Will Smith gained fame from the hit show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He then went on to star in numerous blockbuster films, where he gained a large fan base. Although he still does not hold the same hype in the industry as he once did, people still love him. Will is married to Jada Pinkett and has three kids.

In his career as an actor, rapper and producer, Will Smith has met people from all walks of life who have become friends, family, and acquaintances. Some have added more benefits to his life than others. Keep reading to discover 20 friends Will Smith keeps just to get ahead.

20 Tom Cruise, The Travel Buddie

Will Smith and Tom Cruise have a Hollywood bromance. According to oprahmag, they have never collaborated on a film even though fans seem to think they should since they take on similar roles. The pair have supported each other throughout the years and are probably friends because they enjoyed traveling privately together.

19 Dj Jazzy Jeff

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff probably just started out as friends to get ahead. As teenagers life was pretty hard, they need each other to make a name for themselves in Philadelphia. They started as a hip-hop duo and sold over 5.5 million albums together. According to metro they are still friends and reunite occasionally to perform.

18 Cousin Alfonso Ribeiro

Smith’s Friendship with Alfonso Ribeiro dates back to when they played unlikely cousins on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Since then Ribeiro has always been that supportive friend who shows up for Smith’s events. They have both gone on to have successful careers but still find time to golf and hang out together as comedycentral reports.

17 Martin Lawrence - Best Buds For Life

Smith and Martin Lawrence met on the set of Bad Boys decades ago. They remained friends over the years since they had to do various sequels for the film. Bad Boys II in 2003 and Bad Boys for Life set for release in 2020. According to dailymail, Martin recently went to support Will at his latest film Gemini Man premiere.

16 Here Comes Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones started out as Smith's friend and was working with him to get ahead. Jones was a star at the time already with an Oscar award, however, as ranker reveals, due to their onscreen chemistry in the Men in Black films, the two have developed a close friendship. Now that a new cast is taking over the Men in Black storyline, will the duo remain friends?

15 Oprah Winfrey Loved Having Will And Jada On The Show

Who does not want to be friends with the most influential woman in America? The benefits of being Oprah’s friend are countless and Will Smith is not about to lose that, legit friendship or not. As sheknows.com reports, Oprah even included Will and Jada in her final episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show where she was only having her favorite guests.

14 Will Supports David Beckham’s Hustle

Will Smith and David Beckham have been close friends for years. According to thesun, Will and Jada helped throw a welcome party for the Beckhams when David joined LA Galaxy. Will even offered to help Beckham with anything when he recently announced that he and other investors had bought a football club in Miami.

13 Will And Mariah Carey Go Way Back

Mariah Carey is another friend Will Smith keeps because they started their pre-fame struggles together back in the 90s. According to bustle, they met at the KIIS-FM concert in 1988 where they took this photo. Being friends with Mariah has its perks, one of which is that you can get her to perform at your private events.

12 Chris Rock - Frenemies?

Will Smith and Chris Rock go way back. According to eonline, Chris rock even made a cameo of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air back in 1993 where he dressed as a less attractive woman that Will had to take out on a date. They are not exactly good friends they only keep each other at bay to get ahead that is why they are always on opposite sides on various public issues.

11 Another Hitch Movie With Kevin James?

Kevin James and Will have a lot in common. They are both actors, comedians, and producers as ranker points out. Will even recommended James for the role of Albert in their film Hitch because he liked his show The King of Queens. The pair can continue being friends to get ahead especially if they wish to do another romantic comedy film together because Hitch was a hit.

10 On-Screen Love Interest, Margot Robbie

Yep, Smith is buddies with this famous Australian actress. Margot played Will’s love interest in the 2015 film Focus and then went on to star with him in Suicide Squad. Will and Margot work well together on-screen and that is it. Will even revealed on dailymail that he would do anything to work with Margot in her Harley Quinn spin-off film.

9 Bromance With Marc Anthony

Will Smith and Marc Anthony are always displaying their bromance publicly. They never ended their friendship even though there were rumors that Anthony had relations with Will’s wife during the set of their show Hawthorne. Instead, they collaborated and made a hit Latin song Esta Rico. If Smith wishes to take over the Latin Music Industry, he needs Anthony to get ahead.

8 Masi Oka Looks Up To Will

Masi Oka and Will recently did a film together Spies in Disguise set to be released on 25 December 2019. According to latimes, Oka was lucky to have worked with his dream co-star Will Smith in the film. He thinks he is talented and funny. Will should just keep him as a friend, even if it is just to get ahead, he would not mind he is already a fan.

7 Duane Martin, What Happened?

Smith and Martin have been good friends. The pair was, in fact, good friends that Will loaned him $1.4 million when his home was in foreclosure as thegrio.com reports. Unfortunately, Martin filed for bankruptcy and had to sell his mansion to pay back his debt. The pair is not as close as they used to after all the PR nightmare Martin put him through.

6 Bel-Air Friend, Tatyana Ali

Will and Tatyana have been friends since they acted together on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. According to cheatsheet, even though they have been busy with their own lives and careers, Tatyana still finds time to support her friend. She recently attended Smith’s Aladdin movie premiere with her husband and son.

5 Eva Mendes Wants Another Role With Will

Eva Mendes and Will Smith developed a great friendship on the set of the 2005 film, Hitch. However, Hitch was not the pair’s first project together; Mendes appeared in Will Smith’s music video Miami. According to dailymail, Eva revealed she would love to work with Smith again and who knows Smith might just take her up on that offer.

4 Tyra Banks And Will Are Still Friends

Tyra Banks and Will Smith have been buddies since she appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. We are not sure how close they are today, but Tyra recently shared a throwback photo of her and Smith on the Fresh Prince set to wish him a happy birthday as inquisitr reports.

3 Queen Latifah Considers The Smiths Close Friends

Will Smith and Queen Latifah have been close friends for decades. According to thesource, Queen Latifah credits Will Smith for giving her, her first job on TV. She even appeared in a film produced by the Smiths. Will and Latifah recently paired up to produce Romeo and Juliet hip-hop musical, for Netflix. Just being friends with Queen Latifa is downright fun.

2 Michael Jordan Besties

Jordan and Will have been friends for years. According to USAToday, Will explained how insanely competitive Michael Jordan is, he will compete with you even to drink water. Will Smith was set to produce a movie about Michael Jordan’s brief baseball career but it has still not come to fruition.

1 Charlize Theron

Will and Charlize are good friends. The two A-listers have starred in the films The Legend of Bagger Vance and Hancock. The two instantly hit it off on-screen. According to dailyrecord, the pair are friends who constantly thrive on teasing each other. Smith has probably kept her as a friend for the sake of a Hancock sequel.

Sources: oprahmag, comedycentral, dailymail, eonline, thegrio, latimes