MANILA, Philippines?For many years now, Will Smith has been regarded as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He?s such dependable box-office ?insurance? that his hit movies have grossed a record-setting $5 billion?and counting.

Acknowledging his high-flying and consistent popularity, theater circuit bosses have practically reserved the hot July 4 playdate each year for the latest Will Smith starrer.

That happened again this year, with ?Hancock? doing the honors and (rather predictably) grossing a sensational $66 million on its opening weekend. That?s par for the course for the dependable hitmaker, but it must have made Mike Myers feel really bad, because his new starrer, ?The Love Guru,? did only $14 million worth of business on its first few days.

The point here is that Myers is usually also a bankable star, but for many popular luminaries, success doesn?t come as dependably as it seems to have done for Smith.

So, what makes Smith the exception that proves the rule? What makes him a consistent winner? Talking to Ellen DeGeneres on her TV show, recently, Will let down his guard and shared his secret(s) for success with her:

Ever since he first made it (on TV) with ?The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,? Smith has made it a point to keep developing his abilities as a performer.

Talent is fine for starters, he says, but what?s really important is to work at it and make it grow. This has enabled him to become one of the most versatile stars around, with flourishing careers not just in the movies, but in recording and on television, as well.

Inner life

Also key to Smith?s uniqueness is his spirituality. He may look like the typical fun-loving Hollywood celebrity, but he privately cultivates his inner life, continually analyzing how his life and career are going?and where he wants to eventually end up.

He?s become such a self-informed person that, away from the cameras, some people look to him, not just for entertainment, but also for inspiration.

Admiration for Smith has gotten so fervent that quite a number of people have been urging him to enter politics, like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger before him.

It turns out that even the iconic Nelson Mandela has talked to Smith about becoming a politician. He put it this way: ?Artists like you show how things could be and should be, but it?s politicians who make it happen.?

Smith?s retort: ?Politicians are happy when they get a 50 percent approval rating. When my film is a big hit, that?s like getting a 100 percent approval rating from the public. ?How can I give that up??

The friendly argument continues, so we don?t know if Smith will eventually do a Reagan?and end up as president of the United States!

Political arena

What we do know, however, is that Smith can enter the political arena in a different way. Let us be the first to point out that, if and when US Democratic Party candidate for president, Barack Obama, agrees to the production of a film on his life, Will Smith would be the perfect choice of actor to portray him!

Should that inspired bit of casting come to pass, it wouldn?t be a first for Smith. After all, he?s already played Muhammad Ali on the big screen. After that punishing ordeal, portraying Obama would be?a walk in the park!