Is it time for Will Smith to take home the Oscar?

Will Smith, a front-runner for a lead actor Oscar for his performance as ultimate tennis dad Richard Williams in “King Richard,� is considered overdue for an Academy Award even though he’s been nominated only twice without winning. Here’s why:

1993

While still TV’s “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,� Smith took an unexpected role as a gay con man who pretends to be Sidney Poitier’s son, in “Six Degrees of Separation.� Smith won critical praise but no nomination, possibly because …

1

Tom Hanks’ ultimately Oscar-winning role in “Philadelphia� might have met the Academy’s limit for 1993 on actors playing gay men.

2

Smith’s Muhammad Ali in “Ali� was great but Denzel Washington (“Training Day�) was deemed the greatest at the 2002 Oscars. Forest Whitaker’s towering Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland� beat out Smith’s subtler work in “The Pursuit of Happyness� in 2007.

3

Smith’s roles in “I Am Legend,� “Hancock� and “Concussion� showed awards-caliber range but failed to win Oscar attention.

4

The film Academy doesn’t understand Smith the way the Recording Academy does: He’s won four Grammys from eight nominations.

5

Smith could become only the fifth Black actor to win a lead Oscar, after Poitier, Washington, Jamie Foxx and Whitaker. Poitier, who died on Jan. 6 at age 94, was the first, for his performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field.�