: Philip and Vivian Banks enter the living room to meet Will. While hes hugging me, he whispers in my ear, 'Thats f---ing acting right there, recalled Smith, who also revealed the motivation behind that performance. HD1080p WILL'S DAD EMOTIONAL SAD SCENE ON THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIRNEW 2013 OF. It wasnt an easy scene for Smith to film, either. [Uncle Phil rushes forward to hug Will, and Will breaks down sobbing]. : Smith, whose most emotional scenes in the episode are opposite Avery, had to cry on camera for the first time. Daddy-O! Filled with investments. This wasnt the physical comedy at which Smith the rapper excelled. [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] Im messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad, Smith said in the podcast interview. : Sheridan Smith beamed as she left the Duke of York's Theatre in London on Thursday after her West End show, Shirley Valentine. Lou and Phillip get into a heated argument about Lou's responsibilities as a father with Lou again claiming he was scared to be a father, which Phillip rejects, claiming he too was scared to be a father, but unlike Lou, he didn't run out on his family, but rather remained present for his children's lives, as a good and responsible man is supposed to do. Lou Smith Thing is, hes not really acting here much of Wills speech was ad-libbed and based on his own traumatic childhood. Will Smith said he improvised his character's piano moment in the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" pilot. Becoming an actor, model, or performer is tough. Smith said that he was originally supposed to sit at the bench and reflect on his uncle's words. The story behind Will Smith's iconic 'hug' scene in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' By Helena Andrews-Dyer September 11, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Will Smith, seen here in 1990, started "The. Philip Banks He just had that acting power that I wanted to have.. William 'Will' Smith Philip, for God's sake. Much of "Not with My Cousin You Don't," as you might guess by the title, is predicated on icky gender-role shenanigans. : Will said that. This was the first time the show just went there and stayed there and let it resonate, Zuckerman said of the episodes lasting impact. I'll be a better father than he ever was, and I sure as hell don't need him for that, 'cause ain't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids! Will never, ever, forget.. I had always been interested in shows with fathers, because I grew up with a single parent, he said. It's purely powerful stuff, the kind of moment that immediately casts the rest of the episode in a better glow. Phillip however, makes no effort to be civil towards Lou, showing downright hostility towards him, in questioning him over what possessed him to suddenly return, and why he isn't sending any money to his wife and child that he abandoned, when he's clearly making some with his profession as a truck driver. The man turns out to be Will's father, Lou Smith, whom Will hasn't seen in 14 years, since he abandoned the family. He said, Now, dont you all ever tell me theres something you cant do. And he walked into the shop. Lauderdale, Florida. I agree so much . Find the latest movie casting calls, TV auditions, Modeling jobs, acting opportunities, acting tips, and entertainment news for the biggest movies and TV shows filming across the world. But the audience sobbing that you can make out in the background? He might be leaving this Bel-Air home for good, but this is still the first half of his new life, his new identity. Man, I'm glad you're here. Episode director Shelley Jensen worked on the series for all six seasons and watched Smith, who started the show at 21, go from novice to supernova. For more onThe Fresh Prince, here's the latest intel on the upcoming reboot. Lou Smith . Ain't like I'm still five years old, you know. For six seasons, Will Smith and the rest of the hilarious cast made us laugh week after week with their shenanigans, but they also got our lives flipped-turned upside down whenever they addressed serious topics. Will Smith described the scene where Will breaks down as one of his most difficult as a young actor, as he was unsure if he was able to properly convey the right emotions. Phillip understands, and wishes Will the best. Of course Im talking about Papas Got a Brand New Excuse.. There is no funny outtake of the cast messing up their lines. By Season 4 of The Fresh Prince, Will and Carlton have graduated from high school and are now beginning their college studies. I'll be a better father than he ever was, and I sure as hell don't need him for that, 'cause ain't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids! How you doin'? Its fun to bash on Will Smiths career moves of late (After, ugh, Earth), but when he finds the right role, hes an excellent actor. He's an associate editor for Collider and has written for Shudder, CBS, Paste Magazine, Guff, Smosh, Obsev Studios, and more. Release Dates In the episode, Will's deadbeat father Lou (played by Broadway legend Ben Vereen) returns after a 14-year absence to spend time with his son. Will tells Uncle Phil (James Avery) that he, straight up, has forgotten where he came from. : The entire temperature of the room shifts. Discover short videos related to fresh prince of bel air father scene on TikTok. Lou is, indeed, going to walk out of Will's life again, having scammed the Banks family for what he needs. Okay? Dont act around me, act with me. The advice worked. Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. The true story behind one of the saddest scenes in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' History has finally been revealed. It's a scene even the most casual ofFresh Prince fans have committed to memory, effectively staged and played without a studio audience to give us any emotional relief. I wanted him to want me. William 'Will' Smith The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement. Recently, a rumor started to circulate that this scene wasn't scripted, and that Will Smith really lost it because his actual father was an absentee. The theme, extended in this pilot, summarizes the "pauper to prince" narrative of Will's initial journey with catchy, goofy flavor, but it doesn't stop the inherent complexities of this initial narrative's center from being any less pertinent. The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lou's. Sometimes, to end an sitcom, you need the main character of your sitcom to look around a now-empty set for the last time, turn off the lights, and leave. How Many Of These 90s One Hit Wonders Can You Name. Vivian Banks And, all of these qualities are challenged directly in "Blood Is Thicker Than Mud," a standout episode for Alfonso Ribeiro. Usually, the director would retake the scene, but really, nothing could replace this moment. The scene is iconic, ingrained in the brains of all who grew up watching "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air": a young Will Smith, eager to jet off on a trip with his biological father, only to be let down when his dad skips out on him once again.Will turns cold at the rejection, calling his dad only "Lou," then later rants to Uncle Phil about life without his dad. So there you have it everyone! Philip Banks: [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] I'm sorry, Will. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. That awful moment when you learn that this wasnt scripted. At least he said goodbye this time. Or Hillarys Playboy spread? He reflected that there was an element of his character fully coming to terms with how much he had failed Will after being referred to by his name rather than as "Dad". He was born in 1973 in West Philadelphia. You know the episode, and you definitely know THE scene. Ben Vereen (Lou) stated in an interview that he broke into tears himself after walking out of the camera shot. We were standing there thinking, There will never, ever, be a wall here again. The first time I held you, I didn't think I'd ever put you down. This is the same guy who didn't think enough of you to pick up the damn phone! Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper.Known for variety of roles, Smith has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and four Grammy Awards. He's my father. That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist. But Viola is ready to boycott the wedding, and forbid her son from going, too. [Uncle Phil rushes forward to hug Will, and Will breaks down sobbing]. I know my dad had been planning this for a long time. And to do so, he has to leave the building one final time. But that specific episode? He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. No, he said. Look at me, use me. That Will Smiths character was actually supposed to brush off the whole thing, but Wills father actually had left him when he was younger and he just fell apart on the set and the hug at the end was from one actor to another, not one character to another. This moment feels goodto watch, and feels like a cathartic piece of permission for Black folks who don't fit the typical mold you see on television to be exactly who they are, and be comfortable in that. This relationship needs to be attended to, now. Having three Black male actors in an intensely dramatic scene on a comedic series only added to the power of the moment. We all knew we were having a great time. The most extreme (and false) version of this the rumor goes as far to claim that Smith actually ad-libbed the scene and that the episode was meant to end with Will brushing off his father's abandonment. He also recalls that unusually for a sitcom with a live audience, the audience was entirely silent during filming, comparing the average taping as like a football stadium but this taping like "being in a church.". : That happened. What's up? It originally aired on May 9, 1994. He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. 1.3k. Oh yeah, I don't think so. You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith: You know what, you ain't got to do nothing, Uncle Phil. Hed get this look that said, One more step, Will, and itll get ugly. He was an independent businessman-he set up refrigeration in supermarkets-and he always provided for us. This version of the character was received poorly by Will Smith at the initial table read, and so Lou was rewritten as a somewhat more sympathetic character, who at least had a legitimate job as a truck driver. I love when classic multi-cam sitcoms feel like excuses to put classic theater on television for the masses, and this episode has a wondrous scene that vaults into this hallowed ground. Or so the widely-spread legend goes. [long pause as Will struggles to regain his composure]. Uncle Phil, however, is worried that Will's father will simply disappoint Will again and disappoint Will he does. William 'Will' Smith People were crying for a long time when it was over, doing their best not to make noise before the director said cut.". as a startling wake-up call, albeit one couched in comfort, comedy, and familiar class dynamics. I didn't know there was so many brothers living in the neighborhood. Geoffrey Butler: Master William, tradition dictates that a clean, unbreakable line be drawn between a family and their butler. Damn, I didn't think a scene from "The Fresh Prince" would hit me that hard. His and Boulwares new script recast Lou as a troubled trucker and a guy that just wasnt cut out to be a father., Vereen, who was overjoyed to join the cast for May sweeps week, remembers feeling something special. Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. Fearing for his safety his mother sent him out to Bel Air. During filming, the studio was completely silent a rarity for a comedy with a live audience. Will assures Phillip he's grateful for everything Phillip has done for him, but he still needs to give his father a chance to be in his life, if he truly has changed. After landing a role on Fresh Prince, Will also snagged a leading role in the 1993 film adaptation of Six Degrees of Separation. are heading to New England themselves to be closer to their family. Geoffrey Butler: Master William, walk this way. The rest of the series includes commentary about Black relationships with the police (think DJ Jazzy Jeffinstinctually putting his hands up when a bailiff asks him to swear to tell the truth in court), but here, it did so explicitly and explosively. Avery immediately pulled him aside and gave him a pep talk, telling him to make eye contact with Uncle Phil, which would help guide the performance and get Smith into the emotional state Will needed to be in. And she thinks she might be ready to enter a sexual relationship with a partner (Jaleel White, of course), despite their relationship being inherently long distance. The young actor would go on to deliver one of the biggest emotional punches in Fresh Prince history. And then, Viola enters. [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly] But Avery eventually calmed Smith down by telling him, Its already in there, you know what it is. Will Smith on the series premiere of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." NBC. will smith fresh prince dad scene scriptanson county warrant list. The slimmies of summer come to class wearing next to nothing, you know what I'm saying Philip Banks He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again," wrote Reddit user RajanKian, who was at the taping of the show. Smith has given all the credit to Avery for helping him get through that moment. Thus, the hunt for a fraternity is on, and the two decide to attend a rush event for a Black frat on campus, run by Top Dog (Glenn Plummer). When Will was five years old, he was abandoned by his father, Lou, leaving his mother, Viola, to raise him in poverty. I'm sorry. In fact, the issue with this point of view comes with calling his time a transition in the first place. William 'Will' Smith : He's my father. Will reminds us), and Carlton's pristine visions of fairness and equality (not to mention his wealth and status) are shattered in the face of abject racism. It's entirely possible that two people named Smith that are completely unrelated could meet, fall in love, and start a family. Up until that point, they were thinking of [Smith] as a TV actor, Vereen said of the young mans burgeoning film career. It was a formula that clearly worked, considering theres a good chance well be seeing more of the Tanners soon, but it was super-corny, especially when compared to another so-called kids show that was on the same time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And yet. Jensen said Avery, who died in 2013, was a driving force on set. Look, why are you telling me this now? One day there was a wall there again. Home; About. The hell with your father. And finally, just like any great play, she tells her sister Janice what's really going on. William 'Will' Smith Carlton is confidently, uniquely himself. He's fond of structure, of status, of systems. : But much of white America remained (remains?) Here's the Tumblr version of events that we've come to believe as the truth: "That awful moment when you learn that this wasnt scripted. Just cool down. ", you know. Classic Black sitcoms like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Living Single are finally streaming. The trend of very special anti-drug family sitcom episodes was inspired explicitly byNancy Reagan, to the point where she literally appeared in an episode ofDiff'rent Strokesto deliver her anti-drug screed, and the relationship between the Reagan administration, drugs, and the Black community is a vile one to study (making the interpolation of "Just Say No" as "Just Say Yo" feel particularly gross). Oh, come on. After more than a decade of being absent from his life, Will's father Lou (Ben Vereen) returns, eager to spend time with his son Will here in the fancy hills of Bel-Air. Before he can do so, Will walks in, packed and ready to go. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's just not true. : It is Fresh Princes most iconic half-hour the moment in which Will, the goof who plays it cool, became human, and Smith became an actor. We can talk about this another time. During an average taping, The Fresh Prince set was like a raucous football stadium. Carlton's response comes not as a surprise, but as a well-practiced speech, something he's been having to reckon with his entire life. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of our favorite shows while growing up in the 90s. People were crying for a long time when it was over, doing their best not to make noise before the director said cut. I was ten years old. Well, one day, I just panicked and ran. Papas Got a Brand New Excuse was a watershed 23 minutes for the situational comedy, which, until that moment, hadnt fully explored the emotional depths of Smiths character. But in fact, Wills dad was an active participant in his sons life, and even encouraged him. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! William 'Will' Smith Ain't like I'ma be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home? My father could kind of see doing something differently. Avery, a trained Shakespearean actor, represented the strong father figure; Smith, four years into his first acting gig, the young man coming into his own manhood; and Vereen, a theater vet, was a man lost. Class and race issues are at the core of Will's journey from Philadelphia to Bel-Air, and after a series of fish-out-of-water shenanigans where Will's lower-class upbringing clashes with the Banks' upper-class upbringing during a dinner party, these tensions explode explicitly. Ted's Bio; Fact Sheet; Hoja Informativa Del Ted Fund; Ted Fund Board 2021-22; 2021 Ted Fund Donors; Ted Fund Donors Over the Years. WatchMojo: Top 10 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Moments, NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA. The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lous lies, but Will cant; hes so happy to be with his dad that he drops his trademark swagger and acts like an eager child again. Ashley speaks with her sister, the oft-materialistic and flighty Hilary (Karyn Parsons), to ask her, directly, when she knew she was ready for sex. We're doing alright, huh? Like, James Avery wouldnt give me a damn inch, the actor recalled on TIDALs Rap Radar podcast series. The duo gets arrested and put in jail, alongside an operatic singing convict ("Any time you see a white guy in jail, you knowhe did something bad!" However, Philadelphia is a large city and Smith is a common name worldwide. It's a special series to me, and to so many folks. The duo was forced to pivot when 'Fresh Prince' came along. But his words, as Uncle Phil's so often do, ring passionate with promise, with ideals, and with familial love. That he heard Malcolm X, whom Will had deified earlier in the episode, speak in person. He was drawing from personal experience because his dad had left when he was a baby and when he became famous because of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air he turned up like nothing had happened. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's just not true. It was almost like time stood still.. During the episodes final scene, Smith was struggling to bring it all home. He resorts to buying a gun himself, ostensibly for protection. And, it lets Will have a "not what he seems" moment, too; when Uncle Phil leaves the room after this chat, he notices Will playing Beethovenon the piano. William 'Will' Smith: [shouts] To hell with him! He uses his emotions like an instrument, starting as strong as he can, until it can't help but fracture and fall. Hey, he wasn't there to teach me how to shoot my first basket, but I learned, didn't I? He never even sent me a damn card! Lou Smith : [to Will] You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. Lou exclaims that Phillip is a better man than himself, thinking that's what Phillip wants to hear, and asks him to break the news to Will, but Phillip refuses to do Lou's "dirty work", and Lou opts to duck out and call from the road. Will has grown and learned immeasurably from his new circumstances and familial compassions, and these growths came so organically that he didn't even notice them happening. While working at the Los Angeles University student restaurant, Will recognizes a customer - his father - whom he has not seen for 14 years. (HBO Max) Will recalled the episode where his character's father resurfaces after 14 years. By the time Phil and Viv show up to bail them out, and for Phil to deliver a typically fiery speech about what justice should look like in this country (delivered to a particularly weaselly-looking Hank Azaria), the damage is done. It was not one of our best moments, said Zuckerman. : : Will Smith Explains The "Dad Episode" of Fresh Prince, According to episode co-writer David Zuckerman, this episode was written to showcase Will Smith's dramatic acting talents, following his recent turn in the dramedy, The initial script for this episode cast Lou as a pool shark breezing through town. Even if the performance wasnt real, it was real enough to be remembered 20 years later. But during filming of this episode, director Jensen likened the mood of the normally wild show to being in church.. Will forgives him and is prepared to give him another chance. Excuse me. : I knew it was good, good television and it was really special.. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into winter and then back into spring.