“For me, it felt like I couldn’t celebrate 30 years of Fresh Prince without finding a way to celebrate Janet,” said Smith.īut what would this reunion be like? Will be more of a catty Real Housewives reunion? Or more of an Oprah Winfrey Show moment? Luckily, it was the latter. ![]() As a result, there was a very public feud between Smith and Hubert that continued for almost 30 years. Hubert exited Fresh Prince of Bel-Air after three seasons and was replaced by Reid. One of the main segments of the show that many will be itching to see is the meeting between Smith and the original Aunt Vivian played by Hubert - and it is a good meeting that will take you on a whole other journey. Based on the praises sung by the cast, Uncle Phil wasn’t too far from the real James Avery.Īs the cast shared their experiences, they played a very moving tribute to Avery which left everyone in tears - and it will be sure to leave you in a puddle of tears as well. He was a strict father but also knew how to have fun. He played the patriarch of the Banks family, Uncle Phil - who knew how to take a joke and fire back with ease. The special also included a very emotional tribute to Avery, who died in 2013. “When I got here, we got the freedom to express to the writers the cultural aspects they had in the written word.” “I have spent a career being on shows that showed the variety of the Black culture - showing that we are not just a monolithic group of people with one idea and one lifestyle,” Reid said. “We made sure we were authentic every episode,” said Ribiero. “It’s relevant today as it was 30 years ago, unfortunately.” This was in reference to many topics including the episode where Will is reunited with his estranged father as well as an early episode when Will and Carlton are pulled over by the cops and the two have very different perspectives of police enforcement. “There would be very powerful ideas under the jokes and the comedy,” Smith said. He added, “We were able to share the experience - the real experience - and gave those writers our perspective.” Courtesy of HBO Max You were a puppet that was told what to do.” “As an actor, you never had a voice in the room. “The idea that we, as a Black show on TV - one of three at the time - they weren’t really ‘us’ in the writers’ room,” said Ribeiro in the special. They were able to find the soul and truth of the moments with the characters. This was because the actors had the opportunity to collaborate with the writers. It’s a familiar story, but Fresh Prince managed to subvert a lot of the Black tropes and stereotypes that became commonplace on network TV. The premise is very much a traditional fish-out-of-water story about a nephew coming to comedically disrupt the lives of his wealthy relatives. Rewatching Fresh Prince of the Bel-Air on HBO Max is great but at the same time, there’s a realization that this show gave us something different. In fact, there are some episodes you can see Smith mouthing the lines of his scene partner. He eventually took acting classes but would learn everyone’s lines so that his game was on-point when they started filming. We also learned that Smith basically landed the role with no acting experience thanks to Quincy Jones. So if you are going to watch and you grew up with the show, grab those tissues.Īs the cast sat down they reminisced about the pilot and they talked about their auditions, showing footage of Ribeiro and Parsons’ auditions. ![]() The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion is certainly a journey of emotions that includes laughter, sadness, frustration and ultimately love. Seeing all of them hug will bring back feelings of nostalgia for this sitcom, which, in retrospect, changed the game when it came to the representation of the Black experience on TV. There is a moment of genuine joy, laughter and love when the cast stepped onto the re-created set of the Banks family living room. Beyond its comedy, there was something about this show that meant so much to so many people. That said, when the reunion was announced, people who grew up with the show in their formative years were filled with excitement. And thanks to HBO Max, the series has found a new generation of viewers. ![]() More than that, the show, which also starred Will Smith (Will), Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Karyn Parsons (Hilary), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Aunt Vivian 2), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton), Janet Hubert (Aunt Vivian 1) and the late, great James Avery (Uncle Phil) was a pop culture staple that blazed the trail for representation of the Black experience. Smith, who at the time was best known as the rapper Fresh Prince alongside his partner in crime DJ Jazzy Jeff, starred in the NBC sitcom that ran for six seasons and was a launchpad to Smith’s global stardom. HBO Max's 'Gordita Chronicles' Showrunner Says Show's Cancellation Is Part Of A "Diversity Problem" In Hollywood Courtesy of HBO Max
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