Will Smith To Go Full Wordsmith With New Memoir - HuffPost

While the Smith family typically leaves most things for the Red Table, Will Smith has apparently saved a few juicy stories for himself over the years.

The two-time Academy Award nominee announced the release of his new memoir, “Will,” on Instagram Saturday, revealing that his first book is due to hit shelves Nov. 9.

“I know this is weird but this is my book,” the actor, using a Pixar-style Instagram filter, shared in a video over the weekend, as he showed off the memoir’s vibrant cover. “It’s been a labor of love. I’ve been working on it for the past two years and it’s finally ready.”

While fans are likely already familiar with some of the actor’s backstory, the “brave and inspiring book” will dive deep into his rise from a Philadelphia teen to global superstar and chronicle the highs and lows of his trailblazing and decades-spanning career.

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Smith first broke onto the scene as part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince in the late ’80s, ultimately picking up a couple of Grammy Awards along the way.

After making his mark with the iconic sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Smith went on to conquer the big screen and fronted a string of box-office hits, including “Bad Boys,” “Men in Black,” “Hitch” and “Independence Day.”

“In ‘Will,’ one of the most dynamic and globally-recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, tracing his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, ‘Will’ tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had,” Penguin Press said in a press release.

The 352-page memoir, which Smith wrote in collaboration with “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” author Mark Manson, was first announced by Penguin Random House back in 2018. The cover was designed by New Orleans-based visual artist Brandan “BMike” Odums.

Described as a “product of a profound journey of self-knowledge,” the memoir also explores how Smith learned to “master his own emotions” and aims to help readers do the same.

“It’s easy to maneuver the material world once you have conquered your own mind. I believe that. Once you’ve learned the terrain of your own mind, every experience, every emotion, every circumstance, whether positive or negative, simply propels you forward, to greater growth and greater experience,” Smith said in a statement. “That is true will. To move forward in spite of anything. And to move forward in a way that brings others with you, rather than leave them behind.”

As of Sunday, “Will” had already topped Amazon’s list of actor and entertainer biographies, as Smith took to Instagram to thank his fans for supporting his new venture.