He might be leaving this Bel-Air home for good, but this is still the first half of his new life, his new identity. Ashleys first date with R&B princeling Tevin Campbell? attentiveness vs attention will smith fresh prince dad scene script. They were all pretty the same: the dialogue would get cheesy (well, cheesier) and the music, sappy (sappier). Ain't like I'm still five years old, you know. Director Shelley Jensen describes this episode as a turning point in Smith's performance, noting his acting improved dramatically after it. The Banks, especially Uncle Phil, see through Lou's. 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. Yeah, yeah. After all, given his upbringing, getting threatened by folks packing guns is an unfortunately common part of life. I just wasn't ready to be a father. You see, the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. Is Viola's reaction mere prejudice, plainly spoken? Published Mar 12, 2022. Philip Banks However, Smith revealed in his 2021 memoir. 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. 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. 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! William 'Will' Smith: Got through my first date without him, right? : 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. 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. By Season 4 of The Fresh Prince, Will and Carlton have graduated from high school and are now beginning their college studies. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into winter and then back into spring. Will says in one episode, while the camera tilts up to literally show the studio lights). The man turns out to be Will's father, Lou Smith, whom Will hasn't seen in 14 years, since he abandoned the family. There are around 148 episodes over six seasons, but one episode titled Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse made many fans emotional. Usually, the director would retake the scene, but really, nothing could replace this moment. Geoffrey Butler approaches the door and lets Will in. Whew, that was deep, Vereen said. The episode title is a reference to the James Brown song. Look no further than Atlantic Records' $125/Day Fort. Will makes it to the hospital, and even has a laissez-faire gallows sense of humor about the whole ordeal. : William 'Will' Smith If you listen closely, you can hear Karyn Parsons (Hilary) crying backstage. However Vivian has previously stated that hers, violas, Helens and Janices maiden name is Smith. He's now his own person, living in his new life, that he himself built this whole time. In another interview with Reader's Digest, he explained that his father actually supported his dreams of pursuing a career in music. So there you have it everyone! William 'Will' Smith : So why did you? Tells him he grew up on the streets of Baltimore. And I got pretty damn good at it too, didn't I, Uncle Phil? Phillip asks Vivian to allow him to talk to Lou in private, and Vivian agrees, on the condition that he doesn't hit Lou because she wouldn't want to miss that! While Will is forgiving and understanding, Phillip and Vivian not so much. 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! ", "He kept me in line. His character was contending with all the things hed never be and Vereen was deep in that moment. Then, she gives Ashley the agency and compassion he needs to make this decision moving forward: "Only you'll know when the time's right for you." Will Smith: Oh, okay, well uh, cheerio and all that Walter now. : Hilary and Ashley are heading to New York, Carlton is heading to Princeton, and Phil and Viv (and Nicky; remember Nicky?) : Will believes that Uncle Phil is jealous and tells him that hes not his real dad. And she thinks she might be ready to enter a sexual relationship with a partner (Jaleel White, of course), despite their relationship being inherently long distance. And to do so, he has to leave the building one final time. Geoffrey Butler: I am not your Uncle Philip. Ain't like I'ma be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home? William 'Will' Smith: I ain't need him then and I don't need him now. The two collapse into an embrace. Lou Smith Carlton refuses to see his father after this moment of vulnerability and mortality. Filming & Production Zuckerman described Lou as "a guy that just wasn't cut out to be a father.". 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. Fearing for his safety his mother sent him out to Bel Air. How you doin'? 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. Oh, come on. 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. 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. Will then, becoming a touch of a father figure himself, must set his cousin straight. Will is thrilled at this news, ready to rekindle his paternal relationship without much skepticism apparent. 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. Will Smith said he improvised his character's piano moment in the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" pilot. Before this scene, Will Smith disappeared. Phillip understands, and wishes Will the best. 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. Maybe a little longer. Well, one day, I just panicked and ran. William 'Will' Smith William 'Will' Smith He made a mistake. He was the model for me of an actor. I rarely cried for a sitcom, but this is it. 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. CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 23: Will Smith attends the 70th Anniversary during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2017 in Cannes, France. By the time Phil and Viv show up to bail them out, and for Phil to deliver a typically fiery speech about what justice should look like in this country (delivered to a particularly weaselly-looking Hank Azaria), the damage is done. It was written by David Zuckerman and Bill Boulware, and directed by Shelley Jensen. : He loves dancing, especially to Tom Jonesand theSugarhill Gang. : Instead, it shows slides of the end credits. But it means, more than ever, we can't lose faith in people. Whatever. Philip Banks: [after Lou cancels his trip with Will and leaves] I'm sorry, Will. I had always been interested in shows with fathers, because I grew up with a single parent, he said. I just wish I hadn't wasted my money buying this stupid present. Even if the performance wasnt real, it was real enough to be remembered 20 years later. 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. It originally aired on May 9, 1994. For more, www.smithlgreg.com, The Best Serious Moments in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air', 'The Last of Us' Made Flashbacks Work, But Episode 7's Doesn't, The 10 Best 'South Park' Episodes of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb, 10 Best Villains from 'Batman: The Animated Series', Ranked. 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. | Lou Smith Philip, for God's sake. Then, the waterworks. Lou claims it was great to see Will again, and Will responds "You too Lou" instead of Dad, officially disowning Lou as his father. Smith has given all the credit to Avery for helping him get through that moment. The actor went off-script and played . [shouts] He just had that acting power that I wanted to have.. Philip Banks 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. You know the episode, and you definitely know THE scene. : : Excuse me, bring the horses around would you, ha! 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. It kinda stinks, is what I'm saying, even when these two male knuckleheads eventually learn their lesson. She thought college was the only way. Just for a couple of weeks. Lauderdale, Florida. You saw the light bulb go off, he said.