", you know. The trend of very special anti-drug family sitcom episodes was inspired explicitly byNancy Reagan, to the point where she literally appeared in an episode ofDiff'rent Strokesto deliver her anti-drug screed, and the relationship between the Reagan administration, drugs, and the Black community is a vile one to study (making the interpolation of "Just Say No" as "Just Say Yo" feel particularly gross). 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. See production, box office & company info, [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves]. : Ashley asks her if she was nervous, and Hilary responds that she absolutely was, but she "was ready." Actually, this works out better for me, you know. Lou 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. 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. James Avery (Uncle Phil) is also visibly in tears. I had *fourteen* great birthdays without him. Philip Banks He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. : Uncle Phil helps his nephew find a new California apartment on his own, and he'll continue his collegiate studies in the state, too. Reply . Instead, he laser-focuses on cleaning the house, taking care of everything except himself, feeling genuinely, scarily haunted. Will says in one episode, while the camera tilts up to literally show the studio lights). : I told my parents I wanted to rap. We're doing alright, huh? [He] wouldnt give me a damn inch, said Smith in a 2018 interview with podcast Rap Radar. And I got pretty damn good at it too, didn't I, Uncle Phil? 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. But Carlton is actually, literally Phil's son. Find the latest movie casting calls, TV auditions, Modeling jobs, acting opportunities, acting tips, and entertainment news for the biggest movies and TV shows filming across the world. Technical Specs, [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves], [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly]. William 'Will' Smith Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. Geoffrey Butler: You have the right house. When Will calls him Lou, oh my God, his whole frame just shrunk because he realized at that point that hed lost his son. Hilary, this is Lou Smith Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Will's Father leaves Charles Bentley 13.3K subscribers 381K 13M views 7 years ago There wasn't a good quality version of one of the most touching scenes in TV. : 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." 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. Geoffrey Butler: Come with me, Master William. And I'm a different man now. Where There's a Will, There's a Way (Part 1), Where There's a Will, There's a Way (Part 2). Casting Calls and news is updated daily get the industry news here! Come tomorrow, I'm out of here. In fact, the issue with this point of view comes with calling his time a transition in the first place. You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith You know what? Smith, playing a version of himself, lives with his extended family, and everyone lives, learns, laughs, loves, and grows with each other. He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again," wrote Reddit user RajanKian, who was at the taping of the show. The much-acclaimed show recently completed its 30th anniversary. That he has no idea what life on the streets is like. 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.. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project. Every true Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fan knows the most emotional scene in the entire series. William 'Will' Smith Hey, why should I be mad? ", you know. William 'Will' Smith The actor went off-script and played . But that specific episode? Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". Up until that point, they were thinking of [Smith] as a TV actor, Vereen said of the young mans burgeoning film career. Who needs him? Olivia Singh. 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. [long pause as Will struggles to regain his composure]. Hey, he wasn't there to teach me how to shoot my first basket, but I learned, didn't I? Wake up, Will. How you doin'? We were all in the moment. But in fact, Wills dad was an active participant in his sons life, and even encouraged him. Now that the building is done, he gets to live in it. That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist.". Transcript The show begins with Will Smith at the door singing and knocking on the door. We were standing there thinking, There will never, ever, be a wall here again. 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. I just wasn't ready to be a father. Nov 11, 2021, 12:36 PM. 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? 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. At 2:04 Will goes off script, so everything that happens after that is real. Will's father is a deadbeat who left him and his mom flat. Get Discovered! I was actually at the taping. Just cool down. 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. An emotional Will lets his frustration out in a conversation with Uncle Phil, but things got really sad when he finally breaks down in tears. And insists that Carlton leaves the gun behind immediately. 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. William 'Will' Smith : : [3] 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 Smith helped co-write the script for this scene. Philip: Yeah, then why did he say it? 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. Home; About. Plus, the specific choice of drugs amphetamines and the specific effects we see Carlton dancing himself into a frenzy unfortunately brings to mind other campy very special episodes, particularly the infamousSaved by the Bellcaffeine pills debacle. Geoffrey Butler: I am not your Uncle Philip. Uncle Phil, that is not cool, the way you dissing my father like that. But it wasnt until the fourth season, with its characters deeply established, that the show decided to tackle the subject in depth. We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college. And to do so, he has to leave the building one final time. He was drawing from personal experience because his dad had left when he was a baby and when he became famous because of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air he turned up like nothing had happened. flips the racial dynamics, bringing home a white husband (an atypically suave Diedrich Bader) to upset the extended Banks family. Whew, that was deep, Vereen said. Sometimes, to end an sitcom, you need the main character of your sitcom to look around a now-empty set for the last time, turn off the lights, and leave. The two collapse into an embrace. Will Smith described the scene where Will breaks down as one of his most difficult as a young actor, as he was unsure if he was able to properly convey the right emotions. 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. Insists that if Carlton goes through with this plan, he's just as bad as the guy who put Will in the hospital. It was also so unexpected. Will and Philip subsequently get into a heated argument over this, with Will claiming in anger that he doesn't care what Phillip thinks because Phillip is not his father, leaving Phillip visibly upset and at a loss for words. : James Avery was relentless on me to elevate. William 'Will' Smith : So why did you? Use me. Ain't like I'ma be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home? Will is thrilled at this news, ready to rekindle his paternal relationship without much skepticism apparent. I didn't know there was so many brothers living in the neighborhood. I understand. He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. Discover short videos related to fresh prince of bel air father scene on TikTok. James Avery was relentlessly on me to elevate. When the police pull over Will and Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) in a borrowed Mercedes, on the way to a Palm Springs vacation with Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv (Janet Hubert-Whitten), Carlton, covered in the security blanket of his class, his rational thinking, and the fact that his father is a judge, assumes they will explain what's going on and drive away no harm done. 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. But then, in an all-time line reading, Will simply asks his uncle, "How come he don't want me, man?" Usually, the director would retake the scene, but really, nothing could replace this moment. 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! Look, I'll call you next week and we'll iron out the details. Whatever. So the only thing true about this rumor is the emotion conveyed by Will in the scene. 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. Daddy-O! 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). 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. He never even sent me a damn card! . The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lous lies, but Will cant; hes so happy to be with his dad that he drops his trademark swagger and acts like an eager child again. | 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. This was the first time the show just went there and stayed there and let it resonate, Zuckerman said of the episodes lasting impact. It originally aired on May 9, 1994. So we're gonna have to put our trip on hold. In the episode, Wills deadbeat father Lou (played by Broadway legend Ben Vereen) returns after a 14-year absence to spend time with his son. Borrowing its title fromGuess Who's Coming to Dinner, the 1967 film in whichKatharine Houghtonbrings home fianc Sidney Poitierto her white parents to examine interracial relationships in a lightly comedic purview, "Guess Who's Coming to Marry?" Im messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad, Smith said in the podcast interview. Lou Smith Will Smith: Yo yo, G, G, G, let me rap to you for a second man. Or Hillarys Playboy spread? Lou is, indeed, going to walk out of Will's life again, having scammed the Banks family for what he needs. But during filming of this episode, director Jensen likened the mood of the normally wild show to being in church.. William 'Will' Smith At least he said goodbye this time. The duo was forced to pivot when 'Fresh Prince' came along. : 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! This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project . Will never, ever, forget.. Who cares what you think? There are around 148 episodes over six seasons, but one episode titled Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse made many fans emotional. Yeah, yeah. William 'Will' Smith 5 Jun. He also played Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard. Uh, must have the wrong crib. That he heard Malcolm X, whom Will had deified earlier in the episode, speak in person. : 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. 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. Lou claims it was great to see Will again, and Will responds "You too Lou" instead of Dad, officially disowning Lou as his father. I rarely cried for a sitcom, but this is it. William 'Will' Smith: I ain't need him then and I don't need him now. 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.