Will Smith floats changing his name after learning of surprising connection to Wales amid new album tour
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will Smith might soon be embracing a new nickname, and it’s all thanks to a few unexpected links between his roots and Wales.
The 56-year-old star appeared on BBC Radio Wales on Saturday, July 12, to promote his upcoming UK tour for his album 'Based on a True Story', and ended up discovering how deeply connected his past is to Welsh culture.
Will Smith says 'I'm Welsh' after BBC's Lucy Owen connects his hometown to Wales
During the interview, host Lucy Owen revealed that Smith’s hometown of Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, is named after Dr Thomas Wynne, a Welsh physician.
That tidbit lit up the room, leading Smith to joke, “So I'm Welsh! I'm Welsh, basically. That's what we're saying.”
Owen quickly responded, “Yes, Will! This is what I'm trying to say. You are Welsh, and we are claiming you.”
Smith then leaned into the revelation with a tongue-in-cheek idea for a name change. “That might be my new name: Welsh Smith,” he said. “I'm gonna be Welsh Smith.”
Will Smith jubilant after learning about mom's hometown's Welsh translation
The radio segment took another fun turn when Owen brought up Bryn Mawr, the Pennsylvania town where Smith's mother Caroline Bright resides.
She explained that the name means “big hill” in Welsh — “So ‘Mawr’ is ‘big,’ and ‘Bryn’ means ‘hill.’ You live in Big Hill,” she said.
Reacting with delight, Smith said, “Big Hill! Big Will lives in Big Hill. This is crazy! Big hill. Big Will. Big still.”
Will Smith calls UK tour a ‘homecoming’ as he recalls early music with DJ Jazzy Jeff
Smith also opened up about his early music career with DJ Jazzy Jeff, noting that their beginnings were rooted in the UK.
“A lot of people don't realize Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince were actually born in the UK. Our music, first album, our record label was Jive Records in the States, but Jamba was based in the UK, so we came and all of our early music was recorded in the UK."
Smith said. “It feels like a bit of a homecoming for us.” The global tour for 'Based on a True Story' began on June 25 in Rabat, Morocco.
Smith will perform five dates in the UK between August 24 and August 30, including a show in Cardiff, Wales, on August 25. His final stop is scheduled for Paris.
Since releasing 'Based on a True Story' in March, Smith has turned his focus back to music. His last film appearance was in 2024's 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die'.
He also has several upcoming movie projects, including a sequel to the 2007 film 'I Am Legend', in which he will star alongside Michael B Jordan.
