William 'Will' Smith: [shouts] To hell with him! 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. We can talk about this another time. will smith fresh prince dad scene script Those qualities are all self-weaponized, manifesting in self-destructive ways. In the episode, Wills father shows up unexpectedly after a 14-year absence. 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) . His character was contending with all the things hed never be and Vereen was deep in that moment. All of the Banks are planning on leaving their palatial Bel-Air estate, which we've gotten to know and love over six seasons. Published Mar 12, 2022. I rarely cried for a sitcom, but this is it. Philip Banks Smith and his musical partner DJ Jazzy Jeff were already big names on the hip-hop scene when the Fresh Prince opportunity presented itself. ", "He kept me in line. Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". Young Ashley Banks (Tatyana Ali) is growing up. Instead of reading him the riot act, Will is understandably enchanted. 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. 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." That awful moment when you learn that this wasnt scripted. 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?" Instead, he laser-focuses on cleaning the house, taking care of everything except himself, feeling genuinely, scarily haunted. 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. When Will and Carlton are held up at gunpoint at an ATM, a shot is fired, and Will is the victim. But in fact, Wills dad was an active participant in his sons life, and even encouraged him. Will is originally from West-Philadelphia but was forced to move soon after participating in a fight with a couple of thugs. He's joyful, performative, and cares not what others think about him. Lou Smith : I just wasn't ready to be a father. He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again," wrote Reddit user RajanKian, who was at the taping of the show. as a startling wake-up call, albeit one couched in comfort, comedy, and familiar class dynamics. : The three of them were like a range of Black manhood, Boulware said. Just lay one brick, dude. (Via). : You might notice his hat coming off. Will makes it to the hospital, and even has a laissez-faire gallows sense of humor about the whole ordeal. flips the racial dynamics, bringing home a white husband (an atypically suave Diedrich Bader) to upset the extended Banks family. You probably remember the goofy dancing scenes and guest appearances from DJ Jazzy Jeff, but every so often, The Fresh Prince would attempt something legitimately poignant. Discover fresh prince of bel air father scene 's popular videos | TikTok : Oh, come on. 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 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a 1990s sitcom that stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself. That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist. Although he was a "tough" man, Will told Essence Magazine that he was not "tryannical. He never even sent me a damn card! 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. Here's the Tumblr version of events that we've come to believe as the truth: : (Via), Smith: My father was in the military, so everything was really regimented.. Becoming an actor, model, or performer is tough. You know what, you ain't got to do nothing, Uncle Phil. I remember someDavid Mametquote that said it doesn't matter how good an actor is; if the script is good, the final product is good. Atlantic records is now hiring content creators. Gregory Lawrence (aka Greg Smith) is a writer, director, performer, songwriter, and comedian. Grab a hankie, whistle for a cab, and take a trip down memory lane with me. 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. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. : 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 insists that Carlton leaves the gun behind immediately. Will William 'Will' Smith Speaking of "Will's father is out of the picture". This is the same guy who didn't think enough of you to pick up the damn phone! Will Smiths acting in it was flawless, the words and script were so real too. 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. Some business came up I gotta handle. He was born in 1973 in West Philadelphia. William 'Will' Smith Whew, that was deep, Vereen said. His father was a question mark, or, as cousin Hillary puts it in the episode, a deadbeat who left him and his mom flat.. [to Will] Whatever. It kinda stinks, is what I'm saying, even when these two male knuckleheads eventually learn their lesson. He resorts to buying a gun himself, ostensibly for protection. Philip, for God's sake. Oct 20, 2017. They plan a cross-country trip together, but Uncle Phil (James Avery) warns Will that he shouldnt get his hopes up; this is the man who abandoned him, after all. The actor went off-script and played . Yeah, whatever. 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. There is no funny outtake of the cast messing up their lines. [long pause as Will struggles to regain his composure]. Erase Nothing: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Dad Episode - Blogger 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. Usually, the director would retake the scene, but really, nothing could replace this moment. Why did it take so long? Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance' Stream It Or Skip It: 'Tonight You're Sleeping With Me' on Netflix, a . Will Smith Cries During 'Fresh Prince' Reunion Over James Avery William 'Will' Smith : And when it digs into this core, it doesn't need silly jokes. Lou Smith Will's father is a deadbeat who left him and his mom flat. He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. : There are around 148 episodes over six seasons, but one episode titled Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse made many fans emotional. He tries to make the exit without Will noticing, but Will does. At least he said goodbye this time. Dont act around me, act with me. The advice worked. It was selfish and cowardly, but that's what I did. It's tricky to reckon with "Just Say Yo" with modern eyes. 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. The Real Story Behind the Most Heartbreaking Scene in 'The Fresh Prince I wanted him to want me. 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 . 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. When my father got out of the Air Force, he started his own refrigeration business. We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. William 'Will' Smith 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. Up until that point, they were thinking of [Smith] as a TV actor, Vereen said of the young mans burgeoning film career. : 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. Hey, he wasn't there to teach me how to shoot my first basket, but I learned, didn't I? The most effective and illuminating emotional reaction to this doesn't orient around Will, however at least not directly. Okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Will. Beyond its visceral, gut-punching thrills as a theatrical sequence, this moment is a stark reminder to Carlton, and to everyone watching: We can lose faith in systems that resort to violence, rightly so. He waltzes in here after 15 years? Will said that. William 'Will' Smith Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #freshprienceofbelair, #freshprinceofbelairscene, #fresh_prince_of . William 'Will' Smith Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! : While working at the Los Angeles University student restaurant, Will recognizes a customer - his father - whom he has not seen for 14 years. 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. After the following perfect take, which made it into the final episode, Avery whispered in Smith's ear during Will and Uncle Phil's hug, "That's fucking acting right there. will smith fresh prince dad scene script - thanhvi.net And I got pretty damn good at it too, didn't I, Uncle Phil? : 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. ', Atlantic Records is Now Hiring Content Creators, Extras Richmond Casting Call for 1770s Types, $4,000 Casting Call for Women with Migraines, SCAD Documentary Casting Call for Church Types, "She Buries Me" Open Casting Call in Philadelphia, $125/Day Fort Lauderdale Music Video Casting Call, Paramount+ Series Casting Call for 2-Year Old Actors, "His Story: The Musical" Open Casting Call, $350/Day Docu-Style Project Casting Call for Blonde Actors, $1,500 Commercial Casting Call for Skiers in Colorado. The actor was so convincing in his delivery that the entire audience started crying. He also played Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard. At least he said goodbye this time. [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] James Avery was relentless on me to elevate. And to do so, he has to leave the building one final time. How you doin'? We didnt realize it had affected that many people until years later., Did any of us know this show would become what it has become in the last 30 years? I know my dad had been planning this for a long time. They were all pretty the same: the dialogue would get cheesy (well, cheesier) and the music, sappy (sappier). The show retains an important place in pop culture. It originally aired on May 9, 1994. Hilary's response is just a wonderfully stated, expertly performed piece of sisterly advice and love, undercut appropriately by in-character jokes (Parsons knows this character like a craftsman knows their tool). WatchMojo: Top 10 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Moments, NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA. A powerful, teachable, simple lesson. For more onThe Fresh Prince, here's the latest intel on the upcoming reboot. So is he a cop? Philip Banks William 'Will' Smith The True Story Behind The Saddest 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Scene - UPROXX Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to be part of an upcoming music vid "Dad was tough but not tyrannical," Smith told Essence. 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! But Viola is ready to boycott the wedding, and forbid her son from going, too. It's a simple trick, perhaps best-known in the final moments ofCheers. "How come he don't want me, man?" Directed by Shelley Jensen with a script from David Zuckerman and Bill Boulware, "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" is about Will's father, played by Ben Vereen,. Excuse me, bring the horses around would you, ha! Uncle Phil, that is not cool, the way you dissing my father like that. Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse - The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air 20 Little Facts About Will Smith From His Fresh Prince Days - TheTalko Excuse me. Uncle Phil, however, thinks Lou will again disappoint his son. No, you know what, Uncle Phil? 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. Vivian and Carlton are excited to see their Uncle Lou, and Ashley (who was a baby when Lou walked out) and baby Nicky get to meet him for the first time. Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Wikipedia The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement. Thing is, hes not really acting here much of Wills speech was ad-libbed and based on his own traumatic childhood. The story behind Will Smith's iconic 'hug' scene in 'The Fresh Prince 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. | : | After landing a role on Fresh Prince, Will also snagged a leading role in the 1993 film adaptation of Six Degrees of Separation. The first one went extremely well while the second album, not so much. 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. Tells him he grew up on the streets of Baltimore. When Will was five years old, he was abandoned by his father, Lou, leaving his mother, Viola, to raise him in poverty. He eradicates the box of one proper Black identity not with force, but with precision. 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." It's a stunning piece of performance that lays the groundwork for the series' deft juggling of silliness and sincerity perfectly. He's my father. So why did you? During the episodes final scene, Smith was struggling to bring it all home. Will is at the Peacock when he sees a man staring at him. 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. Actually, this works out better for me, you know. 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. And yet. Fresh Prince wasnt a show that had done serious moments. But the audience sobbing that you can make out in the background? This relationship needs to be attended to, now. 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. 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. I'm ready to be part of your life if you'll let me. 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. : Technical Specs, [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves], [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly]. James Avery was relentlessly on me to elevate. Yeah, yeah. TIL that during Will Smith's monologue about his father on Fresh Prince 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 recalls iconic "how come he don't want me" scene + Being In that final scene, when Lou disappoints Will for the final time, Vereen himself broke down off-camera. Everything I said, everything I did for James Avery was like nope, not good enough. Avery demanded absolute committed perfection from his young co-star, so when it came time to shoot the scene together, Im messing up the lines because I want it so bad, Smith recalled. I learned how to drive, I learned how to shave, I learned how to fight without him. "We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. Will Smith is, like,sucha good actor. It was that specific episode for me as a director [that] I saw him connect and make it work. You know the episode, and you definitely know THE scene. 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. She expresses her worries for Janice "as an African-American woman" for whom life has already stacked the deck against. [takes out a small statue of a father sitting with his son on his lap]. My father could kind of see doing something differently. But then, in an all-time line reading, Will simply asks his uncle, "How come he don't want me, man?" "Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. Wills delivery was so perfect it seems like it was in the moment.. 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. 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. The two later return to the Banks mansion, where Vivian is less than happy to see Lou, but maintains a civil presence around him for Will's sake. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's just not true. 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). Emotional and great. I agree so much . During an average taping, The Fresh Prince set was like a raucous football stadium. Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist.". Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Saddest Part Was Will's Dad - CBR Why Will Smith Memorized Every Early 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Script William 'Will' Smith : So why did you? I just wish I hadn't wasted my money buying this stupid present. Geoffrey Butler: Master William, tradition dictates that a clean, unbreakable line be drawn between a family and their butler. Philip Banks 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. In honor ofThe Fresh Prince's 30th anniversary, here are the 10 best times the sitcom got serious throughout its run, in chronological order. Smith: Oh, yeah, he was very serious about things being a certain way. Both parties have lots to positively learn about each other. By Awa | Then, the waterworks. 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. 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. Right from the jump, from episode 1,The Fresh Princehad more on its mind than its aesthetics might initially hint. 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Will, it's all right to be angry. 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. But it means, more than ever, we can't lose faith in people. Will Smith on the series premiere of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." NBC.