The well-known actor and Hollywood icon, Will Smith has often been vocal bout the difficulties his family encountered before they began to enjoy success. He has been a family man his entire life. The success his children have attained at such a young age would undoubtedly appear to be wonderful from the outside.

But, it is far from the truth, as he regretted trying to make his children famous when they were much too young to work in the field. Smith, who is well-known for his roles in movies like Men in Black, saw a rise in popularity as a result of his starring role in the NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996.

Even though Smith had a very successful career, he did not feel fully satisfied until his children, Jaden and Willow Smith, followed in his footsteps.

Will Smith
With his wife and fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith, he has two children: Jaden, and Willow Smith, ages 25 and 22, respectively. From a previous marriage, the Emancipation actor also has a 30-year-old son, Trey Smith.

Will Smith’s Regret For Pushing His Son Into Movies

Will Smith is one of the greatest actors Hollywood has ever got. He has long been associated with box office success, thanks to a variety of blockbusters, such as the Men in Black and Bad Boys series, Independence Day, Aladdin, and Hancock.

The Smith family was undoubtedly having the best possible year in 2010 if one were to look back on the year. The Life in a Year actor even acknowledged that he truly believed all of his lifelong goals had been achieved when his two children chose to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. Smith stated during his conversation on Kevin Hart’s Peacock talk show, Hart to Heart:
“That’s when I achieved everything I had ever dreamed. 2010 was like the greatest year as an artist, as a parent as Jaden’s The Karate Kid came out in June and Willow’s ‘Whip My Hair’ came out in October.”
Will Smith Regretted Pushing Son, Jaden Smith into Movies
Looking back on 2010, one would undoubtedly conclude that the Smith family was experiencing all the positive outcomes possible. The year had that effect on the Academy Award winner, who even went so far as to say that it had surpassed his highest hopes.
“I’m going to do it better than my father did it. [The actor had earlier stated that his father was abusive]. I told myself I would never have that kind of energy with my family and I had a dream, an idea of a family I was building. Pretty much 2010 to 2012 I had achieved everything I had ever dreamed.” 

Will Smith Got Emotional While Recalling His Early Life

Will Smith grew up in an abusive home, but he always wanted more from life than what he got from his parents. Thus, the I Am Legend star soon came to the painful realization that he was not doing any better than his father. He told Kevin Hart:
“Yet, nobody in my family was happy. No one wanted to be in a platoon. Willow was the first one to begin the mutiny and it was my first realisation that success and money don’t mean happiness.”
Will Smith (Source- Instagram)
He then began his journey of self-discovery and family exploration for the good of everyone. Will Smith came to understand that if no one is happy, fame and wealth are meaningless as the King Richard actor noted:
“Up until that point, I really believed that you could succeed your way – to a house and a family – and you could win your way to happiness. It was only then that I came to understand that material circumstances do not equal happiness and, in a lot of cases, they can be the reason you’re not happy.”
The father of three then remembered when he had his first realization:
“You can have so much stuff that it makes you miserable. That was my first pull-back and I was like, ‘OK, what am I missing?’ I was driving the people around me in a way that I was leaving scorched earth around me.”
Jada Pinkett Smith And Will Smith With Their Children
Well, despite all odds, the Smith family has been able to reunite, and this is something that is often observed.

On the work front, Will Smith is soon to be seen in the untitled fourth Bad Boys film, which is released on June 14, 2024.