take Me Back" to his on-screen wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), as they lay in bed. The song was first performed by singer and younger brother, Frank, who had a small role in the original "Rocky". For "Rhinestone" (1984), Stallone sang such songs as "Drinkenstein" as well as duets with his co-star, and actual country music star, Dolly Parton. He also performed two songs when he guest-starred on "The Muppet Show" in the 1980s, at the height of his career. The last time Stallone sang in a film was in "Grudge Match" (2013) when he and Robert De Niro performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" together.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone has been married three times. He has two sons from his first marriage and three daughters from his third marriage.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: At age 28, on December 28, 1974, he married Sasha Czack. They had two sons, Sage Moonblood Stallone (1976–2012), who died of heart disease at age 36, and Seargeoh (born 1979), who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. The couple divorced on February 14, 1985.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen on December 15, 1985, in Beverly Hills, California. Their marriage (which lasted two years) and their subsequent divorce were highly publicized by the tabloid press.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1988 Stallone met model Jennifer Flavin and they were in a relationship until 1994, when Stallone told her he was having a child with model Janice Dickinson. After the February 1994 birth, DNA tests confirmed he was not the father and Stallone ended his engagement to Dickinson. After a brief 1995 engagement with model Angie Everhart, he and Flavin rekindled their relationship.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In May 1997, Stallone and Jennifer Flavin married. The couple has three daughters, Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet. His daughters were chosen to share the role of Golden Globe Ambassador at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. In August 19, 2022, Palm Beach County records showed that after 25 years of marriage, Jennifer Flavin had filed for "dissolution of marriage and other relief." On September 23, 2022 the couple reconciled.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone maintains a relationship with his brother Frank who contributed the theme songs to "", and "Staying Alive". In 1983, Frank's song "Far from Over", for "Staying Alive", reached the #10 U.S. hit. Frank appears in minor roles, bit parts, and provides music in many films starring Sylvester, most notably in the "Rocky" films, where Frank played a street corner singer and contributed songs.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone's 48-year-old half-sister, Toni Ann Filiti, died of lung cancer on August 26, 2012. She died at their mother's Santa Monica home after choosing to leave UCLA's hospital.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: He was a close friend of Joe Spinell. They had a falling out during the shooting of their final collaboration "Nighthawks" (1982).


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Known for physically demanding roles and his willingness to do the majority of his own stunts, Stallone has suffered various injuries during his acting career. During the filming of "Escape to Victory", he broke a finger trying to save a penalty kick from Pelé. For a scene in "Rocky IV", he told Dolph Lundgren, "Punch me as hard as you can in the chest." He later said, "Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John's Hospital for four days. It's stupid!" While filming a fight scene with Steve Austin for "The Expendables", he broke his neck, which required the insertion of a metal plate.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In February 2001, an exotic dancer named Margie Carr filed a lawsuit against Stallone accusing him of rape while at a Santa Monica fitness center where they both worked out on February 26, 2000. A lawyer for Stallone denied the claim saying she sold the story to "Globe" the month before the lawsuit.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2007, customs officials in Australia discovered 48 vials of the synthetic human growth hormone Jintropin in Stallone's luggage. In a court hearing on May 15, 2007, Stallone pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a controlled substance.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2013, it was reported that Stallone paid a $2 million lump-sum settlement alongside a monthly amount and a trust for psychiatric and medical expenses to his half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti in 1987. Filiti threatened to file a lawsuit accusing him of abuse. Representatives for Stallone and Filiti's mother Jacqueline Stallone denied the allegations, accusing Filiti of blackmailing him and being a drug addict. However, Filiti's son, Edd Filiti, supported the claims, saying his mother "screamed about" abuse at the hands of her half-brother "over and over," before her death in 2012.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2016, a report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was published stating that Stallone was accused of sexual assault by a 16-year-old girl while he was shooting a film in Las Vegas in 1986. The teen reportedly said that Stallone, then 40, forced her into a threesome with his bodyguard. A spokeswoman for Stallone denied the allegation. Stallone's ex-wife, Brigitte Nielsen, later came to his defense, saying that she was with him at the time of the alleged assault. Stallone's "Over the Top" costar David Mendenhall also defended Stallone, denying claims that he introduced Stallone to the girl in question.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In November 2017, a woman accused Stallone of sexually assaulting her at his Santa Monica office in the early 1990s. Stallone denied the claim. His attorney revealed the accuser filed a report after an entertainment website declined to pick up the story. Stallone's attorneys also stated that while the actor had a consensual relationship with the accuser in 1987, they had two witnesses who refuted the claims. In June 2018, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office confirmed an investigation, stating that the Santa Monica Police Department had presented a sex crimes case against Stallone to a special prosecution task force for review. In October 2018, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office made the decision not to charge Stallone for the alleged assault, as no witnesses corroborated the allegations. Stallone in turn filed a police report regarding her lying on an official document.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone was raised a devout Catholic, but stopped going to church as his acting career progressed. Later, he rediscovered his childhood faith, when his daughter was born ill in 1996, and he again became a strict Catholic.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In late 2006, Stallone was interviewed by Pat Robertson from the CBN's "The 700 Club". Stallone stated that before, in Hollywood, temptation abounded and he had "lost his way", but later put things "in God's hands".


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2010, he was interviewed by "GQ" magazine, to which he said that he considered himself a spiritual man, but was not part of any organized church institution.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Upon advice of a Vedic scholar, Stallone performed a 'Tithi Shradh' ritual (done for those who died by accident or murder) at Haridwar for his son Sage.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Stallone has supported several Republican politicians, but does not identify as a member of the Republican Party.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 1994, he contributed $1,000 to the campaign of then-Congressman Rick Santorum, who was then running for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania. He has also donated to the Democratic National Committee and to Democrats Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In 2008, Stallone endorsed John McCain for that year's presidential election. In the 2016 election, he described Donald Trump as a "Dickensian character" and "larger than life," but did not endorse him or any candidate in that year's Republican primary.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: In December 2016, he declined an offer to become Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, citing a desire to work on issues related to veterans.


title: Sylvester Stallone

text: Despite his otherwise conservative views, Stallone is an advocate for gun control and has been described as "the most anti-gun person working in Hollywood today."


title: Will Smith

text: Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990–1996). Smith has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and four Grammy Awards. As of 2022, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith first gained recognition as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he released five studio albums and the US "Billboard" Hot 100 top 20 singles "Parents Just Don't Understand", "A Nightmare on My Street", "Summertime", "Ring My Bell", and "Boom! Shake the Room" from 1984 to 1994. He released the solo albums "Big Willie Style" (1997), "Willennium" (1999), "Born to Reign" (2002), and "Lost and Found" (2005), which contained the US number-one singles "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Wild Wild West". He has received four Grammy Awards for his rap performances.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith achieved wider fame as a leading man in films such as the action film "Bad Boys" (1995), its sequels "Bad Boys II" (2003) and "Bad Boys for Life" (2020), and the sci-fi comedies "Men in Black" (1997), "Men in Black II" (2002), and "Men in Black 3" (2012). After starring in the thrillers "Independence Day" (1996) and "Enemy of the State" (1998), he received Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his portrayal as Muhammad Ali in "Ali" (2001), and as Chris Gardner in "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006). He then starred in a range of commercially successful films, including "I, Robot" (2004), "Shark Tale" (2004), "Hitch" (2005), "I Am Legend" (2007), "Hancock" (2008), "Seven Pounds" (2008), "Suicide Squad" (2016) and "Aladdin" (2019).


title: Will Smith

text: For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama "King Richard" (2021), Smith won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. At the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, shortly before winning, Smith faced public backlash for slapping and shouting at Oscar presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke referencing Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy and was banned from attending all Academy functions, including the Oscars, for ten years.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith was born Willard Carroll Smith II on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, to Caroline (née Bright), a school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr., a US Air Force veteran and refrigeration engineer. His mother graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.


title: Will Smith

text: He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood and was raised Baptist. He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia, and Overbrook High School. His parents separated when he was 13 and divorced around the year 2000.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith began rapping at age 12. When his grandmother found a notebook of his lyrics, which he described as containing "all [his] little curse words", she wrote him a note on a page in the book: "Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use words like this to express themselves. Please show the world that you're as smart as we think you are". Smith said that this influenced his decision not to use profanity in his music.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer. Townes and Smith were introduced to each other by chance in 1985, as Townes was performing at a house party only a few doors down from Smith's residence, and he was missing his hype man. Smith decided to fill in. They both felt strong chemistry, and Townes was upset when his hype man finally made it to the party.


title: Will Smith

text: Soon after, the two decided to join forces. Smith enlisted a friend to join as the beatboxer of the group, Clarence Holmes (Ready Rock C), making them a trio. Philadelphia-based Word Records released their first single in 1986 when A&R man Paul Oakenfold introduced them to Champion Records with their single "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble," a tale of funny misadventures that landed Smith and his former DJ and rap partner Mark Forrest (Lord Supreme) in trouble. The song sampled the theme song of "I Dream of Jeannie." Smith became known for light-hearted story-telling raps and capable, though profanity-free, "battle" rhymes. The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.


title: Will Smith

text: Based on this success, the duo were brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons. The duo's first album, "Rock the House", which was first released on Word Up in 1986 debuted on Jive in March 1987. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand" (1988), though their most successful single was "Summertime" (1991), which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Smith and Townes are still friends and claim that they never split up, having made songs under Smith's solo performer credit.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. Smith was struggling financially in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world", studying box office successes' common characteristics. In 1989, Smith was arrested in relation to an alleged assault on his record promoter, William Hendricks; all charges were dismissed.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith's first major roles were in the drama "Six Degrees of Separation" (1993) and the action film "Bad Boys" (1995) in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. The latter film was commercially successful, grossing $141.4 million worldwide. However, critical reception was generally mixed. In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day". The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.


title: Will Smith

text: In the summer of 1997, he starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the hit "Men in Black", playing Agent J. The film was released on July 2 by Columbia Pictures and grossed over $589.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget, becoming the year's third highest-grossing film, with an estimated 54,616,700 tickets sold in the US. It received positive reviews, with critics praising its humor, as well as Jones's and Smith's performances.


title: Will Smith

text: During the summer of 1997, Smith also began his solo music career with the release of "Men in Black", the theme song for the film, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK. "Men in Black" (and second single "Just Cruisin'") was later included on Smith's debut solo album "Big Willie Style", which reached the top ten of the US "Billboard" 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The third single from the album, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", became Smith's first "Billboard" Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.


title: Will Smith

text: In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in "Enemy of the State". The following year he turned down the role of Neo in "The Matrix" in favor of "Wild Wild West" (1999). Despite the disappointment of "Wild Wild West", Smith said that he has no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves' performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved, although in interviews subsequent to the release of "Wild Wild West" he said that he "made a mistake on "Wild Wild West". That could have been better."


title: Will Smith

text: Smith's second album was again supported by the release of a film theme song as the lead single: "Wild Wild West", featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, topped the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA. The album in question, "Willennium", reached number five on the "Billboard" 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. "Will 2K", the second single from the album, reached number 25 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Before the end of 1999, a video album was released featuring Smith's seven music videos released to date, which reached number 25 on the UK Music Video Chart. The same year, he was also featured on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" co-star Tatyana Ali's single "Boy You Knock Me Out", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK R&B Singles Chart.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith portrayed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biopic "Ali". For his performance he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. In 2002, following a four-year musical hiatus, Smith returned with his third album "Born to Reign", which reached number 13 on the "Billboard" 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. The album's lead single was the theme song from Smith's film "Men in Black II", called "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. Later in the year, Smith's first compilation album "Greatest Hits" was released, featuring songs from his three solo albums as well as those produced with DJ Jazzy Jeff.


title: Will Smith

text: 2003 saw Smith return for "Bad Boys II", the sequel to the 1995 film "Bad Boys"; the film follows detectives Burnett and Lowrey investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box-office success, grossing $270 million worldwide. In the following year, he starred in the science fiction film "I, Robot" and the animated film "Shark Tale"; both films were box office successes despite mixed reviews. Smith's latest album "Lost and Found" was released in 2005, peaking at number six on the "Billboard" 200. Lead single "Switch" reached the top ten of both the "Billboard" Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In 2005, Smith was entered into the "Guinness Book of World Records" for attending three premieres in a 24-hour time span. Smith and his son Jaden played father and son in the 2006 biographical drama "The Pursuit of Happyness". In the film Smith portrays Chris Gardner. Smith first became interested in making a film about Gardner after seeing him on "20/20" and connected with him during production. The film, along with Smith's performance, received praise.


title: Will Smith

text: On December 10, 2007, Smith was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film "I Am Legend", released on December 14, 2007. Alongside marginally positive reviews, its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique". A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood." On December 1, 2008, "TV Guide" reported that Smith was selected as one of America's top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.


title: Will Smith

text: In 2008, Smith was reported to be developing a film entitled "The Last Pharaoh", in which he would be starring as Taharqa. Smith later starred in the superhero movie "Hancock", which grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and had a worldwide total of $624,386,746. On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to work on his fifth studio album.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith again reprised his role as Agent J with "Men in Black 3", which opened on May 25, 2012, his first major starring role in four years. After the release of the film, Smith was content with ending his work with the franchise, saying, "I think three is enough for me. Three of anything is enough for me. We'll look at it and we'll consider it, but it feels like that it might be time to let someone else do that." "Men in Black 3", released ten years after "Men in Black II" (2002), grossed over $624 million worldwide. Unadjusted for inflation, it is the highest-grossing film in the series.


title: Will Smith

text: In 2013, Smith starred in "After Earth" with his son Jaden. The film was a disappointment at the domestic box office and was panned critically. Calling the film "the most painful failure in my career", Smith ended up taking a year and a half break as a result.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith starred opposite Margot Robbie in the romance drama "Focus", released on February 27, 2015. He played Nicky Spurgeon, a veteran con artist who takes a young, attractive woman under his wing. Smith was set to star in the sci-fi thriller "Brilliance", an adaptation of Marcus Sakey's novel of the same name scripted by "Jurassic Park" writer David Koepp, but he left the project to work on the Ridley Scott-produced sports drama "Concussion".


title: Will Smith

text: In "Concussion", Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu of the Brain Injury Research Institute, the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Smith reported he had doubts about the film early in the production, saying, "some of my happiest memories are of watching my son catch and throw a football. I didn't want to be the guy who did a movie saying football could be dangerous." These views subsided when he met Omalu, whose words about American ideals resonated with Smith. Smith's performance was praised for being "sensitive [and] understated".


title: Will Smith

text: In 2016, Smith played Deadshot in the supervillain team-up action film "Suicide Squad". Smith's participation in the film meant choosing it over a role in "", which he said would be like "clinging and clawing backwards." While "Suicide Squad" was a massive financial success, earning over $700 million at the box office, the film received negative reviews from critics. Christopher Orr, film critic from "The Atlantic" described the film writing "The latest offering from the DC Comics superhero universe may be the most disastrous yet". Later that year, Smith starred in director David Frankel's drama "Collateral Beauty", playing a New York advertising executive who succumbs to a deep depression after a personal tragedy. Weeks after signing Smith onto the film, his father was diagnosed with cancer, from which he died in 2016. As part of his role required him to read about religion and the afterlife, he was brought closer to the elder Smith, calling the experience "a beautiful way to prepare for a movie and an even more majestic way to say goodbye to my father." The film marked the lowest box office opening of Will Smith's career. The film also received near universal negative acclaim from film critics. "Hollywood Reporter" critic David Rooney criticized Smith's performance writing as "the least interesting component in a madly overqualified cast".


title: Will Smith

text: His film "Bright" was distributed via Netflix on December 22, 2017. An urban fantasy, it was the most expensive film for Netflix to date. Smith collaborated with his director from "Suicide Squad", David Ayer. That month, Smith launched his own YouTube channel, which has over 6 million subscribers and 294 million total views. Also in 2017, Smith released the song "Get Lit" a collaboration between him and his former group mate Jazzy Jeff. This would also be another critical disappointment for Smith, with critics panning the movie. Richard Roeper of "The Chicago Sun-Times" criticized the film and Smith's performance writing, "By the time Will Smith barks [the line, "Dude, you can't go through elf town!"] with 100 percent urgency and sincerity in the mindboggling mess that is "Bright," it's clear we are watching a truly terrible, mountainous pile of genre-blending garbage."


title: Will Smith

text: Smith performed the official song "Live It Up" alongside American singer Nicky Jam and Kosovar singer Era Istrefi at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia. That September, Smith appeared, alongside Bad Bunny, on the Marc Anthony song "Está Rico".


title: Will Smith

text: Smith portrayed The Genie (originally voiced by Robin Williams) in the live-action adaptation of Disney's "Aladdin", directed by Guy Ritchie. He also participated in the soundtracks by recording singles: "Arabian Nights (2019)", "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali". The film was released on May 24, 2019. "Aladdin" grossed over $1 billion worldwide to become Smith's highest-grossing film, surpassing "Independence Day". Smith was also featured on rapper Logic's song "Don't Be Afraid To Be Different" (2019), from his fifth studio album "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind".


title: Will Smith

text: Smith appeared as an assassin who faces off against a younger clone of himself in Ang Lee's "Gemini Man", released on October 11, 2019. The film was a box office bomb and received negative reviews from critics. "Variety"s Peter DeBruge called the film "a high-concept misfire" and wrote: "In practice, it's been a nearly impossible project to get made, passing through the hands of countless actors and falling through multiple times because the technology wasn't there yet. At least, that's been the excuse, although judging by the finished product, it was the script that never lived up to the promise of its premise."


title: Will Smith

text: Later that year, Smith had his second starring role in an animated film, in "Spies in Disguise", opposite Tom Holland. Smith voiced Lance Sterling, a spy who teams up with the nerdy inventor who creates his gadgets (Holland). In 2020, he reteamed with Martin Lawrence for the third film in their franchise, "Bad Boys for Life". In 2019, Smith invested $46 million in esports organization Gen.G with Smith's Dreamers Fund, which he co-founded with Keisuke Honda. In June 2020, it was announced that Smith would star in "Emancipation", directed by Antoine Fuqua, in which he portrays Peter, a runaway slave, who outsmarts hunters and the Louisiana swamp on a journey to the Union Army.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith's memoir "Will", which was written with Mark Manson, the author of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck," was published on November 9, 2021, and promoted with a tour. The book is a journey of self-knowledge recalling childhood traumas, his relationship with his father, and his experiences with ayahuasca. In the same year, he and his Westbrook Studios company signed a deal with National Geographic.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith portrayed Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the 2021 film "King Richard". For his performance, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.


title: Will Smith

text: On February 7, 2022, National Geographic announced that Smith would star in a series titled "Pole to Pole", which will stream on Disney+. The show will follow Smith and his film crew as they go on a trek from the South Pole to the North Pole, crossing all of Earth's biomes and spending time in communities along the way.


title: Will Smith

text: During the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Smith walked onstage and slapped presenter and comedian Chris Rock who had made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head with a reference to the main protagonist in the film "G.I. Jane". Smith then returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, twice saying "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!" Pinkett Smith had been diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018 and would later shave her head due to the condition. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony but he refused. Later in the night, Smith was named Best Actor for "King Richard" and apologized to the Academy and the other nominees, but not to Rock, in his acceptance speech. Following public backlash, Smith issued a formal apology. ABC, AMPAS, and the Screen Actors Guild condemned Smith following the incident, prompting an investigation by the Academy's Board of Governors. Rock declined to press charges against Smith, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. On April 1, 2022, Smith tendered his resignation from the Academy, writing in part:


title: Will Smith

text: I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.


title: Will Smith

text: The AMPAS President David Rubin accepted the resignation in an official statement but said they would continue their investigation. Smith's resignation means he is no longer able to vote on Oscar nominations as a member of the Academy. Commentators have speculated that Smith's resignation from the Academy and other related fallout from the slap would damage his "family brand".


title: Will Smith

text: On April 8, 2022, the Academy announced its decision to ban Smith from future Oscars galas and associated events for a period of 10 years. Several film projects that Smith had been involved in were put on hold as a result of the controversy. In a statement to CNN, Smith stated: "I accept and respect the Academy's decision." Smith offered an on camera apology on July 29, saying he was "deeply remorseful" for his actions.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. Their son Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III was born on November 11, 1992. The two divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". He also acted in two episodes of the sitcom "All of Us", and has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and the "David Blaine: Real or Magic" TV special.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett on December 31, 1997. They met when Pinkett auditioned for a role as Smith's character's girlfriend in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". The pair produce films through their joint production company Overbrook Entertainment and Westbrook Inc. Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born 1998), his co-star in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "After Earth"; and Willow Camille Reign Smith (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in "I Am Legend".


title: Will Smith

text: Smith and his wife Jada have expressed unconventional practices in their marriage, jokingly calling their commitment "bad marriage for life". Both he and Pinkett Smith have admitted to having extramarital relationships and believing in the freedom to pursue them. Smith has said he wanted a polyamorous relationship with actress Halle Berry and ballerina Misty Copeland but ultimately abandoned the idea after therapy.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith and his brother Harry own Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills–based company named after Trey Smith, and his family resides in Los Angeles, California. In 2018, Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by performing a bungee jump from a helicopter in the Grand Canyon. Smith was insured by Lloyd's of London for $200 million for the jump, which raised money for the charity Global Citizen.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Roman Catholic school and church. In a 2013 interview, he said he did not identify as religious. In 2015, Smith said in an interview with "The Christian Post" that his Christian faith, which was instilled in him by his grandmother, helped him to accurately portray Bennet Omalu in "Concussion", saying: "She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter presentations and putting on the Christmas plays and her kids and grandkids had to be first. She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying she was happy, like she was really excited about going to heaven." In 2018, Smith performed the Hindu rite of abhisheka of Shiva at Haridwar, India. He also performed an arti of the holy river Ganga. He has said that he feels a deep connection to Hindu spirituality and Indian astrology. Smith and his family also met and spent time with the Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, stating that he enjoyed the heartfelt conversations between them.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith donated $4,600 to the 2008 presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, to celebrate Obama's winning of the prize. In 2012, Smith said he supported legalizing same-sex marriage. In 2021, Smith announced that production of his upcoming film, "Emancipation", was being pulled from Georgia because of the recent passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which critics viewed as a restrictive voting law, negatively impacting non-white voters. Smith and director Antoine Fuqua released a joint statement: "We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access".


title: Will Smith

text: Smith has often been noted for achieving groundbreaking success throughout his musical career, and with his work as an actor in television and film. He has been cited as one of the "greatest actors" of his generation by several publications. "Forbes" referred to him as the "biggest movie star of the post-9/11 era". Smith's transition from music to acting has influenced multiple rappers to also become actors, with him being cited as a pioneer for the rappers crossing over into acting by "Complex". In 2006, "Time" named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world; in 2008, "Esquire" named him one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith faced public backlash for slapping and shouting at Oscar presenter Chris Rock during the 2022 annual Academy Awards ceremony, after Rock made a joke referencing Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He then shouted at Rock twice to "keep [his] wife’s name out of [Rock's] fucking mouth!". Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy and was banned from attending Academy functions, including the Oscars, for ten years. The violent outburst damaged Smith's reputation as a likable leading man and family star, with audiences viewing him negatively, and many in the industry questioning his ability to recover.


title: Will Smith

text: His work as a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince made them the first rap act to win a Grammy Award, as well as the first to win an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video, when the song "Parents Just Don't Understand" won in the inaugural rap categories at both award show ceremonies. "XXL" has referred to him as "one of the most important rappers of all time". As of 2013, his debut solo album "Big Willie Style" (1997) is among the best-selling rap albums of all time.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith later launched his acting career by starring in the NBC sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"; the show's success is considered to be a watershed moment for Hip-Hop and Black television, with many publications referring to it as one of the "Greatest Sitcoms of All Time". Professor Andrew Horton said, "Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" translated well into commercial box-office appeal. "The Fresh Prince" watered down and capitalized upon the then growing popularity of Hip Hop and almost anticipated its dominance on the American scene".


title: Will Smith

text: Moreover, author Willie Tolliver noted, "What "The Fresh Prince" did accomplish was to put Smith and his character Will into an environment of affluence and possibility, thus changing the terms of his own Black identity. This social and cultural mobility is central to Smith's racial significance, and this will become evident again and again; he moves the image of the Black male into unaccustomed spaces just as Smith himself was in the process of conquering Hollywood."


title: Will Smith

text: After starring in his debut film "Where the Day Takes You" (1992), Smith quickly became one of Hollywood's most successful and bankable stars. He currently holds the record for the most consecutive $100-million-plus hits at the US box office, with eight. Smith starred as Daryl in the movie "Bright" (2017), which broke the record at the time for the most-viewed Netflix film ever for its first week, and became the first major Hollywood film to skip theatrical release over streaming platform for simultaneous viewing by more than 100 million people worldwide.


title: Will Smith

text: For his role as Agent J in "Men in Black 3" (2012), Smith earned the highest-paid movie role of all time, when he reportedly earned $100 million for his role in the film; furthermore his roles in the movies "King Richard" and "Bright" are also among the highest-paid roles of all time. His upcoming movie "Emancipation" (2022) sold to Apple Studios for $120 million in June 2020, which made it the largest film festival acquisition deal in film history. In 2022, Smith became the fifth black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.


title: Will Smith

text: Smith has received multiple awards throughout his career, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams, the prolific father and coach to championship tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the biopic "King Richard" (2021)a role that also won him a Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category; in addition to a producer nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Prior to this award, he had been nominated several times for the Academy Award (2; for "Ali" and "The Pursuit of Happyness"), the Golden Globe Award (5; for "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", "Ali", "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Concussion"), and the Screen Actors Guild Award (once for "The Pursuit of Happyness"). In 2005, he received the honorary César Award; that same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical for "Fela!"; and in 2021, he was nominated as a producer of "Cobra Kai" for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.


title: Will Smith

text: Aside from acting and behind-the-scenes work on screen and stage, Smith has made ventures into hip hop with the release of several songs, four of which won him Grammy Awardsone for Best Rap Performance (for "Parents Just Don't Understand"), one for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (for "Summertime"), and two for Best Rap Solo Performance (for "Men in Black" and "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"); the former two of which he won as a member of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.


title: Will Smith

text: His Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award nominations make him one of few black actors to be nominated for all four major entertainment awards in the US.


title: Serena Williams

text: Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American inactive professional tennis player. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time.


title: Serena Williams

text: Along with her older sister Venus, Serena Williams was coached by her parents Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Turning professional in 1995, she won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open. From the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, she was dominant, winning all four major singles titles (each time over Venus in the final) to achieve a non-calendar year Grand Slam and the career Grand Slam, known as the 'Serena Slam'. The next few years saw her claim two more singles majors, but suffer from injury and decline in form. Beginning in 2007, however, she gradually returned to form despite continued injuries, retaking the world No. 1 singles ranking. Beginning at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold and becoming the first tennis player to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. She won eight out of thirteen singles majors, including all four in a row from 2014–15 to achieve a second "Serena Slam". At the 2017 Australian Open, she won her 23rd major singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf's Open Era record. She then took a break from professional tennis after becoming pregnant and reached four major finals since returning to play. In August 2022, Williams announced her impending evolution away from professional tennis and played what was expected to be her final match at the 2022 US Open.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams also won 14 major women's doubles titles, all with her sister Venus, and the pair was unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. This includes a non-calendar year Grand Slam between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, which granted the sisters the doubles world No. 1 ranking. She won four Olympic gold medals, three in women's doubles—an all-time joint record shared with her sister. She has also won two major mixed doubles titles, both in 1998.


title: Serena Williams

text: The arrival of the Williams sisters has been credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour. Serena holds the most combined major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles among active players, with 39: 23 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era for total major titles. She is the most recent woman to simultaneously hold all four major singles titles (2002–03 and 2014–15), and the most recent woman to win the Surface Slam (major titles on hard, clay and grass courts in the same calendar year), doing so in 2015. She is also, with Venus, the most recent player to have simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles (2009–10).


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams was the world's highest paid woman athlete in 2016, earning almost $29 million. She repeated this feat in 2017 when she was the only woman on "Forbes" list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, with $27million in prize money and endorsements. She has won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award four times (2003, 2010, 2016, 2018), and in December 2015 was named Sportsperson of the Year by "Sports Illustrated" magazine. In 2021, she was ranked 28th on "Forbes" World's Highest-Paid Athletes list. She is the highest-earning woman athlete of all time.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan to Oracene Price and Richard Williams. She is the youngest of Price's five daughters: half-sisters Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price, and full older sister Venus. She also has at least seven paternal half-siblings. When the children were young, the family moved to Compton, California, where she started playing tennis at age four. Her father home-schooled her and her sister, Venus. While he and subsequently her mother have been their official coaches, her other mentors have included Richard Williams, a Compton man who shared her father's name and subsequently founded The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Tutorial Academy.


title: Serena Williams

text: When Williams was nine, she and her family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach, Florida so she could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who provided her with additional coaching. Macci did not always agree with Williams's father, but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls". Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was 10, as he wanted them to "go slowly" and focus on school work. Experiences of racism also influenced this decision, as he had heard white parents talk about the Williams sisters in a derogatory manner during tournaments. At that time, Williams had a 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked number one among under-10 players in Florida. In 1995, when Williams was in the ninth grade, her father pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy and took over all coaching at their home. When asked in 2000 whether it would have been more beneficial for them to have followed the normal path of playing regularly on the junior circuit, Williams responded, "Everyone does different things. I think for Venus and I, we just attempted a different road, and it worked for us."


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams' parents wanted their daughter to wait until she was 16 to participate in professional tournaments. In 1995, just after turning 14, Williams planned to make her professional debut as a wild-card entry in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California, but was denied by the WTA owing to their age-eligibility restrictions. She subsequently filed an antitrust lawsuit against the women's tour, but withdrew it at her parents' request. Her first professional event was in October 1995 at the Bell Challenge in Quebec, where she used a wild-card entry to circumvent age-eligibility rules. She lost in the first qualifying round to then 18-year-old American Annie Miller, winning just two games.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams did not play a tournament in 1996. The next year, she lost in the qualifying rounds of three tournaments, before winning her first main-draw match in November at the Ameritech Cup Chicago. Ranked No. 304, she upset No. 7 Mary Pierce, and No. 4 Monica Seles, recording her first career wins over top10 players and becoming the lowest-ranked player in the Open Era to defeat two top-10 opponents in one tournament. She ultimately lost in the semifinals to No. 5 Lindsay Davenport. She finished 1997 ranked No. 99.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams began 1998 at the Medibank International Sydney. As a qualifier ranked No. 96, she defeated No. 3 Davenport in the quarterfinals, before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. Williams made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open, where she defeated sixth-seeded Irina Spîrlea in the first round, before losing to her sister, Venus, in the second round in the sisters' first professional match. She reached six other quarterfinals during the year, but lost all of them, including her first match against No. 1-ranked Martina Hingis at the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, and her second match against Venus at the Italian Open in Rome. She failed to reach the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam tournament the remainder of the year, losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and the third round of the US Open to Spîrlea. She withdrew from Wimbledon two games into a match with Virginia Ruano Pascual, after straining a calf muscle during the first set. She did win the mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi, completing the Williams family's sweep of the 1998 mixed doubles Grand Slam tournaments. She won her first professional title in doubles at the U.S. National Indoor Championships in Oklahoma City with Venus, becoming the third pair of sisters to win a WTA title. They won two more doubles titles that year. Williams finished the year ranked No. 20 in singles.


title: Serena Williams

text: A 16-year-old Serena and her sister Venus competed in a tennis "Battle of the Sexes" against Karsten Braasch at the 1998 Australian Open. At the time Braasch was 203rd in the ATP rankings. The sisters had claimed they could beat any man outside the top 200, and accepted his challenge. Braasch beat both of them, playing one set against each. The score versus Serena was 6–1 and 6–2 against Venus. Braasch said afterward, "500 and above, no chance." The sisters later tweaked the number to beating men outside the top 350.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams lost in the third round of the 1999 Australian Open to Sandrine Testud. A month later, Williams won her first professional singles title when she defeated Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France in Paris. With Venus also winning the IGA Superthrift Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, that day, the pair became the first sisters to win professional tournaments in the same week. In March of that year, at the Evert Cup in California, Williams won her first Tier I title, defeating Steffi Graf in the final. Soon afterward at the Miami Masters, Williams had her 16-match winning streak ended by her sister in the first all-sister singles final in WTA history, and she then made her top-10 debut, at No. 9. She then lost in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and the German Open, and the third round of the French Open, where she and Venus won the women's doubles title. Williams then missed Wimbledon because of injury. When she returned to the tour, Williams won a Fed Cup singles match and then won the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, beating Julie Halard-Decugis in the final. She then defeated in succession Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martínez, Monica Seles, and defending champion Lindsay Davenport to reach the US Open final, where she defeated No. 1, Hingis, to become the second African-American woman, after Althea Gibson in 1958, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. The Williams sisters also won the doubles title at this tournament. To complete her 1999 season, Williams won a doubles match in the Fed Cup final against Russia. Williams ended the year ranked No. 4 in just her second full year on the main tour.


title: Serena Williams

text: Williams started 2000 by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Elena Likhovtseva. She failed to defend her titles in Paris and Indian Wells, although she did win the Faber Grand Prix in Germany. Soon afterwards, Williams missed the French Open because of injury. She returned from injury at the Wimbledon Championships, where she lost to Venus in the semifinals, but the pair won the doubles title at the event. Williams successfully defended her title in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in the final. She reached the final of the Du Maurier Open where an injury forced her to retire from her match with Hingis. Her defense of the US Open title ended when she lost in the quarterfinals to Davenport. Williams teamed with Venus to win the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics that September. She ended the year winning the Toyota Princess Cup in Japan and she finished the year ranked No. 6.