“Now this is the story, all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down!” This line is from one of the most famous theme songs ever (that of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and it marks the start of Will Smith’s very long and successful career – one of the reasons the 42-year-old megastar is eternally happy.

On the emotional colour wheel, yellow – just like other colours – has both positive and negative attributes. On the one hand, it represents cowardice. But on the other, yellow is also the colour of sunshine and happiness. And few stars have more to smile about than Will Smith.

The man seems to inhale pure energy and exhale success. Since the late-’80s, when he achieved some success as a rapper under the alias “The Fresh Prince”, everything he’s touched has turned to pure gold, it has seemed. From 1990 to 1996, he starred in the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After that, he sojourned into movies and music and is one of the few celebrities to truly excel at both.

Since then, Will is the only star ever to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million, and the only one to have eight consecutive movies debut in the number-one box-office slot. In fact, 14 of his 19 fictional films have grossed more than $100 million – the turn-over benchmark for a box office smash. Smith’s total box-office haul as a movie star totals more than $5.7 billion. Now that’s a seriaas reason to smile.

And as if that’s not enough, as a rapper, Will Smith – aka “Big Willy” (perhaps another reason to smile?) – has won four Grammy Awards, not to mention eight American Music Awards and countless other accolades.

And then there’s the family – like the real life Incredibles. After dating successful model-turned-TV-hostess Tyra Banks, Will married actress and musician Jada Pinkett in 1997. The pair produced two talented (and well-connected) children: son Jaden and daughter Willow. Jaden recently starred in a successful remake of The Karate Kid with Jackie Chan, and he’s also pursuing a musical career of his own, while Willow had a surprising smash hit with her song I Whip My Hair Back and Forth.

Whilst appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Will once remarked that he truly believes he could be president if he really put his mind to it. When you consider that Barack Obama reportedly said that Will Smith would be his first choice to play him in a movie of his life because he “has the ears”, it’s really not too hard to imagine, is it?