This leaves Phil and Will alone, and leaves Will the opportunity to spill out all of his feelings about his absent father. 1 His First Major Movie Role Was In Six Degrees Of Separation. It originally aired on May 9, 1994. We all knew we were having a great time. The latter is a secondary part (Whoopi . Will says in one episode, while the camera tilts up to literally show the studio lights). Uncle Phil helps his nephew find a new California apartment on his own, and he'll continue his collegiate studies in the state, too. It's a special series to me, and to so many folks. William 'Will' Smith: I ain't need him then and I don't need him now. Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". This film was the first movie he ever worked on, and this really helped him make the giant leap from being a TV actor to a film actor. But Top Dog makes the opposite decision, deciding that WIll is more "authentically Black," calling Carlton a "sellout.". 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). In 1990, when "Mistaken Identity" first aired on NBC, a gurgling of tensions and resentments between the Black community and the police, founded on an entire history's worth of subjugation and explicitly race-based violence, were churning nearly at a breaking point. Lou Smith The entire show was quiet, even during the funny parts, and I could not figure out why. At least he said goodbye this time. 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. 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. : : The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is a FANDOM TV Community. 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). WatchMojo: Top 10 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Moments, NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA. ButThe Fresh Princemight be the most successful because of what it implies about the future of its characters, and how neatly it closes the arc for Will. William 'Will' Smith: How come he don't want me, man? Will forgives him and is prepared to give him another chance. Thing is, hes not really acting here much of Wills speech was ad-libbed and based on his own traumatic childhood. Transcript The show begins with Will Smith at the door singing and knocking on the door. Or so the widely-spread legend goes. Uncle Phil, his characters influential father figure, is concerned and makes his disgust with Lou known. 1.3k. But there is one episode that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Did he actually accomplish anything during this time living with his upper-class relatives? I'm sorry, Will. Will's father is out of the picture; Uncle Phil is by all accounts the closest to a dad he has. 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. Geoffrey Butler: Master William, walk this way. I'ma get through college without him, I'ma get a great job without him, I'ma marry me a beautiful honey, and I'ma have me a whole bunch of kids. Will, it's all right to be angry. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! We were all in the moment. Grab a hankie, whistle for a cab, and take a trip down memory lane with me. : Gregory Lawrence (aka Greg Smith) is a writer, director, performer, songwriter, and comedian. 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. 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. 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 that specific episode for me as a director [that] I saw him connect and make it work. The idea was to have Wills father come back and leave again, disappointing his only son for a second time. And then, Viola enters. Whatever. In honor ofThe Fresh Prince's 30th anniversary, here are the 10 best times the sitcom got serious throughout its run, in chronological order. 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. Daddy-O! William 'Will' Smith Actually, this works out better for me, you know. ", 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. 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. Discover short videos related to fresh prince of bel air father scene on TikTok. [long pause as Will struggles to regain his composure]. It's a brilliantly played scene, rife with warmth and gentility even as they discuss tricky stuff. It wasnt an easy scene for Smith to film, either. But hes a better parental figure than his actual dad, who lets his son down again. It came in the series' fourth season and 24 th episode called "Papa's Got A Brand New Excuse", and it's an amazing example of Will Smith 's acting ability. A powerful, teachable, simple lesson. He's my father. Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. And yet. 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. People were crying for a long time when it was over, doing their best not to make noise before the director said cut.". 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. 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. This relationship needs to be attended to, now. : But the audience sobbing that you can make out in the background? The entire temperature of the room shifts. The show retains an important place in pop culture. 'Bad Boys For Life', which filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Carlton refuses to see his father after this moment of vulnerability and mortality. You too Lou. 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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. 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. : Some of the episodes even made us cry. Carlton is confidently, uniquely himself. Will is originally from West-Philadelphia but was forced to move soon after participating in a fight with a couple of thugs. Ain't like I'm still five years old, you know. For four years, I treated that boy like my own son. Ribeiro plays this sequence like a man on a precipice, a fork in the road for Carlton, a thrillingly unpredictable piece of theater that even speaks to that common theater rule involving guns on stage. 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! : During an average taping, The Fresh Prince set was like a raucous football stadium. Lou Smith : [to Will] You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. The duo was forced to pivot when 'Fresh Prince' came along. 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. But these are all catchy seasonings to a fundamentally kind, responsible, and curious main dish. 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. Smith gave his first highlight-reel performance, and it wouldnt have been possible with Uncle Phil, who whispered something in Smiths ear while they were hugging on camera: To read more about the episode, click here. Think back to any emotional scene on Full House. He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. Man, I'm glad you're here. Co-writer Bill Boulware based this episode on his own life experiences growing up with a single parent, noting he was always interested in shows about fathers due to his lack of one growing up. And I'm a different man now. I ain't need him then and I don't need him now. : [He] wouldnt give me a damn inch, said Smith in a 2018 interview with podcast Rap Radar. Ain't like I'ma be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home? So the only thing true about this rumor is the emotion conveyed by Will in the scene. Having three Black male actors in an intensely dramatic scene on a comedic series only added to the power of the moment. His acting from that moment on improved dramatically. Youwillcry at the acapella song the family sings over the credits. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project. 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. He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. 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: Hey, Uncle Phil! Technical Specs, [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves], [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly]. Uncle Phil, however, thinks Lou will again disappoint his son. Will Smith recalls iconic "how come he don't want me" scene + Being pushed by James Avery Streaming Black 3.83K subscribers Subscribe 3.3M views 4 years ago Black Press Media Group, July 2018. Originally airing from 1990 to 1996 for six seasons, the sitcom brokeWill Smiththrough to superstardom in a series of episodes articulating his transition from life on the mean streets of West Philadelphia to life in the palatial mansions of Bel-Air (hmm, if only there was a catchy summary of this inciting incident). Following Avery's words, Smith pulled off the most iconic and emotional scene in the show's history. No, you know what, Uncle Phil? Uh, must have the wrong crib. We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. While working at the Los Angeles University student restaurant, Will recognizes a customer - his father - whom he has not seen for 14 years. Will never, ever, forget.. : Philip Banks Ashley asks her if she was nervous, and Hilary responds that she absolutely was, but she "was ready." Lou awkwardly admits that he's got to take care of some business so the planned trip is going to have to wait a week or two, but most likely longer than that, and he promises to call to work it out. It was not one of our best moments, said Zuckerman. Lou is, indeed, going to walk out of Will's life again, having scammed the Banks family for what he needs. 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. However, Smith revealed in his 2021 memoir Will that the relationship was occasionally turbulent due to his father's abuse of his mother. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is a FANDOM TV Community. : ignorant of such targeted frissons. But this constant poking at Uncle Phil's weight comes to a serious head in "Home Is Where the Heart Attack Is," an episode that, as you might guess, gives Uncle Phil a weight-induced heart attack to suffer through. He waltzes in here after 15 years? Reply . Carlton Banks Why did it take so long? Company Credits Yeah, yeah. If you listen closely, you can hear Karyn Parsons (Hilary) crying backstage. The pair attempt to rebuild their relationship and even plan activities together, but when the time came for them to embark on their trip, Lou bailed. . You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith: You know what, you ain't got to do nothing, Uncle Phil. 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! His character was contending with all the things hed never be and Vereen was deep in that moment. I've been waiting for this for a long time, my whole life and ain't nobody gonna stop me. But smack-dab in the middle of this episode lies a beautiful one-on-one conversation, one of the best ever produced duringFresh Prince's run. Make connections. 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. "We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. Relax. What's up? 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. I started feeling trapped. Maybe a little longer. I just have to lay a perfect brick. I just wish I hadn't wasted my money buying this stupid present. And Will, in one of the all-time tension diffusers, hypes up his cousin's speech with bravado. On the eve of Janice's wedding, a group of Banks women gather in the kitchen, unable to sleep, to snack on wedding treats and chat. 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. 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. He tries to make the exit without Will noticing, but Will does. William 'Will' Smith: Got through my first date without him, right? Fourteen years and acts like nothing has happened. 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. Will then begins to cry and asks Phillip why his father doesn't want him. 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.
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