The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air was a powerful showcase for any number of Will Smith’s numerous positive traits—his charisma, his comic timing, his ability to have easily hurl-able friends. Like most sitcoms of its era, though, it was rarely much of an actor’s showcase; despite his future talents as a thespian, Smith was rarely called upon to do much more than deliver a quip or roll his eyes at Carlton’s latest Yuppie idiocy.
Except that one time.
You know which one we’re talking about, right? Season four’s “Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse,” a.k.a. the “How come he don’t want me, man?” episode, in which Smith’s character breaks down in Uncle Phil’s arms after his dad walks out on him yet again. As noted by Uproxx, it’s been 25 years since that episode first aired, laying down a path from “Will Smith, goofy rapper and sitcom actor” to “Will Smith, future two-time Oscar nominee.”
Not that it was an easy road from one to the other: Smith has talked before about the weird place his career was in by the time he was initially offered Fresh Prince, after his third album with DJ Jazzy Jeff turned into a financial disaster. (Only a bizarre encounter with a drunken Quincy Jones and a failed Morris Day TV project turned his fortunes around.) Even once he had the series, though, he had plenty to prove as an actor, especially to co-star James Avery, who pushed him hard every step of the way to live up to the potential of the platform he’d been given. Talking about the scene with Black Streaming last year, Smith made it clear that in that moment, he was fighting just as hard for Avery’s acceptance as his fictional father’s, revealing that he got some validation from the co-star at the scene’s emotional climax, when Uncle Phil embraces Will, and Avery whispered “That’s fucking acting right there” in his young mentee’s ear.
Pardon us; we seem to have something in our eye.
94 Comments
25 years. God I’m fucking old.
Watching Suicide Squad reminded me how much damn charisma Will Smith has. He almost saved that train wreck just by being in it. This show gave us that first glimpse of what a natural he is. Also, Carlton.
If the movie Independence Day holds up, it’s 51% Will Smith’s charisma. The remaining 49% can be split between Vivica A Fox, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, and Jeff Goldblum. Seriously, that movie had the weirdest fucking cast for a blockbuster (cf, Jurassic Park).
Judd Hirsch was awesome in that movie. It was him, Will Smith, and Goldblum that made it with just enough Randy Quaid for the ‘Hold my beer’ element that makes it silly enough to not get too heavy unlike another movie like Deep Impact.
The real star of ID4 was Harry Connick Jr.
At one point in ID4, Vivica Fox says to Will “You’re not as charming as you think you are” and he’s supposed to reply “Yes I am.” Terrible line. But he looks her right in the eye and sells it like the smoothest motherfucker on the planet. That’s when I knew he was gonna be a huge actor.
Was about to say, Smith is the MVP of ID4, memes and all.
His Deadshot was literally the only character I gave a shit about in that movie. I was really hoping they’d let him out of prison somehow at the end so he could go be with his daughter
I personally think Will Smith was the worst thing about Suicide Squad, purely because he always plays a nice guy and couldn’t sell being a contract killer.Watch 6 Degrees of Separation – he kills it in that role
A bit of a shame he listened to Denzil about the kissing scene though.
He could have been playing any generic DC nice guy assassin. He was lacking in anything that actually made him Deadshot other than some guns and a daughter story.
You mean all the things that actually define the Anti-hero that is Floyd Lawton? A daughter he’d kill for, literallybut otherwise an emotionless killerNever misses (unless he wants to which is also in the books)Willing to do the right thing for the wrong reasons but fuck it you take what you can get.Yeah no that’s not Deadshot at all…
Yet nothing like the Deadshot from Secret Six, who killed Catman’s Pride just to ensure he joined the group. That was not the character Will Smith was playing, he could have been playing any generic assassin from DC.
I would split the difference between the 2 of you and say Will Smith was very good but he should have played Rick Flag and been the audience surrogate for how we all get introduced to the Squad.
brilliant idea.
There are lots of ways to improve that film, and that’s where I would start.
Are you familiar with Deadshot? He’s written as an anti-hero half the time rather than a supervillian. Since they put Zoe in the film they are establishing him as the more complex version of him.I think that puts him right in Will’s wheelhouse which was displayed perfectly in every interaction he had with the Zoe character.Other than Marrgot Robbies rendition of Ms. Harley Quinn, Will’s performance was the most spot on and recognizable as the character he was meant to portray.
That’s why it’s always Denzel > Will Smith. Smith is good but there is no way he could have pulled off Alonzo Harris.
Of course, his natural good-guy charisma also sunk the character he was supposed to be playing. Deadshot is a mercenary shithead with the tiniest sliver of humanity. Will Smith is . . . Will Smith.
Of course, it didn’t help that the writing forced some sort of nonsense “we’re really a family” bullshit onto a story that REALLY didn’t warrant it.
Terrence Howard would have been perfect.
I don’t think so, Mayne.
This second go-round with Idris Elba should be miles better. He’s got the soulful-asshole bit DOWN.
But he’s not playing Deadshot. Deadshot won’t be in this movie. They are saving him for the possibility of suicide squad 3 and will Smith coming back.
Lecturing Harley Quinn and Amanda Waller about baby wipes.
We re-watched I Am Legend last week and that movie is an object lesson in his towering charisma. He holds the whole thing together by force of personality (the scene with the dog, man . . . ). It falls apart at the end, but up to that point just watching him figure things out, watching emotions play across his face, is enough to forgive terrible CGI.
I really wish that movie had ended right after “Please say hello to me.”Just…excise the entire third act.
I will never forgive test audiences for hating the intended ending of I am Legend, resulting in reshoot and the fucking incomprehensible mess of an ending we got.
I agree with you. I’m not sure what the other comments are thinking.I think by choosing the Floyd Lawton Anti-hero version of Deadshot (because of Zoe which is canon) you put the character dead center of his strengths.
Watching Suicide Squad reminded me how much damn charisma Will Smith has.I have long said that Will Smith’s natural charm has saved many movies that would otherwise have been terrible. Fresh Prince was/is one of my favorite shows.
That’s more or less my review of Suicide Squad – A miserable, cobbled-together mess of a film that occasionally reminds you why Will Smith was the biggest movie star in the world, before he got the “serious” acting bug and went after roles that actively work against his natural charisma.
That’s why I think Aladdin is gonna be a big ol hit (beyond the property name and music of course); you know what people like? Will Smith being funny. Will Smith singing. This movie looks to have both.
I could be mis-remembering, but didn’t Will become a more serious character after he got engaged, with Carlton shouldering most of the silly stuff?
Not completely. The episode where Carlton struggled to see Uncle Phil possibly dying from a heart attack as well as the episode where Carlton buys a gun after Will gets shot both occurred after this episode.
They really loved to torture Carlton in this show. Most of the time for laughs, but they also made him go through some really heavy shit once in a while.
I initially thought this article would be the “Carlton buys a gun” episode when I read the title.
You’re thinking of Kirk Cameron in Growing Pains. When he got mega-Christian and suddenly became the worst part of an already shitty show. (Enter: Leonardo DiCaprio in the Cousin Oliver role!)
Just to note, Fresh Prince actually tackled heavy subjects a lot. They aren’t as monumental as the above moment, but they do ground the series.Also, for the first half of the series, Hillary was seen dating different people almost every week. Though her fiance dying was treated lightly and as a joke, she was very, very rarely seen dating anyone ever again for the rest of the series. Hillary never got over her fiance’s death.
RIP James Avery. That one still hurts every time I remember it.
Great article that was linked today on somewhere if you haven’t read it.
https://theundefeated.com/features/uncle-phil-from-the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-may-be-the-best-tv-dad-in-history-this-scene-proves-it/
Thanks! I’m always reminded of this first season scene, which is one of my favorite scenes in any sitcom ever (and not just for the exceedingly random Hank Azaria cameo). I’m a lawyer nowadays, and I only wish I could be this good of one.
“You know if you see a white guy in jail, you know he done somethin’ BAD!”
As a white kid growing up in rural France, that scene was my first contact with racism and what prompted me to ask my parents about it. Fresh Prince, while still being a sitcom, was a great show for a lot more reasons than being entertaining.
re hank azaria, if you haven’t seen Brockmire, watch it IMMEDIATELY. he is phenomenal.
Me and my wife started rewatching the series from the beginning. In my head, I always thought the episode where they get pulled over for being black was in a later season, when the writers got comfortable enough to go political. Nope. It’s like episode 3 or 4! I really had no idea how political the show was in its first season.Most 90s sitcoms do not hold up. This one has aged like fine wine.
Thought the exact same thing. I think about this particular episode often for one reason or another. Hell of a show to this day.
Jeffrey, break out Lucille.
Hahaha, another all-time classic scene.
Check out young Hank Azaria there. The other cop.
I love seeing Hank Azaria randomly pop up in nothing roles in late 80s/early 90s sitcoms.
Ya, that is the other scene I remember basically verbatim from that show (I’m an attorney as well). My favorite part is Aunt Viv taking off her earrings though.
Yeeesss! That one episode where she was arguing with the parents of Ashley’s bully and the mother goes “Too many big words?” and then Aunt Viv starts to remove her earrings and says “No, but I’ve got a couple of small worlds for you.” was GOLD.
Uncle Phil was the best. Full stop.
I love how the surprise and delight here seems so genuine in response to this surprise cameo by James Avery on Family Matters.
I never cry when Smith starts to cry at the hurt of being rejected by his father, but I sob when Uncle Phil moves at lightning speed, and hugs so so tightly. Physically showing Will that he is loved, he is wanted he is apart of Uncle Phil. Knowing that an adult can welcome a child into their lives and feel (and give) the unconditional love that all children on this planet deserves makes me feel all the feels.
Same. I was genuinely sad when I learned of his passing. (Also fun fact: He was the voice of Shredder in that lame Ninja Turtles cartoon.)
Anyone with a shitty father (myself included) has probably watched that scene enough times to know it by heart.
Now this is a story all about how my smile got flipped-turned upside down.
I rewatched this episode not too long ago and while the praise for Will Smith and his final monologue is absolutely deserved, most people seem to overlook that this is actually an Uncle Phil episode. The whole 2nd half is about Phil, wondering not just if he is a good replacement dad for Will, but also a good father overall, while he also knows that Will’s father is gonna disappoint him again sooner or later. His final man to man conversation with the father is brillantly acted (from both sides) and James Avery does most of the heavy lifting in this episode. I mean, just look at his face before the hug! He looks equally understanding and completely helpless while in a state of shock, induced by the most raw and honest moment that he ever had with his nephew, who usually wisecracks his way through life.
Duuuuude his short talk with Will’s dad is EXCELLENT, good call.
It’s good enough that I haven’t seen it in at least 20 years and the reminder immediately took me back to it emotionally.
A real tribute to Avery the actor that he subtly takes Will’s cap off.
Not just subtly, he goes to hold him tight, and the hat gets in the way, so he forcefully pushes it aside. It’s a real testament to his commitment as an actor.
Well you know Uncle Phil is doing the heavy lifting because ain’t no way anybody gonna lift Uncle Phil!
Easy Geoffrey, show some respect. The man is no longer with us!
James James Avery’s acting was on point too. Remember the look on his face when Will said “you are not my father!”
The scene was acting. Will went off script and was describing the relationship he had with his own father. The reaction on James’s face was authentic because it wasnt supposed to have the extreme emotional edge that it had. The hug was from a gentlemen who saw the heart of his friend breaking before his very eyes.
I’m not crying; you’re crying.
1. Don’t forget both the “Carlton’s Got a Gun” and “Will Drugs Carlton” episodes. Both of those episodes did quite a bit in showcaseing both Smith and Ribeiro’s (to a lesser degree) acting chops.
2. Avery whispering “that’s fucking acting right there” makes me feel a certain, happy way.
and I Am Legend. His presence kept me captivated, the scene in the video store brilliant. Not his fault they used BS CGI. Will Smith is the man.
I never noticed that you can clearly hear someone in the crew or audience crying right at the end of the clip. Even knowing the scene, what is going to happen, it still hits hard. Brilliant acting by Will.
Thank you for the comprehensive write-up so I wouldn’t have to watch. Unfortunately, temptation got the better of me and I’m a puddle of tears. It’s a shame no sit-com — and there have been dozens with the ability to do so — has reached for a moment like this since.
The best part of Fresh Prince was watching the worlds-worst-actor Will Smith, actually silently mouthing THE OTHER ACTORS lines as a memory trick to help remember HIS own lines.Watch him in the first season. Hilarious. Presumably his Scientology acting coaches worked with him on it, as it’s less noticeable beyond season 2.Fun Show, but not exactly a method actor’s showcase.
i did not like watching fresh prince because even back then will smith annoyed me. it was james avery that carried that show. i loved every minute he had on it because he was such an interesting character to go along with an even more interesting actor.
i will never stop thinking how hard he sharked that pool shark.
Geoffrey, break out Lucille.
And 10% for his manager!
I never really watch Fresh Prince growing up. But damn, that scene made me tear up right now.
That shit made me cry right now.
Had my wife watch the series. When it came to that scene I left the room. Kills me everytime. More so knowing the behind the scenes tears because Will was really speaking from his heart because of his own childhood. >.<
Before Prez. Obama, Uncle Phil was the epitome of what I had in my mind when people started mentioning #BlackExcellence. I am Asian, but I definitely wanted Uncle Phil in my life. The character (and James Avery) formed a lot of young and teen boys’ minds when the show was on.
Jeffrey, break out Lucille.
This show had so many moments that I loved. I remember watching the show as a kid and seeing Will and Carlton dance for the first time. I almost bust a gut laughing.
Uncle Phil was TV’s best dad.
One of the greatest scenes ever to be on tv. All these years later and I still tear up.
No matter how many times I see it, that scene gets me every single time.
DAMN.
I knew James Avery— before the Fresh Prince. He was an enormously moral, decent, caring man.
It’s funny; even before the legacy of “The Cosby Show” was irrevocably tainted, I feel like my generation was already drifting towards Uncle Phil as the ultimate TV dad, black or otherwise. I think that’s because, at the end of the day, he was the more interesting character. He could be silly and fly off the handle, but end of the day he was someone who’d grown distant from his roots and wasn’t completely sure where he or his family fit into the bigger culture anymore.
From the comedy angle, I like the weird moments where he and Will were on the same page, like Judge Robertson’s funeral where all the mourners are there to celebrate his death.
MOURNER: And who the hell are you?
WILL: …I’m the…dude that killed him.
(Everyone applauds)
WILL: …Tough room.
PHIL: Eeeyeah.
Lemme tell ya, “Fresh Prince” was underrated for dark comedy.
TThe Cosby isn’t tainted. Bill Cosby is tainted.
James James Avery’s acting was on point too. Remember the look on his face when Will told him “you are not my father!”
Saddest? I’ve NEVER laughed that hard watch fresh prince.This episode is comic genius. It’s making fun of gullible emo people..waitIt is sposeda be a joke right?
Jesus that scene still wrecks me. Every time. That is fucking acting right there.