As a seasoned observer of the entertainment industry, I must say that Jaden Smith‘s journey has been nothing short of intriguing. At just 26 years old, he’s already made a name for himself, albeit not without its share of controversy.
It’s likely challenging for most of us to grasp the distinctive upbringing experienced by Jaden Smith, given he is the offspring of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith – an actor, musician, and fashion trendsetter. Growing up in one of Hollywood’s most illustrious and influential families, his early life was anything but ordinary. When he was merely 8 years old, his father made him audition multiple times for “The Pursuit of Happyness,” a drama that marked the beginning of both their acting careers together. The movie, which became a significant success, seemed to set the stage for Jaden’s future as a potential film star, capable of eclipsing his father’s fame one day.
Despite boasting extensive connections and abundant resources, it’s striking how distant he appears from reaching his goal at this point – if it’s even a goal still within reach. For instance, since the launch of “After Earth” in 2013, Jaden Smith’s film career has been relatively quiet. To some, it seems as though he abandoned his journey towards stardom completely, becoming just another actor with one notable movie to their name. However, the reality is more intricate and demands a closer examination of his modest yet impactful filmography, along with the unconventional paths he’s taken over the past decade.
The Day the Earth Stood Still was a critical bomb
In the world of cinema, it’s a harsh reality that critical reviews significantly impact an actor’s career trajectory, even before online platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic came into existence. A poorly received production could potentially derail a budding star’s chances of advancing, or be used to question their talent as an entertainer if they consistently receive negative criticism. For instance, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” despite receiving some positive reviews, may not have made much difference due to its young lead actor being only 8 years old and resembling Will Smith’s real son, compensating for any acting deficiencies. However, as the actor grows in the industry, each subsequent film will carry more weight, especially since they are often overshadowed by a parent who is already well-established, such as Jaden Smith being the son of the famous Will Smith.
At age 10, Smith played Jacob Benson Jr., the son of Jennifer Connelly’s character Helen Benson in the 2008 remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” which also featured Keanu Reeves. Unfortunately for both actors, this science fiction film received negative reviews from critics who felt it was deficient in plot and acting, although the blame for poor performance was primarily placed on Reeves. Despite not being a box office success that boosted Smith’s career at the time, he still won a Saturn Award for best performance by a young actor, surprisingly beating out Dev Patel, who starred in “Slumdog Millionaire.
The Karate Kid wasn’t the star-maker it could’ve been
As a budding actor, I seized the chances presented by movies like “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” These roles allowed me, as a young supporting actor, to gather some valuable experience before diving headfirst into the challenging role that came my way at just 12 years old. In the run-up to its release in 2010, my parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, were part of the production team for Columbia Pictures’ “Karate Kid” remake. They cleverly reworked it to serve as a stepping stone for me, helping me establish myself as an independent movie star.
2010’s “The Karate Kid” features Smith taking on the role of Dre Parker, a character inspired by Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso from the 1984 original. However, unlike the original, where Daniel learns karate from Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), Dre learns kung fu under the tutelage of Mr. Han, portrayed by Jackie Chan. Essentially, karate is absent in “The Karate Kid” remake. This departure from the traditional martial art was one of the reasons the film received mixed reviews, as well as its extended length beyond two hours.
In some circles, critics appeared quite fond of Smith as the main actor, though a few were less convinced (apparently being lenient in certain instances). Others often drew parallels with his father, but these comparisons didn’t have universal approval. Unlike its earlier version, this film did not spawn any sequels or a TV series. As for now, Chan will reprise his role in a movie collaboration with “Cobra Kai,” but there’s no information about Smith’s participation. Winning a young artist award for this part, it seems that the future success promised by this role has not extended beyond 2010.
After Earth halted his momentum completely
Currently, there are three films out, and Jaden Smith’s acting career is in an unusual position. He hasn’t been in a successful movie yet, and his only major film role was not significantly influenced by his parents (ignoring the fact that Jada Pinkett-Smith and Keanu Reeves co-starred in two “Matrix” sequels). His next decision could be crucial for determining if he truly has acting talent or is merely benefiting from his parent’s fame. A misstep like “After Earth” at this stage, following “The Karate Kid,” might have been unthinkable, but now it seems less surprising in retrospect.
In the years following the triumph of “The Pursuit of Happyness,” I, as Will Smith, chose to reunite with my son Jaden for another project – a sci-fi survival thriller where we played father and son. Some might say this was a risky move for career progression, but things took an even more intriguing turn when I reached out to M. Night Shyamalan to direct – a move I made just a week after the release of his less-than-successful “The Last Airbender” adaptation, which remains one of his least-appreciated works to this day.
In 2013, the film “After Earth” was heavily criticized upon its release. Jaden Smith, who had grown more recognized by audiences as a leading actor, faced criticism without any age or experience caveats. Despite being a frequent hit on Netflix’s sci-fi section, this box office bomb is considered one of Will Smith’s biggest career blunders by him. He regrets it because he feels he placed his son in such a detrimental situation.
Being a famous actor’s son had major drawbacks
The disappointing performance of “After Earth” both critically and commercially is disheartening, particularly because it appears to have hindered Jaden Smith’s efforts to establish himself as an actor separate from his father. To some, it seemed that Will Smith was attempting to thrust his son into the limelight without much success. As “The Karate Kid” and “After Earth” were released quite close together, it seems that Jaden never had the opportunity to grow and build a career on his own, lacking the chance to audition, network, and gradually establish himself in the acting world over several years.
Instead, the Smith family embarked on a series of high-priced movie ventures, each requiring substantial box office earnings of hundreds of millions to validate their existence, even Jaden Smith’s rising fame. Unfortunately, neither project achieved such success, which may give the impression that Jaden’s early career was not driven by an ambitious actor but rather by his father’s unsuccessful strategies.
It appears that the phrase “nepo baby” (used for children of famous people who often benefit from privileged careers in similar fields) is becoming more common and seems to be sticking around. Even Smith might not have been exempt from this label, but if his father hadn’t played significant roles in his most notable projects, it wouldn’t be a term used to undermine their accomplishments.
He uses his platform to share really bizarre ideas and sentiments
In the late 2010s, I, Jaden Smith, started getting a mix of reactions for my quirky and sometimes amusing tweets. Back then, on the platform that used to be known as Twitter, I was notorious for posting mysterious messages and personal philosophies, with each word capitalized. Some memorable tweets from this time include: “I’m not saying I don’t speak or follow English grammar because I was born in America; I speak Jaden, forever.” And let’s not forget: “Everyone you idolize is going to start writing their own articles, and these uninformed journalists will become obsolete.” (Now, it might be said that our editorial team has a slight bias against the latter.)
These statements – like “The greatest showoff move anyone can ever make is dying” or “If newborn babies could talk, they would be the wisest beings on Earth,” which seem harmless as mere jokes – have been associated with Smith’s fascination with conspiracy theories. In an interview with HuffPost, he expressed his belief in a hidden civilization of highly advanced humans living on Earth, stating that our current technology is not the pinnacle of human potential. He argued that there are places where technology surpasses what we commonly encounter, and these advancements are made by humans, suggesting they should be recognized and studied as they could potentially solve many ongoing problems.
The interviewer suggested that the locations resembled Wakanda from “Black Panther,” a notion Jaden concurred with. At times, he’s also shared views on extraterrestrial life, the ineffectiveness of conventional education, secret organizations like the Illuminati, and government-made chemtrails.
He just seems to be more interested in music
It’s widely agreed that one of the main reasons Jaden Smith isn’t acting as much is because he’s focused on other creative endeavors, where he’s achieved significant success. His breakthrough came with his appearance in Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never,” which paved the way for a thriving music career. He has released several albums including the “Cool Tape” trilogy and two more titled “Syre” and “Erys.” With the help of Will Smith’s management company, Westbrook Entertainment, he’s shown his commercial viability in music and collaborated with prominent artists like J. Cole and Tyler, the Creator.
His work is often divisive, as it frequently delves into intricate narrative ideas and pushes genre boundaries. While many critics admire his limitless imagination, they also criticize his lack of musical harmony. The Guardian’s Tara Joshi characterized his 2019 release “Erys” as either “dreamily creative” or “overwrought.” In a less favorable review for Pitchfork, Reed Jackson described the same album as “mostly a struggle, the sound of an artist with unclear goals and too many resources at his disposal.
Will Smith’s Oscars slap reflected poorly on everyone
2022 saw a shocking moment unfold during the 94th Academy Awards when I, as a fan, found myself witnessing Will Smith taking action against comedian Chris Rock on live television. The incident started with a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, leading to an intense and uncomfortable exchange between the two. Smith, who was sitting in the audience, expressed his anger verbally towards Rock. Later that night, he won the Best Actor award, but the following days brought an apology from Smith to Rock for his outburst. This incident resulted in a 10-year ban on Smith’s attendance at Academy events.
In response to the slap, Jaden Smith posted on Twitter “And That’s How We Do It,” which appeared to endorse his father’s action of charging the stage and hitting Rock. Some people online believed that Rock went too far by laughing at Pinkett Smith, who had been open about her struggle with alopecia (a condition leading to hair loss). However, many, particularly those in the entertainment industry, felt that Smith was not justified in physically attacking another performer due to a joke.
Even though it was unlikely that any of the Smith family would publicly condemn their father or spouse instantly, Jaden’s approval might have irritated influential figures in the industry. To put it simply, these individuals were interpreting the act of violence without immediate punishment as a dangerous precedent, comparing it to attempted murder and tolerance of genocidal leaders. Whether this comparison was an exaggeration or not, it suggests that Smith’s actions may not have been the wisest move in terms of managing public opinion at the time.
An alleged comment about China caused a stir
Consistently expressed in this write-up, Jaden Smith has no qualms about expressing his candid thoughts openly on various topics. However, this openness led to a significant controversy when he was allegedly criticizing the People’s Republic of China.
On August 19, 2023, rumors emerged on the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu. These rumors accused Smith of making disrespectful remarks about China while traveling on a train in Tokyo, Japan. The remarks, allegedly including the phrase “F*** China,” were not caught on camera, causing some to doubt the truthfulness of these accusations. It would be unusual to believe that Smith harbored strong negative feelings towards the country given his involvement with the region – for instance, “The Karate Kid” was a collaboration between Hollywood and Hong Kong studios, and he has performed at various venues in China multiple times.
Well, I was really looking forward to Smith’s concerts in China, but suddenly, without any clear explanation, they got postponed. Now, I didn’t see him responding to the viral post on Xiaohongshu, but it sure did stir up a lot of negativity towards him from Chinese fans. His Instagram comments section was filled with it, and he promptly turned off comments.
Jaden Smith still has plenty of time to make his mark
Because of how long Jaden Smith has been in the spotlight, it’s incredibly easy to forget one crucial fact — he’s only 26 years old as of this writing. Sure, Will Smith was only 22 years old when he landed “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” but if there’s anything a reader should take away from this article it’s that it’s fairly useless to compare the two entertainers given how different their circumstances were.
In contrast to his father who found success in music before transitioning into acting, Jaden Smith initially gained fame as an actor but is now carving out a distinct musical identity for himself. Despite having only released three albums so far, there’s no indication that he has fully tapped into his musical potential.
It’s important to note that Jaden hasn’t made a definitive choice between big budget films and smaller projects. Instead, he’s taken on significant roles in less financially risky movies like “Skate Kitchen” (2018) and “Life in a Year” (2020), which were critically acclaimed, unlike his first four films. This doesn’t mean he’s no longer an actor; quite the contrary, he might be in a more promising phase of his career than ever before. Although he is known for being one of Will Smith’s best co-stars, that recognition pales in comparison to this new chapter where he is discovering his unique voice, style, and artistic expression at his own pace.
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2024-10-09 03:30