Will Smith to Tone Up Dad Bod in YouTube Series ‘Best Shape of My Life’

Will Smith Reveals Weight Gain. (Credit: Instagram)

After revealing his dad body on social media, Will Smith is ready to get fit. 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star will document his fitness journey in an upcoming YouTube docuseries titled Best Shape of My Life. Smith shared details Wednesday on Instagram with a picture that showed him posing shirtless and in tiny black shorts.

He captioned the post: “This is the body that carried me through an entire pandemic and countless days grazing thru the pantry. I love this body, but I wanna FEEL better. No more midnight muffins…this is it! Imma get in the BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE!!!!! Teaming up with @YouTube to get my health & wellness back on track. Hope it works!”

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A day earlier, the father-of-three got everyone’s attention with an Instagram post revealing his quarantine weight gain, along with a message saying, “I’m gonna be real wit y’all – I’m in the worst shape of my life.”

That turned out to be a teaser for his upcoming show. The six-part series will follow the rapper and actor “challenging himself to improve every aspect of his fitness, from agility to power to recovery and more, teaming up with guests including pro athletes, scientists and experts, and top YouTube creators,” the online platform said in a press release.

The series comes from Smith’s production company Westbrook Media and YouTube Originals. Dexton Deboree will serve as showrunner and director for the show, which will be released next year. 

This is the second collaboration between Smith and YouTube after Will Smith: The Jump followed the rapper and actor bungee jumping over the Grand Canyon.

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Also coming to YouTube, a music docuseries starring Alicia Keys from Westbrook Media. Tentatively titled Noted, the show is described as a “performative documentary” and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the singer-songwriter’s album “Songs in A Minor.” It follows the Grammy-winning artist as she “invites her fans to peer into her world like never before,” YouTube said. Noted premieres this summer.

Below are details from YouTube on some of platform’s other original projects.

Liza on Demand – Season 3 premieres later this year
The third season of fan-favorite scripted series, starring actress, producer and top creator Liza Koshy follows the chaotic misadventures of Liza (Koshy) and her roommates/best friends, Harlow (Kimiko Glenn) and Oliver (Travis Coles), as they wade through the highs and lows of their 20s. “Liza on Demand” is produced by Above Average with executive producers Liza Koshy, Courtney Carter, Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Marc Lieberman, Ally Engelberg, Caroline Miller and Elliot Glazer.

Ice Cold – Premieres this summer
The docuseries from executive producers MIGOS, Kevin “Coach K.” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas uses the prism of hip-hop jewelry to explore deeper issues around racial inequity and the American Dream. Exhibited as a collection of four short episodes, director Karam Gill (G Funk, Supervillain) explores hip-hop’s ability to reimagine and transcend established notions of wealth, status, superiority & the sheer resilience of hip-hop culture. The series premieres on MIGOS’ YouTube Channel this summer and is co-produced by Quality Films, Universal Music Group’s Mercury Studios and Polygram Entertainment, MGX Creative, and Mass Appeal.

Recipe for Change [working title] – Premieres June 16
Whether it’s a holiday gathering or just a Thursday night dinner, the most interesting and provocative conversations happen around a shared table. In Recipe for Change [working title] Asian American storytellers bring together celebrities, chefs, activists, and creators to celebrate API culture and discuss the recent and historic acts of hate and violence against the API community. While hate and racism continue to spread, the Asian community and their allies prove that when oppressed groups band together, the minority becomes a powerful majority. Tiny ripples of action can create tidal waves of change. Let’s take a seat, enjoy a great meal and celebrate our humanity. LeBron James and Maverick Carter will serve as executive producers on the special with their media conglomerate the SpringHill Company. Michelle Kwan and Dennis Cheng will also executive produce alongside Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron of the SpringHill Company, showrunner Joel Relampagos, and director Rich Kim.

Barbershop Medicine – Premieres this summer
In Barbershop Medicine, YouTube aims to put the “public” back in Public Health, exploring the impact race and socioeconomic status have on healthcare and longevity. Drawing from this concept of community medicine, this special will bring together musical artist Masego, renowned physicians Dr. Italo Brown and Dr. Jamie Rutland and community members in a storied barbershop to discuss today’s most pressing health concern, COVID-19. The discussion will center on COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities while also tackling the misinformation and mistrust surrounding the vaccination in hopes of increasing awareness and accessibility. The special is from the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund and is executive produced by Charles D. King, Marta Fernandez, Jelani Johnson, and Aisha Corpas Wynn for MACRO Television Studios and Culture House. Hashim Williams is executive producer and showrunner.

Susanne Daniels is Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. Alex Piper serves as Head of Unscripted for YouTube Originals and Nadine Zylstra serves as Head of Family, Learning and Impact for YouTube Originals.