Even if you happen to not be the biggest celebrator of yearly occasions, I think most of us still enjoy receiving a good birthday wish or two to commemorate the day we first set foot onto this big, (mostly) blue, floating ball. It's always nice when our friends and other assorted loved ones send a card / email / text or give us a call, but it can be especially cool when they share the warm wishes with the world. Well, Will Smith just showed some love in honor of his good friend / fellow The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro's birthday, and the result will give you all the feels.
It's always a wonderful thing when friendships last for as long as the one that Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro have had. Not everyone can say that they've had a good buddy for most of their adult life, so it's cool to see that, even in the often difficult world of Hollywood, two people can meet, hit it off and manage to stay friends as their careers take them in very different directions. Smith just took to Instagram to show some birthday love to Ribeiro, and the message was perfectly sweet. Take a look:
Awww! Will Smith calls Alfonso Ribeiro "Alf"! I love it so, so much, you guys! Now, it's no secret that these two have been able to maintain their friendship across several decades at this point, and it all began with their hit NBC sitcom in 1990. Honestly, another one of the things I really love about this post is the photo, which appears to have been taken during the 30th anniversary celebrations on the set for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And, just look at them. Who knows what they were laughing about, but I'd almost be willing to put money on it being some long-held inside joke that no one but those two would understand.
As Will Smith noted in his caption, you can't get through this many years of friendship with someone and not see them at their best and their worst; experiencing all of their good times and bad times right along with them, and with them doing the same for you. The fact that Smith also calls Ribeiro "my guy" is just so sweet and such a personal touch, no wonder those two are leaning into each other like that as they have a chuckle. They're a picture perfect example of brotherly love, as far as I'm concerned.
And, in case you're wondering, Alfonso Ribeiro did return the favor in his response to the post:
Thanks brother. So many great memories and amazing times. Love ya.
See? Ribeiro's response might be short and to the point, but it's hard not to see the brother-from-another-mother affection in his words. I think most of us could do worse than an actual romance that's filled with as much fun, love and respect as this friendship has.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is slated to have that anniversary special up on HBO Max around Thanksgiving (Yes, with both Aunt Viv's!), so be sure to tune in, because maybe we'll even get to see what Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro had the giggles about. There's also a pretty cool dramatic reboot of the sitcom on the way, and you can count on CinemaBlend for additional details on that as they become available. For more to watch on the small screen in the coming weeks, check out our guide to fall TV!
