Will Smith's 10 Best Instagram Moments of 2018
It’s official: Will Smith is a bona fide social media sensation. It’s been one year since Smith abandoned his reservations about being on social media and embraced Instagram, and in that time he has not only entertained and enlightened us with hundreds of amazing posts that feature throwback photos, humorous and insightful anecdotes, and heartfelt moments with his famous family (Jada, Trey, Jaden, Willow), but he’s also managed to accumulate millions of followers in the process. For Smith, Instagram has become a way for him to play and have fun.
Throughout his career, the rapper-turned-actor has proven time and time again that he is unstoppable – whatever he sets his mind out to accomplish is sure to have one of two outcomes – he’s going to accomplish his goal and excel at it, or he’s going to give it his all and have a blast doing it, even if the end result falls short of his originally intended outcome. For the 50-year-old, joining social media was no different. On December 14, 2017, Will Smith set out to engage his fans and followers by way of public social media posts. By mid February of 2018, Smith reached at whopping 10 million followers on IG, which he celebrated by way of an amazing recap video.
Clearly, Will Smith proved quickly he has a knack for social media, which had us all kind of scratching our heads wondering, why did it take him so long to get with the program and get on Instagram? According to Smith, he avoided social media for the sake of his career, believing that “separation” and “mystery” – what he long perceived to be critical ingredients to his success as a actor, mandated his absence of the online social scene. Oh what a difference a year makes! With 26 million followers and upwards of 300 posts on his Instagram account, Smith has traded separation and mystery for connection and access.
In celebration of Smith’s one-year anniversary on Instagram, we’ve compiled some of our favorite Instagram moments created by Smith, who let’s the world know in his bio that he’s got a “New Playground” but is still the “Same kid from West Philly.” Here’s a look back at Smith’s journey from social media prince to a king of content.
He Rocked the Rubik’s Cube (Posted Dec. 17, 2017)
When Smith failed to solve the Rubik’s Cube game during a television interview in Mumbai, it pissed him off to the point that he took to IG just three days after creating his account to redeem himself, giving us a taste of what was to come in his witty and wacky posts as well as taking us back to a time when the cube rocked our world. We can’t help but smile as Smith declares, “That’s how I do, yo!”
He celebrated an “Icon” then reminded us why he was one (Posted February 6)
To celebrate his son Jaden’s milestone moment of 100,000,000 Spotify streams, Smith transformed into the “Icon” he helped create. It’s the ultimate homage as we see Smith parodying Jaden in this video clip. In true Smith fashion, the spot is fly and funny.
He followed this up by hopping on an official remix of the song and tore it down by just spitting facts. "Boy, you know why you was a icon living? You was born from a icon living/ Messed around and married me a icon livin', then we made some icon children."
He Got Us Laughing Over the Lyrics to “La Bamba” (Posted February 12, 2018)
Smith let us know not to come for him, because he’s not having it! In this hilarious video post Smith gives us a glorious “How You Like Me Now” moment as he sings the lyrics to “La Bamba” and defends himself against folks who accused him of not knowing the words to the song – all in Spanish!
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He Showed Us Sky’s the Limit (Posted April 26)
In one of his infamous #tbt moments from 2014, Smith faces fear and shows the world he’s hell bent on living his best life – even if it is 14,000 feet up in air. Smith went skydiving in Dubai with his children Trey and Willow and showed us a pure moment of bliss.
He Melted Our Hearts with a Memory of Willow Smith (Posted June 14)
Everyone loves a great daddy-daughter moment, and Smith shared an unforgettable one with his daughter Willow by way of a #tbt post. In this video we see Smith supporting and cheering on a pre-teen Willow as she faces her fear of taking her first ballet class. Way to raise the bar on how to parent, Mr. Smith!
He Killed Drake’s #InMyFeelingsChallenge (Posted July 12, 2018)
Scores of celebrities took on Drake’s #InMyFeelingsChallenge and created viral Instagram posts featuring #DoTheShiggy, but only Will Smith has the distinction of taking on the challenge from the top of a bridge in Budapest. Not only did Smith share a stunning view of this exotic part of the world with this fans, but he showed us that you can master your fear and make a fun memory all at the same darn time.
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He Showed Us He Can Still Bust A Move (Posted July 15)
Smith is known all over world for his rapping and acting, but this summer, while preparing to perform at Russia’s Luzhniki Stadium for the World Cup, Smith put his dancing skills on display and showed the world he’s got moves, busting out The Shoot and the Backpack Kid dance with ease.
He kidnapped a race car driver...
Not only did he kidnap Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton, tie him up in a chair and jump in his ride, Will Smith got the entire thing filmed by Michael Bay! If this isn't the ultimate Instagram stunt, we don't know what is.
He Taught Us About Love (Posted Dec. 7, 2018)
Smith shared with us his definition of love and dared us not to cry with this insanely moving video that was inspired by a question somebody asked him, which he says he didn’t have a good answer to at the time – what is love? With this post, Smith proves that not only can he make us laugh, but he can move us and make us think about the human condition and what connects us all.
Among other meaningful things, he summarized, "I think love is a deep desire for our loved one’s growth and their blossoming and their all-around well-being.”
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He Showed Us What 50 Looks Like (Posted September 25)
Not one for convention or one to shy away from a challenge, Will Smith celebrated his 50th birthday, which he endearingly referred to as his “big 5-0,” by hurling himself from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. Most folks opt for a big birthday bash, but not Mr. Smith! With “adventure” being his middle name, the fly guy born September 25 opted to celebrate his born day by way of a bungee cord.
“Anytime I’m scared of something in life, I’m compelled to attack it,” he says psyching himself up for the jump. “Life is hard, but you’ve got to commit! You can’t experience the joy that is intended for you in life if you don’t go!”
