In the past, the name Jaden Smith evoked the sense of the next big star in Hollywood in the making. From his emotionally resonant role in The Pursuit of Happyness alongside his father, Will Smith, to leading in 2010’s The Karate Kid, the young talent seemed to be following the path of greatness in the business, just like his parents.
However, in recent years, his name has been noticeably absent from many blockbuster projects that people assumed he would be associated with at this stage of his career. Therefore, we have listed some of the reasons why Hollywood seems reluctant to cast Smith anymore.
7. Jaden Smith’s Early Hollywood Stardom Fizzled Out
After his initial successes, like The Karate Kid, Jaden struggled to maintain the same momentum. Since Hollywood is known to be tough on child stars, his transition into adult roles hasn’t been smooth. Besides, Smith hasn’t been paying close attention to his reputation and credibility in the Hollywood industry, unlike many others.
Here’s more information about The Karate Kid below.
Thus, in addition to his failure to maintain his image as a top star and the lack of activity that we have witnessed from him, Smith’s popularity has declined significantly from his glory days in the industry.
6. Jaden Smith Suffered Box Office Disappointments
While he may have witnessed several box office successes, like his film with Jackie Chan, as well as his role in The Pursuit of Happyness, he has had several disasters at the box office as well. The most prominent one being none other than his role as Kitai Raige alongside his father in the 2013 film After Earth.
This film underperformed on both a critical and commercial scale, which led to his relations with production companies and studios souring tremendously. Although The Karate Kid was a box office hit, Hollywood soon noticed that Jaden’s subsequent projects didn’t replicate that success. Here’s more information about After Earth
Thus, films like After Earth unfortunately overshadowed his earlier achievements, leaving studios hesitant to trust him as a box office draw. In a stark contrast, Zac Wang, who played the role of Cheng in The Karate Kid, went on to become a Martial Arts master and a decorated star in China in his own right
5. Jaden Smith Chose a Niche Artistic Path
In recent years, Smith’s public image has often been as much about his personality as it has been about his work. Known for cryptic, philosophical tweets and unconventional posts on IG, he cultivated a reputation as an enigmatic creative figure among his fans.
All The Weird Shit You’ve Ever Seen Me Do Was Me Thinking I Was Totally Normal, So Now Sometimes I Try To Act Weird On Purpose So Yall Think It’s On Purpose, But At The End Of The Day I’ve Been Trying To Fit In This Whole Time And I Guess It’s Not Exactly Going To Plan.
This divide was amplified by his bold fashion choices, such as wearing skirts on red carpets to challenge gender norms, and his outspoken confidence in his own creativity in music and fashion.
While these moves earned him respect in artistic and activist circles, Hollywood executives, who are concerned with mass-market appeal, often viewed him as too unpredictable a star to promote further in the industry.
4. Jaden Smith Chose Music Over Movies
While he may have started his career in entertainment with high-profile films, he followed in his father’s footsteps and also engaged with the music industry, where he has now found his comfort.
Smith embarked on his music career, releasing albums like ‘A Surrealist Ball or Elephants Reflecting Swans’ and cultivating an artistic persona with his own merch drops like New Case Study. He was also part of the soundtrack for PlayStation’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game, where he sang I’m Ready.
This shift made him less of a fixture in the film world and more of a mainstay in the music industry, although not to the capacity of a major music icon.
3. Jaden Smith Suffered From Typecasting Issues
Since Jaden Smith has been part of Hollywood ever since his younger days as a child actor, he has been viewed in projects in a certain way. Whether it be an action-adventure film or a coming-of-age role, he has been seen in these particular dynamics. Here’s more information about The Pursuit of Happyness.
Most of the projects that Jaden Smith has been a part of in Hollywood have been in tandem with his father, which has limited the star’s range and on-screen chemistry with other stars and in different roles.
2. Jaden Smith Couldn’t Hold Up in Industry Competition
Despite his performance and acting chops being on full display since his childhood days, competition with young and upcoming stars in the industry is something that Jaden Smith has struggled to keep up with.
With stars like Timothée Chalamet, Will Poulter, and many others entering Hollywood later and bagging critical acclaim for their performances in several amazing projects, the industry was becoming a battlefield for relevance.
Unfortunately, due to Smith’s personal projects taking priority, like his water sustainability ventures (JUST Water), fashion collaborations, and other projects, he invests more in business than film.
1. Jaden Smith Took a Voluntary Step Back From Hollywood
After suffering through critical and box office failures in Hollywood, especially since he was still very young during those times, it’s no wonder Jaden Smith would want to stay away from the industry. In the past, when he was asked where his career would be after The Karate Kid fame, he said he would be gone from the industry.
Thus, due to a shift in priorities and other factors involved, it seems like it’s not just Hollywood that doesn’t want Smith, but even he feels the same about the industry.
What are your thoughts on Jaden Smith’s absence from Hollywood? Tell us in the comments below.
Rent or buy The Pursuit of Happyness and The Karate Kid now on Apple TV+.
