Answer: No
Disclaimer: It is not our role to determine whether or not somebody is a Christian. We just use our discernment based on the evidence we have found on the internet to come to a likely or best-guess answer. Our answers do not actually determine who is or is not a Christian and it is ultimately between the person and God. Not us.
Willard Carroll Smith ll, popularly known as Will Smith started his career as a rapper before switching to acting. At 12 years, Will had already started rapping and wrote down some lyrics in a notebook which his grandmother discovered and discouraged him from using profane words to express himself while growing up.
Many do not know the actor as a rapper. He used the stage name “The Fresh Prince” and released 5 studio albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith has several songs and 4 Grammy awards to his name out of 8 nominations.
Will Smith made his acting debut in 1992 in the movie “Where the Day Takes You.” Three years later, he starred in “Bad Boys” which became a box-office hit. Will has since featured in an array of movies and has won several movie awards including BAFTA Award, Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Awards among others.
Will Smith has made revelations about faith and spirituality on various occasions and this has led people to question his religious status. Some fans have made claims that Will Smith is a Christian. Let’s find out how true this is in the article.
Is Will Smith Religious?
Will Smith said in a 2013 interview that he does not identify as religious but the actor upholds some religious beliefs and practices.
Will Smith takes his faith seriously and mentioned that his grandmother instilled faith and spirituality in him because she was a devout Christian and a member of Resurrection Baptist Church in Philadelphia.
In a 2022 interview with Jon Silman of We Got This Covered, Will said:
“My grandmother was my connection to God. She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter presentations and putting on the Christmas plays, and her kids and grandkids had to be first. She was the most spiritually certain person that I had ever met in my entire life. Even to the point that when she was dying, she was happy, like she was excited about going to heaven.”
The actor also told Christian Post that faith and religion play a huge role in his career and that his family holds similar beliefs. In his words: “You can’t get where I get if you don’t love the Lord, you don’t get to sit how I sit, move how I move. You’d be seeing a whole lot of other repercussions”
Will Smith has also been rumored to be practicing Scientology, a religion that holds the belief that a human is an immortal, a spiritual being (Thetan) that is resident in the physical body. Scientology is a set of beliefs invented by an American author, Ron Hubbard. There are claims that the actor’s wife Jada, even runs a Scientology school, but Jada Smith, however, denied the claims after Scientologist Leah Remini said she sighted Jada at the Scientology School. Jada made a tweet in 2017 to deny these claims. She said:
“All I can say is it is not a Scientology school. Now, if you don’t trust me, and you are questioning my integrity, that’s a whole different matter. That is straight evil to think that I would bring families into that educational institution and then try to get them to convert to some religion.
I have prayed in mosques all over the world but I am not a Muslim, I have read the Bhagavad Gita but I am not a Hindu. I have chanted and meditated in some of the most magnificent temples on earth but I am not a Buddhist. I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech, but I am not a Scientologist.”
Will Smith also mentioned in an appearance on Red Table Talk that they have never been Scientologists.
Does Will Smith Believe in God?
Will Smith has made several comments and taken actions that prove the actor believes in God.
In a 2021 interview with Movieguide on the release of his movie “King Richard” he revealed that he loved his character in the movie as a man of faith and that one can’t get to where he desires if he does not love the Lord. He mentioned that his strong faith helped him to ace his role and that one does not walk in doubt if he trusts in God.
After he picked up an Academy Award for Best Actor in “King Richard” in 2022, Smith made some comments that portrayed his belief in God. He said:
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. At this time in my life, at this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world.”
While promoting his new movie “Emancipation” in 2022, actor Smith told Premier Christian News that only God can help a man endure. In his words:
“The difference between faith and revelation. He walked in the world with a knowledge of the divine, a knowledge of God that is just something that I’ve just desperately wanted to understand and explore. That he had to endure and what he had to survive, only God could make a man, when you look at those marks on his back, only God could make that possible.”
In a 2021 interview with Showbiz Cheatsheet, when asked if he believes in God, he said:
“All right, let’s call everything beyond what we know, let’s call it the unknown. Let’s call it the higher power, let’s call it the X-Factor, let’s call it God, let’s call it Allah. Let’s just agree that there is something beyond what we know. Things happen that we can’t control, and things happen in interesting ways that have patterns to them. There are things like karma. Some things are mysteries that seem to have human qualities that are beyond what we understand.”
The comments above made by actor Will Smith are evidence that suggests the actor believes in God.
Is Will Smith a Christian?
Christians are categorized as a group of people that follow Jesus Christ and live a Christ-like life. The first set of Christians were the disciples of Jesus because they were true followers of Jesus Christ.
Christians portray Christ-like attributes like love, compassion, forgiveness, patience, humility, and honesty. Christians believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and put their trust in God, his Father.
Will Smith has not clearly stated if he is a Christian or not but has always been associated with Christianity. The actor is reported to have been raised as a Christian by his grandmother who was a member of Resurrection Baptist Church.
Will Smith attended a private Catholic school, Our Lady of Lourdes while growing up. This means that some Christian values were instilled in the actor at an early age alongside what his grandmother taught him.
However, the actor has made comments that suggest he does not subscribe to organized religion. In a 2021 interview with Showbiz Cheatsheet, he disclosed:
“I was raised in a Baptist household, went to a Catholic church, lived in a Jewish neighborhood, and had the biggest crush on the Muslim girls from one neighborhood over,” Smith said. “I don’t believe that the Muslims have all the answers, I don’t believe the Christians have all the answers, or the Jews have all the answers. So I love my God, my higher power. It’s mine and mine alone. I create my connection and I decide how my connection is going to be.”
In a 2021 interview with GQ, Smith and his wife Jada, the actor revealed that he and his wife are in an open relationship, but he felt guilty initially because his Christian principles did not encourage extramarital activities and such an arrangement is sinful. He revealed that his wife had a different upbringing and they have now given each other trust and freedom with the hope that everyone finds their way.
Though Will Smith has not outrightly claimed he still practices Christianity, the actor still shows support for Christianity. Actor Smith still contributes to Christian charities like Yesha Ministries of Philadelphia and Living Waters, a Christian charity outside Los Angeles.
Is Will Smith Baptized?
Will Smith disclosed that he was raised in a Christian home by his grandmother who attended Resurrection Baptist Church. Smith also mentioned that he attended the Roman Catholic church while growing up. Will Smith has not mentioned if he is baptized and there is no public information on it. Also, it does not seem like the actor still practices organized religion, as such we can’t say if Will Smith is baptized or not.
What did Will Smith say about Jesus?
Will Smith has always acknowledged Jesus in interviews and other public appearances. He already disclosed that his grandmother had imbibed Christian principles in him which he still holds to date.
In a recent interview with Church Leaders, Will Smith said:
“You can’t get where I get if you don’t love the Lord. You don’t get to sit how I sit, move how I move, if you don’t love the Lord. You’d be seeing a whole lot of other repercussions.”
Conclusion
Will Smith has revealed that he was raised as a Christian and still believes in some Christian principles. The actor has mentioned on a few occasions that he no longer subscribes to organized religion but loves and believes in God. Smith disclosed that faith is very important to him and he acknowledged God on various occasions, but with other comments he has made, we just aren’t sure if we can conclude whether or not he is a Christian. Most likely we will say no.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!