Will Smith says growing up with an abusive father made him want to become a parent himself

Will Smith saw his late father beat up his mother when he was a child, and says he still has conflicting emotions about his dad. Photo / Getty Images

Will Smith learned some of the "greatest lessons" of his life from his abusive father.

The 53-year-old actor saw his late father beat up his mother when he was a child, and Will still has conflicting emotions about his dad.

He explained: "Some of the greatest things about me are because he was my father, some of the greatest lessons of my life - the way I look at the world, the way I can endure, the way that I think.

"He was my hero, you know, but at the same time, he beat up my mother in front of me. And it just twists up a young mind … Aren't you supposed to hate somebody that beats up your mother?"

Will used to treat the situation as a personal failure. And the Hollywood star - who is one of the best-paid actors in the movie business - ultimately became an entertainer as a defence mechanism.

Speaking to Ava DuVernay at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, he shared: "I started performing as a way of trying to keep peace in my house.

"If everybody's laughing, and everybody's having a good time, nobody's getting beat up."

Will Smith, who has Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, as well as Trey, 29, with his ex-wife, says he always wanted kids. Photo / Getty Images

Will has Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, as well as Trey, 29, with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino.

And the actor explained how his relationship with his dad influenced his own approach to parenting.

He said: "I wanted to be a father my whole life. From the time I was five years old, I knew I wanted to be a family. I knew I wanted to have kids. Partially because of my childhood, I wanted a chance to, like, do it better and a chance to do it right."