“Absolutely not, this is what makes the comedy”: Will Smith Refused Fresh Prince Co-Star Alfonso Ribeiro Play Carlton as a ‘Cool’ Character, Forced Studio To Make Changes
Alfonso Ribeiro and Will Smith got together in 1990 to drop one of the best sitcoms of the time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show, which was 6 seasons long in the end, had a decent run, with people falling in love with it. Not to mention its characters. The odd relationship between Smith and Ribeiro was adored by fans and executives alike. They had no doubts about casting the two as the main characters of the show. But the success of the pair should be dedicated to the Men in Black actor for steering their dynamic in the right direction.
Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro greatly benefitted from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Alfonso Ribeiro has crafted a name in the Industry for being one of the most fun-loving characters out there. Right from beginning his career as a child actor in Silver Spoons, to grace us with his presence in America’s Funniest Videos, he has proved his mettle as an entertainer time and again. But it was his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that further cemented his position.
Will Smith, on the other hand, was an untested commodity at the time he got the leading role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The After Earth star was set to kick-start a career that is definitely counted among one of Hollywood’s most successful ones, capping it off with an Oscar last year.
Also Read: 10 Unknown Facts About Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
A recipe for disaster
As history has it, the show would act as the launch pad for both Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro’s careers, catapulting them to greatness. The duo would set the stage on fire, with people falling in love with the characters. But all of it could have gone very differently, had it not been for the Emancipation star’s determination.
As it happened, Smith portrayed the quintessential cool cousin in the show, with Ribeiro essaying the role of the perfect foil to the 54-year-old. NBC executives had something else in mind. They wanted to make both cousins equally cool.
Enter Will Smith.
Also Read: Bel-Air: 5 Reasons Why The Reboot Can Be Better Than The Original
Will Smith came to save the day
The creators of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were clear about how they wanted their characters to be. They knew that protecting that dynamic between the two cousins was critical. Reflecting on everything that went down at the time, co-creator Susan Borowitz told TIME that it was Will Smith who saved the day.
She said,
“The network also would listen to Will. NBC wanted us to make Carlton [Alfonso Ribeiro] cool, and we said, ‘No, he’s a great foil,’ and won on that because Will weighed in and said, ‘Absolutely not, this is what makes the comedy.'”
One can fathom how critical this intervention is.
Source: Slash Film
