Happy 18th Birthday, Jaden Smith: How Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Son Has Been Wise Beyond His Years

The actors' firstborn has been a game-changer for some time now

Jaden Smith turns 18 today, but this young man adopted his game-changing ways years ago. 

The multifaceted star is unabashedly inquisitive, having championed many different causes and tried out a few careers while he was growing up.

Whether he's acting, modeling or documenting his life on social media, Jaden's life has garnered attention not so much because of his movie star parents, but because of his fearlessness to shatter societal norms. 

For instance, Jaden's decision to mix skirts and dresses into his wardrobe transcends mere sartorial taste to send a profound message.

The Pursuit of Happyness star told Nylon magazine, "In five years when a kid goes to school wearing a skirt, he won't get beat up and kids won't get mad at him. It just doesn't matter. I'm taking the brunt of it so that later on, my kids and the next generations of kids will all think that certain things are normal that weren't expected before my time."

Jaden was also part of a Louis Vuitton campaign earlier this year where he modeled one of their skirts. Nicolas Ghesquière, the fashion house's creative director, sang Smith's praises, explaining, "He represents a generation that has assimilated the codes of true freedom, one that is free of manifestos and questions about gender."

Beyond personal style, the Willow Smith's big brother often takes to Twitter to express his thoughts on current events and human rights issues.

On food waste, Smith tweeted, "We Waste 1.3 Billion Tons Of Food Every Year, And There Is 1.3 Billion People In The World Living In Extreme Poverty. The Solution Is Clear."

The Karate Kid star spoke out on the poverty epidemic as well, stating, "HardWork Dedication Until There's Peace And Non Poverty In Every Nation, And I Isn't Patient."

Societal issues aside, Jaden attributes much of who he is to his upbringing with father Will Smith and mother Jada Pinkett Smith.

He reflected on the woman who is both his mother and namesake on VH1's Mother's Day special Dear Mama, saying, "I wouldn't be the way that I am without you. There's no way for me to express to you or anybody how I truly feel about you because it's not a feeling, it's the living of my life that's an expression of you." 

On his parents' overall influence, he told Nylon, "The greatest lesson I've learned from my parents is to be myself, at all costs, no matter what anybody thinks". 

You keep being you, Jaden!