Trivia for
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) More at IMDbPro »

• Tyson Mao (contestant on "Beauty and the Geek" (2005)) served as a consultant on this film for the prop department.
  
  
• Cameo: [Chris Gardner] The real Chris Gardner appears as the man who walks past Chris and Christopher at the end of the movie.
  
  
• The homeless people who worked as extras were paid a full day's minimum wage (which is $8.62/hr in SF) and given free catered meals as compensation for appearing in the film. For some it was the first money they'd made in a while.
  
  
• Throughout the film, period advertisements for Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) can be seen in numerous places (Taxis, Busses, BART stations). PSA was a very popular low-fare airline in California during the period that this film is set in.
  
  
• Will Smith wanted Gabriele Muccino to direct this movie after seeing his films L'ultimo bacio (2001) and Ricordati di me (2003).
  
  
• Speedcubing champions Tyson Mao and Toby Mao and Lars Petrus were hired to coach Will Smith to solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes.
  
  
• Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson on "The Simpsons" (1989), co-stars in the film as one of Gardner's superiors and requests a donut from Gardener. This is a nod to Casellaneta's animated counterpart who shares a similar taste for donuts.
  
  
• The municipal bus seen in "The Pursuit of Happyness" is the same bus used for the runaway bus in the movie Speed (1994/I). It has two steering wheels. The second steering wheel is concealed amongst the front bench seats.
  
  
• The "bible" that the interns were told to sleep, eat, and live with is called "Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham, 1934. There have been newer, subsequent revisions to this book.
  
  
• The movie's scene with the Rubik's cube is similar to a scene in the popular 90's sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), where 'Will Smith' solves a Rubik's cube that inadvertently gets him admitted into Princeton University.
  
  
• Based upon a true story.
  
  
• Mr. Ribbon ask his secretary to call Mr. Ristuccia. This surname is often used by director Gabriele Muccino in his movies.
  
  
• Jaden Smith stars as Christopher, Chris Gardner's son in the movie. Jaden Smith is Will Smith's son in real life, Christopher is actually Jaden's middle name.
  
  
• When the IRS seizes funds from Chris Gardner's account, Chris states that the date was the 25th of September. September 25th is the birthday of Will Smith who plays Chris.
  
  

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