Will Smith, Six Degrees of Separation | Rock and Role: Top 10 Memorable Movie Performances by Music Stars | TIME.com

Director: Fred Schepisi

Year Released: 1993

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Cast: Will Smith, Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland

In 1993 — five years after he (and DJ Jazzy Jeff) grumpily complained that “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” and three years after he assumed the title of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — Will Smith appeared in Six Degrees of Separation: his first starring role in a movie. His character, a clever con-artist who ingratiates himself into the lives of a privileged Manhattan couple, is nothing like the wisecracking heroes he played so successfully in subsequent films, but Smith turns in a terrific performance — sharp, nuanced and slyly cognizant of his immense natural charisma.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCE(S): He did a superb job playing Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann’s overly long biopic (though not quite delivering The Champ’s predatory menace) and his boozy lonely-guy superhero in the messy-but-fascinating Hancock showed a willingness to explore darker places.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPhzlHlyEY]

Next Tina Turner, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome