Starring alongside his father Will Smith, Jaden Smith made his acting debut with the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. The film, following the story of a father and a struggling salesman who overcomes numerous hardships to provide a better life for his son, was a major success and even earned Smith his second Best Actor Oscar nomination.

The Pursuit of Happyness | Credit: Columbia Pictures

However, the fate of the movie and how it turned out could have been significantly affected by the studio’s initial hesitation about casting Will Smith’s son alongside him, primarily due to the concerns surrounding nepotism.

How Jaden Smith’s Casting Almost Changed The Pursuit of Happyness

Directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith alongside his son Jaden Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the inspirational real-life story of Chris Gardner, a businessman who became a stockbroker and founded his own brokerage firm.

Will...