Will by Will Smith Discussion Questions

Created by Sweet Butter Harmony for the Atlanta based Bookclub: Books Brunch & Black Women

I had a hard time finding discussion questions for the book Will, so I created discussion questions to share with all book clubs. I hope you enjoy the book and the discussion as much as we did!

Discussion Questions

1. Is this book overrated or underrated? Would you want to read another book by Will Smith?
2. Will speaks about feeling like a coward. He said the feeling of cowardice stemmed from the physical abuse between his mother and father. Will felt like he was not able to save his mother from Dadio’s abuse. Did it surprise you that Will thought of himself as a coward? How do you think his life and personality were affected by the abusive relationship with Dadio?
3. Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith found each other and became friends and musical partners immediately. Why do they fit together so well? Do you have a friendship as easy as Jazzy Jeff and Will’s? What makes your relationship so special? 
4. Were you a fan of The Fresh Prince TV show? What is your favorite scene from The Fresh Prince?
5. Will Smith said Quincy Jones pitched The Fresh Prince to TV Executives at his birthday party. Quincy asked Will to have an impromptu audition in the middle of the living room. Have you ever been in a situation when someone asked you to push yourself to the limit to succeed? 
6. Do you remember Big Willie Style and Big Willie Weekend? Why do you think the Big Willie Style album and the Independence Day movie were so successful? 
7. Which scene from the book has stuck with you the most?
8. Will discussed his relationship with Jada. After 20 years into the marriage, they felt very disconnected. He tried to win Jada back with a lavish birthday event in Santa Fe. Do you think Jada’s reaction was valid? Have you ever been in a situation where someone thought they did something great for you, but it was far from your wants/needs?
9. Will did not mention the highly publicized relationship or “entanglement” between Jada and a R&B musician. Where in the book do you think this situation fell? Where did we see breakdowns in Will and Jada’s relationship before their separation?
10. Will talks about going through a spiritual journey to find his happiness. He went on a 14-day silent retreat. He took the plant-based psychedelic ayahuasca on several occasions and had a spiritual awakening. At what lengths have you gone to find happiness? Where do you think happiness comes from?
11. Who do you most want to read this book and why?
12. Are there lingering questions from the book you’re still thinking about?