Filming & Production Some of the episodes even made us cry. William 'Will' Smith (Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com), Game Brain Starring Will Smith Open Casting Call, Watch DWTS Alfonso Ribiero Get Jiggy Wit It to Will Smiths Hit Song, Will Smith Quits the Movie Brilliance Weeks Before Production. 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. It wasnt an easy scene for Smith to film, either. I started feeling trapped. Firstly, Will Smith's father was very much present during his childhood. Instead of reading him the riot act, Will is understandably enchanted. It was 1994, and he had just come off Six Degrees of Separation, a dramedy about a young con man who charms his way into a rich White family. 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. But Carlton is actually, literally Phil's son. And finally, just like any great play, she tells her sister Janice what's really going on. 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. What is the Spanish language plot outline for Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse (1994)? 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). 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. You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith: You know what, you ain't got to do nothing, Uncle Phil. Will runs up to him to give him a big hug. : Home; About. Where There's a Will, There's a Way (Part 1), Where There's a Will, There's a Way (Part 2). 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.". 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. 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. ", 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. His acting from that moment on improved dramatically. Yeah, that's cool. While working at the Los Angeles University student restaurant, Will recognizes a customer - his father - whom he has not seen for 14 years. While the legend that Smith ad-libbed much of the scene based on his troubled relationship with his actual father is probably false, the sobbing was not. How Many Of These 90s One Hit Wonders Can You Name. Just cool down. How you doin'? And then, Viola enters. He eradicates the box of one proper Black identity not with force, but with precision. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! 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. Will Smith is a two-time Oscar nominee and one of the most popular actors (and genies) of his generation. Smith would even come out himself and hype up the audience. He's my father. Will knows the truth, however that these cops will take any chance they can get to subjugate two young Black men, especially given that they're driving a "stolen car." That he heard Malcolm X, whom Will had deified earlier in the episode, speak in person. The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lou's. The duo was forced to pivot when 'Fresh Prince' came along. It's a stunning piece of performance that lays the groundwork for the series' deft juggling of silliness and sincerity perfectly. Really shows how good of an actor Will Smith is. Directed by Shelley Jensen with a script from David Zuckerman and Bill Boulware, Papas Got a Brand New Excuse is about Wills father, played by Ben Vereen, returning to his sons life after 14 years. [3] The show retains an important place in pop culture. We see this formative piece of growing up reacted to in two different ways a very problematic one, that happens to be driven by two leading men; and an incredibly sensitive, sincere, and real one, that happens to be driven by two leading women. The slimmies of summer come to class wearing next to nothing, you know what I'm saying Philip Banks: Will, it's all right to be angry. We tried to make him not a bad guy sympathetic, explained Zuckerman, who wrote Papas Got a Brand New Excuse with veteran TV writer Bill Boulware after an initially disastrous table read of a different script had cast Wills father, Lou (to be played by Broadway alum Ben Vereen), as a pool shark who breezes into town. ", you know. are heading to New England themselves to be closer to their family. Im messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad, Smith said in the podcast interview. Philip Banks Hey, just cool it. Look, I'll call you next week and we'll iron out the details. [to Will] : 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. [pause] Becoming an actor, model, or performer is tough. Lou Smith : William 'Will' Smith There are around 148 episodes over six seasons, but one episode titled Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse made many fans emotional. While Will is forgiving and understanding, Phillip and Vivian not so much. In the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse", Will Smith demonstrated his true acting abilities and showed the world when he is given the right role, he can do an amazing job. It's Carlton, Phil's son, whom we see suffer this trauma the most severely, even more so than Phil himself. Looking for Disney, Game of Thrones, or Marvel movie casting calls? "Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. Lou Smith I'm ready to be part of your life if you'll let me. But before all that, he was a sitcom star, someone who, it would not have been foolhardy to assume, couldnt handle more dramatic material. Uncle Phil grabs Will and hugs him fiercely, as he wished his father would. 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.". The shot frames this moment alongside the sculpture; subtly, but decidedly, communicating that this is the real father-son relationship at the center of Fresh Prince, at the center of Will's life. He was the model for me of an actor. Yeah, you did. Revealing that he bought Lou a present a sculpture of a father holding his son he insists that he's made it through his entire life, and all of his formative moments, without his dad, and that he'll just keep going. (HBO Max) Will recalled the episode where his character's father resurfaces after 14 years. William 'Will' Smith: How come he don't want me, man? During an average taping, The Fresh Prince set was like a raucous football stadium. : Frank Schaeffer Jr. (cousin) Reuben (great-uncle) Eleanor (great-aunt) William "Will" Smith (portrayed by Willard "Will" Smith) is a fictionalized version of Smith and main character in the 1990-1996 NBC television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the 2022 Peacock streaming television drama Bel-Air, portrayed in the latter series by . However Vivian has previously stated that hers, violas, Helens and Janices maiden name is Smith. Philip Banks I learned how to drive, I learned how to shave, I learned how to fight without him. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project . Carlton, however, self-weaponizes and assumes too much responsibility again, and his faith in an inherent sense of decency in the systems of life is shattered again. William 'Will' Smith Those qualities I assigned Carlton regarding the previous episode? It's a special series to me, and to so many folks. I was honored to be there at the launch.. Regrettably,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airis full of fat-shaming jokes, particularly from Will toward Uncle Phil (and in one entire episode, they bring on royal guest starQueen Latifahjust to have her be a learning moment that overweight people have feelings too; Latifah and Smith sell the material, of course, but there's definitely a lack of depth in the exploration, which I guess means Mametwasright). Philip Banks 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. It's a shocking, plainspoken admission of society's privilege, one that gives the character tons of empathy and understanding. By Awa | William 'Will' Smith flips the racial dynamics, bringing home a white husband (an atypically suave Diedrich Bader) to upset the extended Banks family. So why did you? When my father got out of the Air Force, he started his own refrigeration business. 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. No, you know what, Uncle Phil? And yet. Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. Yeah, whatever. He rages at his cousin about the futility of violence and revenge. Relax. However, Lou announces to Vivian and Phillip that he has to leave immediately to make a business shipment, and he's gotta be open for more shipments, so the trip he promised Will isn't going to happen as he planned it. It was that specific episode for me as a director [that] I saw him connect and make it work. Hes a steady and positive figure in my life. 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. And Uncle Phil, in the first of Avery's many perfect performances, sets him straight. Will is at the Peacock when he sees a man staring at him. Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". Here's the Tumblr version of events that we've come to believe as the truth: William 'Will' Smith: [shouts] To hell with him! It killed me when I first saw it, and still gets to me now. : In its six seasons on NBC, the series a grittier version of The Cosby Show that juxtaposed hip-hop culture with Black upper-class ethos tackled everything from racism to sexism to a two-step dubbed the Carlton.. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into winter and then back into spring. This erroneous claim first appeared in a Tumblr post in the early 2010s with no source given, nor has one emerged beyond the rumor simply being repeated verbatim uncited, including on IMDb. William 'Will' Smith And when it digs into this core, it doesn't need silly jokes. 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. Actually, this works out better for me, you know. : Filled with investments. At 2:04 Will goes off script, so everything that happens after that is real. : Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! ", you know. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of our favorite shows while growing up in the 90s. The two collapse into an embrace. Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. However, Smith revealed in his 2021 memoir Will that the relationship was occasionally turbulent due to his father's abuse of his mother. The show begins with Will Smith at the door singing and knocking on the door. William 'Will' Smith : Will Smith said he improvised his character's piano moment in the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" pilot. The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement. But much of white America remained (remains?) It was almost like time stood still.. He's fond of structure, of status, of systems. : And he told us that this was going to be our gig over the summer. Young Ashley Banks (Tatyana Ali) is growing up. 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. William 'Will' Smith Because he's not doing this for you, he's doing this for himself and if you think any differently, then you're a fool! But these are all catchy seasonings to a fundamentally kind, responsible, and curious main dish. Wake up, Will. Will's very pleased with this. Uh, must have the wrong crib. Instead, it shows slides of the end credits. 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. February 24, 2022 armstrong siddeley cars for sale armstrong siddeley cars for sale Ashley asks her if she was nervous, and Hilary responds that she absolutely was, but she "was ready." The story behind the episode is almost as good as the episode itself. Adding, "You might notice his hat coming off. 1.3k. Will Smith is, like,sucha good actor. Will tells Uncle Phil (James Avery) that he, straight up, has forgotten where he came from. Dont act around me, act with me, Smith recalled Avery saying. Uncle Phil, that is not cool, the way you dissing my father like that. I am Geoffrey, your uncle's butler. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. Will Smith on the series premiere of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." NBC. She thought college was the only way. William 'Will' Smith : So why did you? Reply . This leaves Phil and Will alone, and leaves Will the opportunity to spill out all of his feelings about his absent father. I agree so much . Phillip understands, and wishes Will the best. Lou Smith One day there was a wall there again. Ain't like I'm still five years old, you know. Not quite. As such, "Mistaken Identity" served (serves?) : Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Aunt Vivs Janet Hubert and Daphne Maxwell Reid return alongside the rest of the cast for HBO Max's unscripted 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion. I'm sorry, Will. But then, in an all-time line reading, Will simply asks his uncle, "How come he don't want me, man?" 2019 Ted Fund Donors Both parties have lots to positively learn about each other. Will runs up to him to give him a big hug. You are forced to invest your time, family, and even your wallet to make your dream come true. Who needs him? The thing I connect to is: I do not have to build a perfect wall today. William 'Will' Smith Published Feb 2, 2021. At first Will seems okay with Lou abandoning him, as at least he said goodbye, but Will now wishes he hadn't spent money on a present for Lou. Smith and his musical partner DJ Jazzy Jeff were already big names on the hip-hop scene when the Fresh Prince opportunity presented itself. Will seemingly understands, but he realizes that Lou's just trying to weasel his way out of the situation, and their trip isn't going to happen at all. 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. (Video: The Washington Post). The two are prepared to take a cross-country trip around the country for the remainder of the summer, but Philip sees that this reunion and trip is in Lou's favor rather than Will's. Lauderdale, Florida. : It's a simple trick, perhaps best-known in the final moments ofCheers. Smith, whose most emotional scenes in the episode are opposite Avery, had to cry on camera for the first time. You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. No, he said. He made a mistake. : Up until that point, they were thinking of [Smith] as a TV actor, Vereen said of the young mans burgeoning film career. That changed with Papas Got a Brand New Excuse, the season four episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that aired 25 years ago today. Published Mar 12, 2022. Lou Smith : [to Will] You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. The true story behind one of the saddest scenes in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' History has finally been revealed. Geoffrey Butler: I am not your Uncle Philip. Will and Carlton are determined to stop their female family member from having sex, using intercoms and interrogation tactics as devices to get in the way, to claim ownership over Ashley's body, to inherently view a young woman's sexual exploration as robbing her of her "purity." : : That childlike sense of rage, coupled with his newfound maturity, rises into his throat; his final act of defiance is to refuse to call his father "Dad," opting for his name instead. I wanted him to want me. Phillip asks Vivian to allow him to talk to Lou in private, and Vivian agrees, on the condition that he doesn't hit Lou because she wouldn't want to miss that! 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. The fatherhood episode was pivotal, Jensen added, because it marked Smiths arrival as a force to be reckoned with. WatchMojo: Top 10 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Moments, NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA. I'm sorry. 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. Make connections. Will never, ever, forget. (Via). James Avery (Uncle Phil) is also visibly in tears. Wisely, his apology tends to stay out of the socioeconomic implications of drugs, and more into the personal point of view of "I am a member of this family who has hurt another member of this family." Just for a couple of weeks. 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