Will Smith Discovers His Roots In Wales, Jokes Renaming Himself ‘Welsh Smith'
Will Smith has always known how to steal the spotlight—but this time he is doing it by celebrating his surprising connection to Wales. After learning his home state of Pennsylvania has several ties with Welsh culture, the Men in Black star is contemplating changing his name to reflect his roots.
During an interview with BBC Radio Wales, Smith came to know his surprising ties with Wales when host Lucy Owens pointed out how Smith's old neighbourhood, Wynnefield, was named after a Welsh doctor named Thomas Wynne. The actor's mother's hometown, Bryn Mawr, also shares its name with a village in Wales. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum seemed to be amused by the revelation. 'So I'm Welsh! I'm Welsh, basically. That's what we are saying," Smith replied while breaking out in laughter. 'Yes, Will! This is what I'm trying to say. You are Welsh, and we are claiming you," host Lucy Owens joked.
The witty exchange left fans laughing when Will Smith was contemplating changing his name to Welsh Smith. 'That might be my new name," Will joked. 'Welsh Smith. I'm going to be Welsh Smith," he said hilariously. The BBC host later noted that Bryn Mawr, where the actor owns a home, means 'big hill" in Welsh, to which Smith laughed and said, 'Big Will lives in Big Hill. That is crazy."
Smith's connection to the UK did not end at the names of his hometown and mother's town in Pennsylvania. The actor and rapper also revealed during the show that he and DJ Jazzy Jeff recorded some of the music for their first album in the UK.
Smith has been focusing more on his music career in the past few months. He is currently touring his latest album, Based on a True Story, which dropped nearly two decades after the release of his first studio album, Lost and Found, in 2005. Smith's global tour kicked off in Morocco on June 25, and he is all set to tour five UK cities between August 24 and 30. Smith will also make a stop at Wales' capital, Cardiff, on August 25 before wrapping up the tour in Paris.
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