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Will Smith's pursuit of 'Happyness' may lead to Oscar | 114325__smith_son_l
MASTERING THE BUSINESS Smith's promotional plans for Happyness, like all his films, has a global perspective that adds to his box-office take
Pursuit of Happyness: Zade Rosenthal

The myth, says James Lassiter, ''is that African Americans mean nothing at the box office overseas.'' Lassiter has been Smith's manager since their days hanging out in Jazzy Jeff's basement in West Philadelphia; their production company, Overbrook Entertainment, is named after the high school they attended. ''Unfortunately, it is a myth that has been perpetuated and now it's ingrained in the DNA of these studios.'' Lassiter says he and Smith ran up against the ''myth'' early on. But because they had already sold out rap concerts worldwide, and had seen the proliferation of hip-hop — i.e., African-American youth culture — they knew there were plenty of people outside the U.S. who would be receptive to a black movie star, especially one who came directly from that scene. ''I think it's a generational thing,'' says Lassiter. ''I've spent time with international distributors, and some of them are caught in a time warp. A 60-year-old distributor who thinks that no one will go see a black actor in a movie — he's speaking from his generation. He's not speaking to his 30-year-old son or his 15-year-old grandson.''

After wrapping Bad Boys in 1994, Smith reportedly urged producer Jerry Bruckheimer to let him promote the movie overseas. Despite its urban themes and R rating, the film pulled in $76 million on top of its $66 million domestic gross. Now Smith and Lassiter try to launch films in new markets like South Africa (Ali) or Russia (I, Robot) whenever possible. They've even gotten the studios down for the cause. ''When we did Hitch,'' says Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal, ''it was a front-and-center goal for all of us to break the stereotype that you couldn't do well overseas with a romantic comedy with African Americans. I think it was shattered.''

Some might argue that the stereotype wasn't shattered at all, that Smith — a perfect storm of a star, combining macho cool, boyish charm, and hip-hop style — simply became the exception that proves the rule. Is it possible that he's the only black actor able to cross international boundaries? ''That is not the case,'' Lassiter says. ''Immediately, people go, 'Oh, Will is different.' He's absolutely not different. We can't buy into that. Chris Tucker proved it in [Rush Hour]. You take the right movie and you go around the world and you sell it and it will work.''

Smith thinks it's just a matter of elbow grease. ''The big issue is, we don't go,'' he says of his fellow African-American actors. ''I've had conversations with Martin [Lawrence]. I've had conversations with Eddie [Murphy] and Denzel [Washington]. It's long and it's hard to do, to trudge around the world for six weeks or seven weeks. And you don't get paid for that directly. Nobody wants to go — not even white actors, like Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler. I'm like, Are you crazy? I can match or double my U.S. box office outside of the country because I go.''

Smith has as much reason to stay home as anyone. He and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, 35, have two children, Jaden and Willow, 6. He also has a son, Trey, 14, from a previous marriage. So why the relentless drive to maintain his fame? It's not about his bank account. He says he hasn't done a movie strictly for the money in years. Where does the ambition come from, then? ''I am dedicated to doing good,'' Smith says, sounding unapologetically earnest, like he's saving the world in ID4. ''When I wake up every day, I want the world to be better because I woke up today.'' And even though Smith hasn't converted to Scientology — ''I'm riding with Jesus,'' he says — he does cite Cruise as a role model. ''Tom Cruise wants the world to be better. He's committed beyond his own safety, his own protection.''

Smith won't get specific about how exactly he wants to make the world a better place: It involves some combination of storytelling, charitable acts, and an inspiring public image. Duane Martin, who has known Smith since they were both fledgling sitcom stars in the early '90s, finds Smith's example even more inspiring than Cruise's. ''Will is a minority,'' says Martin, who currently stars in All of Us, a CW sitcom exec-produced by Smith. ''Minorities all over the world relate to him and they marvel at him. When Tom is done, you're going to get another Tom coming through. But you don't get a Will coming through very often.''

NEXT PAGE: Smith on the ''powerful conceptual magic'' of the American dream


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