Will Smith: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Muhammad Ali - Ali

For an actor who has worked for more than 20 years in prominent roles, Smith hasn't actually taken on as many jobs as others in his position would perhaps have. He has clearly reserved his choice to work for certain projects - whether because they appealed to his agenda to become the biggest film star in the world, or because they were locked into a particularly strong franchise - and it seems he enjoys a particular type of role. He enjoys a triumph over adversity story, and being the shining hero, and he also clearly has a thing for stories based on real life tales. But then, why wouldn't he, considering his prowess in such roles (this is, after all, the third "real" character to make this list?) And Ali must have been as easy a choice for him as Ray was for Jamie Foxx. Ali presented Smith with the opportunity to blend the two things he had built his career on: slightly-arrogant charm, and an enduring everyman appeal that made his stories completely irresistible. The role was never going to be easy, but the actor was perfectly cast, and his version of Muhammad Ali is a celebration of the man, without ever becoming an over-wrought parody through perfectionism, and you get the sense that there is as much of Smith in the performance as there is of Ali.