Television Will was a semi-autobiographical character based on his own teenage years in Philly (viaCheat Sheet).
That’s when Smith’s career took off.
His rap hits broke into the Billboard Top 200 in the late ’80s.
By 1990, Hollywood came calling, and Smith never looked back (viaBiography).
“My life experiences are so far beyond the character’s life experiences.
That doesn’t mean he regretted the experience.
