Therefore, it is necessary for the operation of the household that you address me as Geoffrey, and I in turn address you by your proper title, Master William. Whew, that was deep, Vereen said. I rarely cried for a sitcom, but this is it. You know what, Aunt Viv? Will is originally from West-Philadelphia but was forced to move soon after participating in a fight with a couple of thugs. This relationship needs to be attended to, now. He tries to make the exit without Will noticing, but Will does. : : And I'm a different man now. 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. 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. William 'Will' Smith: Got through my first date without him, right? Now, let's get to the bottom of this rumor. 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. He never even sent me a damn card! I worked my ass off trying to keep him in line! While Will and Lou bond at a carnival, Lou tells him that the real reason that he abandoned him was because he was scared of having a kid. Just for a couple of weeks. Of course Im talking about Papas Got a Brand New Excuse.. February 24, 2022 armstrong siddeley cars for sale armstrong siddeley cars for sale Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. 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. It's a brilliantly played scene, rife with warmth and gentility even as they discuss tricky stuff. : 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. 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.". Relax. : Washington Post Retrospective on the episode. : The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a 1990s sitcom that stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself. During the episodes final scene, Smith was struggling to bring it all home. It originally aired on May 9, 1994. William 'Will' Smith Will never, ever, forget. 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. 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. The duo gets arrested and put in jail, alongside an operatic singing convict ("Any time you see a white guy in jail, you knowhe did something bad!" Will Smith: Check this - "His royal freshness" - that's dope! You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith : : 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. Will Smith is a two-time Oscar nominee and one of the most popular actors (and genies) of his generation. The young actor would go on to deliver one of the biggest emotional punches in Fresh Prince history. Wills father introduces himself as Lou Smith, which would mean that Violas (Wills mother) married name is smith. 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. William 'Will' Smith He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. (HBO Max) Will recalled the episode where his character's father resurfaces after 14 years. When Will and Carlton are held up at gunpoint at an ATM, a shot is fired, and Will is the victim. He and Uncle Phil embrace each other crying, as the camera zooms in on Will's present: a statue of an African father holding his young son. The first time I held you, I didn't think I'd ever put you down. [shouts] Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! He loves pizza and the Mortal Kombat movie. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is a FANDOM TV Community. What's up? Philip Banks I am Geoffrey, your uncle's butler. Will Smith: Yo yo, G, G, G, let me rap to you for a second man. [He] wouldnt give me a damn inch, said Smith in a 2018 interview with podcast Rap Radar. Smith would even come out himself and hype up the audience. And to do so, he has to leave the building one final time. I had *fourteen* great birthdays without him. TIL that during Will Smith's monologue about his father on Fresh Prince, it was so heart-wrenching that audience members can be heard crying after it is over. He's fond of structure, of status, of systems. Uncle Phil grabs Will and hugs him fiercely, as he wished his father would. Will Smith: What are you, Robo-Butler, man? But that specific episode? Adding, "You might notice his hat coming off. Ain't like I'm still five years old, you know. So we're gonna have to put our trip on hold. 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. Behind the scenes, the episode was also meant to showcase Smiths dramatic acting chops. She thought college was the only way. [takes out a small statue of a father sitting with his son on his lap]. So why did you? 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. You might notice his hat coming off. In celebration of its 30th anniversary (the pilot aired September 10, 1990), I wondered why this show continues to play so wonderfully and warmly where so many other '90s sitcoms become forgotten. Smith said that he was originally supposed to sit at the bench and reflect on his uncle's words. This leaves Phil and Will alone, and leaves Will the opportunity to spill out all of his feelings about his absent father. Philip Banks: [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] I'm sorry, Will. Yeah, whatever. However, Smith revealed in his 2021 memoir. 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. Oh yeah, I don't think so. | We all knew we were having a great time. He's joyful, performative, and cares not what others think about him. Lou Smith During filming, the studio was completely silent a rarity for a comedy with a live audience. 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. as a startling wake-up call, albeit one couched in comfort, comedy, and familiar class dynamics. Dont act around me, act with me, Smith recalled Avery saying. : [to Will] It's a shocking, plainspoken admission of society's privilege, one that gives the character tons of empathy and understanding. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airwas, and continues to be, a breath of fresh air. And when Carlton does buck up and speak to his father, vulnerability and everything, it's simply stunning television. This pages comprises the full verbal transcript of the first episode of Season 1 - The Fresh Prince Project . Published Feb 2, 2021. Lou is, indeed, going to walk out of Will's life again, having scammed the Banks family for what he needs. ", you know. 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. William 'Will' Smith : 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. Some business came up I gotta handle. The hell with your father. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is a FANDOM TV Community. Come tomorrow, I'm out of here. But hes a better parental figure than his actual dad, who lets his son down again. William 'Will' Smith Damn, I didn't think a scene from "The Fresh Prince" would hit me that hard. Maybe a little longer. 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. 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. Actually, this works out better for me, you know. William 'Will' Smith 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. Well, one day, I just panicked and ran. The thing I connect to is: I do not have to build a perfect wall today. You too Lou. 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. But Avery eventually calmed Smith down by telling him, Its already in there, you know what it is. It is Fresh Princes most iconic half-hour the moment in which Will, the goof who plays it cool, became human, and Smith became an actor. 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. 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 Carlton, Phil's son, whom we see suffer this trauma the most severely, even more so than Phil himself. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's just not true. Lou exclaims that Phillip is a better man than himself, thinking that's what Phillip wants to hear, and asks him to break the news to Will, but Phillip refuses to do Lou's "dirty work", and Lou opts to duck out and call from the road. Or so the widely-spread legend goes. Director Shelley Jensen describes this episode as a turning point in Smith's performance, noting his acting improved dramatically after it. 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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. 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). 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. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into winter and then back into spring. It was selfish and cowardly, but that's what I did. Man, I'm glad you're here. His father, who had left him years before, claims he is finally ready to become a part of Will's life, again. : The story behind the episode is almost as good as the episode itself. For more onThe Fresh Prince, here's the latest intel on the upcoming reboot. They said, Rap? My mother graduated from Carnegie Mellon. It was that specific episode for me as a director [that] I saw him connect and make it work. But during filming of this episode, director Jensen likened the mood of the normally wild show to being in church.. Are you a content creator looking for an opportunity to show your stuff? He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. Philip Banks Okay? But it means, more than ever, we can't lose faith in people. He's now his own person, living in his new life, that he himself built this whole time. 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. William 'Will' Smith The much-acclaimed show recently completed its 30th anniversary. It's a scene even the most casual ofFresh Prince fans have committed to memory, effectively staged and played without a studio audience to give us any emotional relief. "I did not make the rules, but I do know how to play the game. Home; About. Uncle Phil, that is not cool, the way you dissing my father like that. Lou Smith The two awkwardly find themselves talking with Lou claiming he's a self-employed truck driver now, and that he recently spoke to Will's mother, who informed him that Will was now in Bel-Air with his Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian, so he drove down to see his son. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. Before he can do so, Will walks in, packed and ready to go. Will Smith is, like,sucha good actor. Reply . 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. He was the model for me of an actor. William 'Will' Smith : Will never, ever, forget.. And he told us that this was going to be our gig over the summer. Filming & Production : Will forgives him and is prepared to give him another chance. One day there was a wall there again. He tore the old one down it was probably 16 feet high and 40 feet long. Uncle Phil, however, is worried that Will's father will simply disappoint Will again and disappoint Will he does. Smith, whose most emotional scenes in the episode are opposite Avery, had to cry on camera for the first time. But the audience sobbing that you can make out in the background? The first time I held you, I didn't think I'd ever put you down. [after discovering Will's father unexpectedly] : Uncle Phil, his characters influential father figure, is concerned and makes his disgust with Lou known. Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". In fact, the issue with this point of view comes with calling his time a transition in the first place. I'm sorry. Becoming an actor, model, or performer is tough. By Season 4 of The Fresh Prince, Will and Carlton have graduated from high school and are now beginning their college studies. Hey, just cool it. You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. Will's father is out of the picture; Uncle Phil is by all accounts the closest to a dad he has. I know my dad had been planning this for a long time. Will believes that Uncle Phil is jealous and tells him that hes not his real dad. Lou Smith What millennial doesnt jump to finish the theme songs lyrics when prompted by Innnn West Philadelphia, born and raised? 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. She then exits, but not without warning Lou that if he walks out now, he will not be welcome at the Banks mansion again. 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. Lou and Phillip get into a heated argument about Lou's responsibilities as a father with Lou again claiming he was scared to be a father, which Phillip rejects, claiming he too was scared to be a father, but unlike Lou, he didn't run out on his family, but rather remained present for his children's lives, as a good and responsible man is supposed to do. : He showed up, did this scene in one take, then disappeared again. I wanted him to want me. To hell with him! He eradicates the box of one proper Black identity not with force, but with precision. And, all of these qualities are challenged directly in "Blood Is Thicker Than Mud," a standout episode for Alfonso Ribeiro. I wanted him to approve of me., Fans of the show have long believed that Smith improvised that final scene in which his character builds to an emotional crescendo, loudly proclaiming all the milestones he got through without Lou, but every word was written by Bill and I, Zuckerman said. Zuckerman firmly squashed the rumor in a 2020 article, stating the entire episode and that scene in particular were tightly scripted, citing Smith's acting ability as a testament to it seeming spontaneous. He uses his emotions like an instrument, starting as strong as he can, until it can't help but fracture and fall. You might notice his hat coming off. When we started the series, Will was definitely not there, but he grew as a man and as an actor, he said. The most extreme (and false) version of this the rumor goes as far to claim that Smith actually ad-libbed the scene and that the episode was meant to end with Will brushing off his father's abandonment. Daddy-O! : You know, if there was something that l William 'Will' Smith: You know what, you ain't got to do nothing, Uncle Phil. Having three Black male actors in an intensely dramatic scene on a comedic series only added to the power of the moment.
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