Smith fears getting kids hooked on fame
Will Smith has a new outlook on teenagers: Parents do indeed understand.
The rapper-turned-actor says he’s “grown a lot” since writing the Grammy-winning 1988 hit that humorously declared they didn’t.
All three of his children now at least dabble in music and acting, most notably 14-year-old Jaden, who stars with his father in the new sci-fi film “After Earth,” opening Friday. Even in the midst of a globe-hopping promotional tour for the movie, Smith recognizes the downside to making stardom a family affair.
“I think that the major risk of this particular business is strictly emotional,” he said in a recent interview. “The business has almost a narcotic quality. So it’s almost as if you’re introducing a narcotic into your kid’s life.
“So for (wife) Jada ( Pinkett Smith) and I, the most important thing is that they have to stay focused and grounded on the fact that they are giving. You don’t make movies for your ego. You make movies to transfer information, to bring joy, to add value to the world.”
At an “After Earth” promotional event at the under-construction Virgin Galactic spaceport in the New Mexico desert, Smith does everything he can to playfully poke at his son’s ego.
When Jaden loudly drops a water bottle during a TV interview, he’s quickly reprimanded: “You’re kidding, right? You’re kidding. That’s the most unprofessional thing I’ve seen you do.”
Smith reaches over to shield his son’s face from bright camera lights, taunting the teen as a “super mega movie star, towering over you like a shadow over you. And you’re living in his shadow. And you’ve got to do interviews in his shadow.”
Jaden, obviously accustomed to the teasing, responds with calm confidence and some of Dad’s hammy humor, saying he lives “naturally” in the spotlight.
Teacher’s story inspires Perry gift
Filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry has surprised middle school students in Columbus, Ohio, by showing up at a musical concert and donating $100,000 to help student athletes in the city’s South-Western schools.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Perry was drawn to Finland Middle School on Friday after seeing a TV report about teacher Mary Mulvany starting a foundation to raise scholarship money to cover fees.
South-Western schools earned national attention when athletics and extra-curricular activities were eliminated after a failed levy in 2009.
The birthday bunch
Actor Christopher Lee is 91. Actress Lee Meriwether is 78. Musician Ramsey Lewis is 78. Actor Louis Gossett Jr. is 77. Actress Peri Gilpin is 52. Comedian Adam Carolla is 49. Actor Todd Bridges is 48. Rapper Andre 3000 (Outkast) is 38. Rapper Jadakiss is 38.