Will Smith is easily one of the biggest stars in all of Hollywood. As a rapper, he’s produced hit songs and, as an actor, he’s headlined countless box office hits. Of course, his acting career was launched in earnest by The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The hit NBC sitcom (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) turned Smith into a household name and remains popular over two decades after the conclusion of its run. The star had a number of memorable experiences while making the show, but what might be the most notable tale is the one involving the audition that landed him the part. There’s a wild story behind how Smith became a primetime mainstay, and it involves Quincy Jones as well as a party.
Now, when an actor typically goes out for a role, there’s a formal audition process that involves callbacks. The Philadelphia native, of course, isn’t the typical star and because of that, hasn’t always found himself in the most normal circumstances. After all, by the time the notion of him leading the now-iconic Fresh Prince came into the picture, he was already a well-known hip-hop artist. So it shouldn’t be all too shocking that he earned his role under less-than-usual circumstances. So without further ado, let’s talk all about how this star’s life got even more flipped-turned upside down.
Will Smith Was Facing Financial Struggles Before He Landed His Sitcom Role
Before we get to the meat of all this, we need to set the stage. So while the Philadelphia native was already a successful rapper by the late ‘80s, his finances weren’t looking all that good at the time. The I Am Legend star opened up about this in a YouTube vlog back in 2018. As he quipped, “Before I was in trouble with Uncle Phil, I was in trouble with Uncle Sam.” The actor explained that after he and collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff struck gold with hit singles, he spent money frivolously. He bought “motorcycles and cars” and even closed out the Gucci store in Atlanta for his friends. Those monetary moves paired with an unsuccessful song were what landed him in hot water:
We released our next album and it was, like, a flop. It was a tragedy, it went, like, double plastic. I had spent all my money, and I didn’t forget but I didn’t pay the IRS. In my mind, I wasn’t trying to like, avoid taxes, I was just like ‘Ah, damn, they need their money.' The IRS took all that stuff, so I was like, broke, broke, broke. Being famous and broke is a shitty combination, because you’re still famous and [people] recognize you but they recognize you while you sitting next to them on the bus.
Will Smith’s situation was looking mighty grim, but a suggestion from his then-girlfriend turned out to be just what he needed. She proposed he should go to The Arsenio Hall Show and hang out, as celebrities and Hollywood bigwigs were typically there. Though Smith was hesitant, he took her advice and, while he was at a taping, he met a man by the name of Benny Medina. For those who are unaware, Medina conceived The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was inspired by his experiences as a Black teen living with a rich white family in Beverly Hills. Medina and Smith ultimately hit it off and, while the music man had no true acting experience, the exec thought he’d be perfect. Of course, Smith would then have to meet with a few other people, including the man who helped Medina get the show greenlit – Quincy Jones.
The Would-Be Sitcom Star Auditioned For The Show During A Major Party At Quincy Jones’ House
So as fate would have it, in December 1989, Quincy Jones was throwing a birthday party for himself at his home. Will Smith and Benny Medina conversed even more while at the shindig and, as the actor explained during The Fresh Prince Reunion in 2020, that’s where Medina formally pitched the show to him. The young man soon met Jones himself, who was a big fan of his. As Smith put it, the music mega producer had “wet his beak,” so he was really enthusiastic when he and Medina began discussing the proposed sitcom with him:
So we go in, and he said, ‘Where you from?’ I said, ‘I’m from Philly.’ He said, ‘Your character’s from Philly!’ I’m like, ‘Ok.’ … So like it’s Quincy’s birthday, so like, it’s a big party, so everybody’s in there. It was Brandon Tartikoff – the head of NBC – [network vice president] Warren Littlefield, all of that. So everybody gets in the room, and Quincy says, ‘Hey, clear the living room out. Clear the living room out. We’re gonna do an audition.’ … I’m going ‘Who’s doing an audition?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, you got it.’ I said, Q, Q, no, no.’
From there, Quincy Jones took the star into his office, which was filled with posters from his famous productions like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Color Purple. Not only that, but Jones' numerous Grammys were also on display – and that intimidated Will Smith even more. To say that he was hesitant would be an understatement, but he changed his tune, so to speak, after Jones made an appeal:
So Quincy, ‘OK, what do you need?’ And I said, ‘Quincy, I’m not an actor. Just give me two weeks. Let me find an acting coach, and let me work on it, and then let’s just set up a proper audition.’ He said, ‘So two weeks, you only need two weeks?’ I said, ‘Yeah, just two weeks.’ He said, ‘So here’s the deal. Right now, everyone who needs to say yes for this show is sitting out in that living room right now, waiting for you. And I was like, ‘Give me ten minutes.’ And he’s like, ‘Alright, audition in ten minutes! Audition in ten minutes.’ … They did a deal memo that night. That’s how we got to the pilot that fast.
Alfonso Ribeiro talked about being embarrassed by his own audition, but one could argue that the pressure he felt was nothing compared to what’s described above. But in the end, everything seemed to work out.
What Happened With The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air After That Crazy Audition?
In time, the rest of the Fresh Prince cast was assembled, and the pilot for the series was shot three months after the party at Quincy Jones’. In September 1990, the show premiered, and the rest is TV history. This must-see sitcom eventually found an audience and wrapped its successful six-season run in 1996, with a two-part series finale. Though it’s been out of production for well over two decades, it’s remained relevant, thanks to streaming and syndication.
Viewers’ continued love for the series is ultimately what sparked the creation of Bel-Air, a dramatic “reimaging” of the sitcom that premiered in 2022. The program, which is available to Peacock subscribers, received mostly positive reviews from critics and general audiences. While it’s much different from its predecessor, the show maintains the same emotional core.
In short, this small-screen franchise is a major piece of pop culture, and you can’t help but wonder if it would’ve still been a hit had Will Smith not been the person playing the lead role. We’ll never know how it would’ve worked out, but I think I speak for a lot of people when I say thank goodness he went through with that audition at Quincy Jones’ party.
In addition to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, you can watch the reunion special on Max as well. You can also read about other great Black ‘90s sitcoms and where to stream them.
