Will Smith returned to his West Philadelphia hometown for a street naming ceremony on Wednesday.
The 2000 block of North 59th Street beside his former school, Overbrook High, has been renamed “Will Smith Way.” Smith joined Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker and other city officials at the event where he shared memories of his youth and reflected on the significance of having a street named after him.
“When I thought about the ‘Will Smith Way,’ I thought about my mother, my father, and my grandmother,” he said. “When I thought about the ‘Will Smith Way,’ the ‘Will Smith Way’ is encompassed in the lessons that I got from my father, my mother, and my grandfather.”
Smith mentioned his father taught him about hard work and discipline. “You can’t make a life if you’re not willing to sacrifice and you’re not to suffer and work for your dreams,” he said.
The actor also thanks Philadelphia for giving him the tools he needed to succeed. “Nobody gets an easy ride,” he said. “That was one of the things these streets of Philadelphia taught me: that there’s nothing wrong with a hard day’s work.”
“Philly, I love you,” he finished. “I am yours, you are mine.”
In a conversation with Associated Press earlier this week, Will Smith discussed the 10-year Oscars ban he received after slapping Chris Rock during the ceremony. “I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be, and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” he said.
