Will Smith considers changing his name after making surprising family discovery
Topics: Will Smith, Wales, Celebrity
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Topics: Will Smith, Wales, Celebrity
Will Smith revealed he might change his name after he appeared on a radio station in the UK and learned some unexpected facts about his family home.
After decades in the spotlight it's hard to imagine Will Smith as being named anything other than Will Smith - except the 'Fresh Prince', of course.
But the Men in Black star pitched the idea of completely switching out his first name after he made an appearance on BBC Radio Wales on Saturday (July 12), where he sat down with presenter Lucy Owen to promote his album, Based on a True Story.
During their chat, Owen shared some facts about Smith's home state, Pennsylvania.
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As it turns out, the town where Smith's mother, Caroline Bright, lives gets its name from a Welsh term - Bryn Mawr.
The phrase translates to 'big hill', with Owen explaining: "So 'Mawr' is 'big,' and 'Bryn' means 'hill.' You live in Big Hill."
This fact delighted Smith as he responded: "Big Hill! Big Will lives in Big Hill. This is crazy Big hill. Big Will. Big still."
Smith's connections to Wales don't stop there, though, as the town of Wynnefield, PA, where Smith grew up with his family, is actually named after a Welsh physician, Dr. Thomas Wynne.
"So I'm Welsh! I'm Welsh, basically. That's what we're saying," Smith said.
Owen responded: "Yes, Will! This is what I'm trying to say. You are Welsh, and we are claiming you."
With this in mind, Smith suggested changing his name to reflect his newfound connections to Wales.
He said: "That might be my new name: Welsh Smith. I'm gonna be Welsh Smith."
So, what do we think? Bad Boys, starring Welsh Smith? I imagine a few people might be a bit disappointed that the actor wouldn't have a Welsh accent, but I suppose that's always something he could work on!
In the meantime, however, Welsh - oops, I mean Will - is busy touring with his new album, which marks his first studio album release since his 2005 record Lost and Found.
Speaking about the album, per Associated Press, he said: “It really is the result of my initial self-examination. Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. It’s the most full musical offering that I’ve ever created.”
Smith began his tour in June 25 in Morocco, and is set to perform in Wales next month before wrapping up his performances with a show in Paris.