The Fresh Princeis unbelievably silly, no doubt, with its oft-arch performances and willingness to surreally break the fourth wall ("How come we can't afford ceilings?" William 'Will' Smith When the time has come for Top Dog to choose his new candidate, Carlton assumes he'll get picked, and Will's foolishness will not be tolerated. Philip Banks Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. : Lou seems hurt by this, but he can't think of anything else to say, and after reflecting for a moment, he quickly walks out without another word. Who needs him? In that final scene, when Lou disappoints Will for the final time, Vereen himself broke down off-camera. To hell with him! Geoffrey Butler: Master William, tradition dictates that a clean, unbreakable line be drawn between a family and their butler. Will, as he is wont to do, acts a fool; and Carlton, as he is wont to do, hops over every task with a double front-flip, cleaning up the joint while he's at it. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's just not true. William 'Will' Smith Yeah, that's cool. The man turns out to be Will's father, Lou Smith, whom Will hasn't seen in 14 years, since he abandoned the family. Look at me. ", There is a popular misconception that Smith himself was also abandoned by his biological father in real life when he was young and had "broken character" while delivering the rant which went from being directed towards Lou to being directed towards Smith's own real-life father. The show retains an important place in pop culture. It wasnt an easy scene for Smith to film, either. The episode title is a reference to the James Brown song. Will never, ever, forget.. Will forgives him and is prepared to give him another chance. 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.". I had *fourteen* great birthdays without him. [long pause as Will struggles to regain his composure]. The episode featured the man-hug loved (and memed) around the world as Uncle Phil (James Avery) doesnt so much embrace as completely envelop his nephew, who is coming to grips with the loss of his absentee father for a second time. as a startling wake-up call, albeit one couched in comfort, comedy, and familiar class dynamics. William 'Will' Smith William 'Will' Smith: No, you know what, Uncle Phil? William 'Will' Smith The first time I held you, I didn't think I'd ever put you down. I'm sorry, Will. Not quite. But Viola is ready to boycott the wedding, and forbid her son from going, too. Carlton Banks 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. Emotional and great. Baker is the husband-to-be of Janice (Charlayne Woodard), who's set to be married in the Banks' spacious Bel-Air backyard if Will's mother Viola (Verne Watson-Johnson) doesn't blow a gasket first. It's a shocking, plainspoken admission of society's privilege, one that gives the character tons of empathy and understanding. 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. Smith: Oh, yeah, he was very serious about things being a certain way. During the first take, he found himself stumbling over words so much that director Shelley Jensen called cut so as not to spoil the final line for the audience, prompting Smith to yell in frustration. Release Dates It's tricky to reckon with "Just Say Yo" with modern eyes. Philip and Vivian Banks enter the living room to meet Will. Uncle Phil helps his nephew find a new California apartment on his own, and he'll continue his collegiate studies in the state, too. 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. Philip Banks The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of our favorite shows while growing up in the 90s. The Saddest Scene In The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air History Aired 25 Years Ago Today, GloRilla, Ice Spice, And The Carefree Black Girl Backlash, Karol G Tells Us About Her Most Personal Album Yet, Maana Ser Bonito, And Collaborating With Shakira, The Rundown: Cousin Gregs Finest Moments From The Succession Final Season Trailer, Ranked, Creed III Has What Every Sequel Needs, A Director Who Seems Personally Invested, How Bail Bag Helps The Formerly Incarcerated Get Back On Their Feet, Advice From A Finance Pro For How To Survive (And Thrive) In This Economy, Why We Shouldnt Forget About The Game Stop Short Squeeze, Five Cities Where Latinx Street Art Is Alive And Well, Travel Budgeting Pro Gabby Beckford Shares Her Best Financial Advice For 2023 Adventures, We Blind Tested Our Favorite Fast Food Double Cheeseburgers & Crowned A New Champ, How To Actually, Truly Buy Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon For Real, Were Picking The Very Best Air Jordan IIIs Of All Time, Game On: How Grant Williams Embraces His Role On And Off The Court, Jamal Crawford On Joining TNTs Tuesday Night Desk, Brooklyns Turnaround, And The NBAs Offensive Explosion, How Sneaker Customizer Marcus Floyd Is Breaking Into Pro Sports, One Horse Shoe At A Time, Talib Kweli & David Cross On Boots Riley, Bob Odenkirk, Palestine, Tribalism, NLE Choppa Takes Uproxx Behind His 23 Music Video, B-Lovees Uproxx Sessions Performance Of IYKYK May Have Been Ice Cold But Hes With All The Smoke, 112s Cupid Video Gets Some React Like You Know Love From 2Rare And TiaCorine, All The Best New R&B From This Week That You Need To Hear, The Most Anticipated Albums Of Spring 2023, Don Tolivers Stylish Third Album Love Sick Is A Step In The Right Direction, All The Best New Pop Music From This Week, Steven Hydens Favorite Music Of February 2023. 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. Some business came up I gotta handle. He eradicates the box of one proper Black identity not with force, but with precision. 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. It was almost like time stood still.. Youwillcry at the acapella song the family sings over the credits. 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). Geoffrey Butler: You have the right house. Whew, that was deep, Vereen said. But as he reveals to Will in a tense, hospital-set two-hander finale (staged this time, curiously,with a studio audience), he hopes deep down inside that he can meet the man who shot Will, and get his revenge. Or Hillarys Playboy spread? 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. I'm sorry that everybody can't be as perfect as you, Uncle Phil, but if I can forgive him, how come you can't? I was honored to be there at the launch.. Will and his dad, Willard Carroll Smith, Sr., remained on good terms until he passed away in November 2016. 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. : Ain't like I'ma be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home? Kim Kardashian Tackled to the Ground at Paris Fashion Event, Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Casting Call for Kids in Peachtree City, Georgia, NBA YoungBoy and Birdman Hire Director for 'Ballin Blocker 2', 'The Weeknd' To Star in a Movie He Co-Wrote and Produced, Michael B. Jordan Reunites with High School Reporter at 'Creed III' Premiere: 'I Was the Corny Kid, Right? We all knew we were having a great time. While working at the Los Angeles University student restaurant, Will recognizes a customer - his father - whom he has not seen for 14 years. Will Smith is a two-time Oscar nominee and one of the most popular actors (and genies) of his generation. William 'Will' Smith 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. Insists that if Carlton goes through with this plan, he's just as bad as the guy who put Will in the hospital. 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. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project. Lauderdale music video casting call in Fort. I am Geoffrey, your uncle's butler. Look no further than Atlantic Records' $125/Day Fort. Several years after Fresh Prince ended, Will got a chance to really flex his own fatherly skills on the big screen when he starred in The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth with his son Jaden. Yeah, yeah. Tags: fresh prince of bel air, sad, scene, Will Smth, father, The Story Behind The Saddest "Fresh Prince" Scene Is Not What You Think, The Evolution of the Internet: 90s to Now. The rest of the family may find this all surprising, and Uncle Phil may at first think Frank (Baker) is a valet (in one of the best-staged act outs I've seen in a TV comedy; not to mention its sneakily provocative racial flip). : Im messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad, Smith said in the podcast interview. R.I.P.James Avery "Uncle Phil" 1948-2014 --ONE OF MY FAV SCENES--THROW BACK! After all, given his upbringing, getting threatened by folks packing guns is an unfortunately common part of life. : Whatever. William 'Will' Smith : He's my father. 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. It's a stunning piece of performance that lays the groundwork for the series' deft juggling of silliness and sincerity perfectly. The duo was forced to pivot when 'Fresh Prince' came along. However Vivian has previously stated that hers, violas, Helens and Janices maiden name is Smith. People were crying for a long time when it was over, doing their best not to make noise before the director said cut.". Sheridan Smith beamed as she left the Duke of York's Theatre in London on Thursday after her West End show, Shirley Valentine. Geoffrey Butler: I am not your Uncle Philip. The show begins with Will Smith at the door singing and knocking on the door. Lou Smith That he has no idea what life on the streets is like. This was the first time the show just went there and stayed there and let it resonate, Zuckerman said of the episodes lasting impact. [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] : But these are all catchy seasonings to a fundamentally kind, responsible, and curious main dish. I knew it was good, good television and it was really special.. And then, Viola enters. 'Bad Boys For Life', which filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. The much-acclaimed show recently completed its 30th anniversary. That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist.". By Season 4 of The Fresh Prince, Will and Carlton have graduated from high school and are now beginning their college studies. William 'Will' Smith: Hey, why should I be mad? 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., I was ten years old. How you doin'? I learned how to drive, I learned how to shave, I learned how to fight without him. Instead, he laser-focuses on cleaning the house, taking care of everything except himself, feeling genuinely, scarily haunted. As of 2023, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. I had *fourteen* great birthdays without him. 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. I just wish I hadn't wasted my money buying this stupid present. They were all pretty the same: the dialogue would get cheesy (well, cheesier) and the music, sappy (sappier). Of course Im talking about Papas Got a Brand New Excuse.. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. Its already in there, you know what it is. Philip: Yeah, then why did he say it? : Tells him he grew up on the streets of Baltimore. William 'Will' Smith The Post's Candace Buckner, David Betancourt and Tramel Raggs explore how current demonstrations against racial inequality are echoing memorable sports movies. William 'Will' Smith Smith, playing a version of himself, lives with his extended family, and everyone lives, learns, laughs, loves, and grows with each other. Phillip understands, and wishes Will the best. This episode, and especially this scene, tends to prove Mr. Mamet wrong. Uh, must have the wrong crib. Will Smith: Check this - "His royal freshness" - that's dope! Fourteen years and acts like nothing has happened. Will believes that Uncle Phil is jealous and tells him that hes not his real dad. James Avery (Uncle Phil) is also visibly in tears. Watch popular content from the following creators: Tvseries Clips(@i_cole_world_i), Call_Me_Ville(@callme_ville), LeashRN-BSN(@leash_rn), EpicClips101(@epicclips101official), ciaran w(@rap_editszzz) . (Video: The Washington Post). Got through my first date without him, right? Just cool down. Then, the waterworks. Where does that leave Will? When Will calls him Lou, oh my God, his whole frame just shrunk because he realized at that point that hed lost his son. 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.". Relax. We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. Lou Smith : I just wasn't ready to be a father. Within Smith's oeuvre, the Fresh Prince mode dominates in other roles like Oscar the fish in the animated film Shark Tale and the 1993 movie Made in America. Will Smith said he improvised his character's piano moment in the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" pilot. Will runs up to him to give him a big hug. William 'Will' Smith It originally aired on May 9, 1994. For four years, I treated that boy like my own son. Technical Specs, [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves], [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly]. I might have been 12 and my brother 9 when one day he decided he wanted a new front wall at his shop. But before all that, he was a sitcom star, someone who, it would not have been foolhardy to assume, couldnt handle more dramatic material. Philip Banks It was great seeing you, son. So when he has to break down and confess to the family that the amphetamines Carlton found were meant for him, making him tacitly responsible for Carlton's hospitalization, he commits to it beautifully. : But Top Dog makes the opposite decision, deciding that WIll is more "authentically Black," calling Carlton a "sellout.". The show wasn't afraid to tackle issues like drugs, sex, drunk driving, sexism, racism, and violence to teach us an important lesson or two about life. He rages at his cousin about the futility of violence and revenge. Discover short videos related to fresh prince of bel air father scene on TikTok. Smith was known for his clean lyrics, and his hits were . But in fact, Wills dad was an active participant in his sons life, and even encouraged him. It's a special series to me, and to so many folks. In celebration of its 30th anniversary (the pilot aired September 10, 1990), I wondered why this show continues to play so wonderfully and warmly where so many other '90s sitcoms become forgotten. William 'Will' Smith All of these qualities make him one of our great television characters; all of these qualities make him rife for roasts from his cousin Will; all of these qualities add to the interesting playing with and subverting of what kinds of racial depictions we saw on television in the early '90s. In honor ofThe Fresh Prince's 30th anniversary, here are the 10 best times the sitcom got serious throughout its run, in chronological order. Behind the scenes, the episode was also meant to showcase Smiths dramatic acting chops. How Many Of These 90s One Hit Wonders Can You Name. The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lou's. This relationship needs to be attended to, now. The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement. Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name the Fresh Prince, is an American actor, rapper, and producer.Noted for his work in music, television, and film, Smith has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, four Grammy Awards, and The latter is a secondary part (Whoopi . Get Discovered! The fatherhood episode was pivotal, Jensen added, because it marked Smiths arrival as a force to be reckoned with. ", you know. Will is originally from West-Philadelphia but was forced to move soon after participating in a fight with a couple of thugs.