Will Smith's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: All you need to know about the star's TV debut

Will Smith is a well-known name among fans who gained massive popularity as a rapper under the name, The Fresh Prince. As he received immense love and appreciation from his fans, he made his television debut with the series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that successfully ran for six seasons. Will Smith even included other popular celebrity artists in the series such as Tom Jones, Sullivan Walker, Gary Coleman, Dick Clark and others. Here is all you need to know about Will Smith's TV debut.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air plot 

Created by Andy and Susan Borowitz, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air began airing on 10 September 1990 featuring Will Smith as a fictionalised avatar of himself. The show having 148 episodes across 6 seasons was developed by Benny Medina and Jeff Pollack and backed by Wener Wallian, Lisa Rosenthal, Leilani Downer, Joel Markowitz, Joanne Curley-Kerner and Joel Madison. On the show, he was seen playing the role of a teenager born and brought up in West Philadelphia who once gets into a fight with a gang after which his mother decides to send him to his uncle. He is then sent to live with his rich uncle and aunt in a mansion where the series follows his life about how his lifestyle keeps clashing humorously with that of his wealthy relatives. 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast

Apart from Will Smith, there were several other popular actors who appeared on the show. Some of the cast members included James Avery as Philip Banks, Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks, Janet Hubert and Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks, Karyn Parsons as Hilary Banks, Tatyana M Ali as Ashley Banks, Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey Butler, Ross Bagley as Nicky Banks, etc. 

Will Smith’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air also witnessed numerous guest appearances made by celebrity stars namely Quincy Jones, Don Cheadle, Richard Roundtree, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tevin Campbell, Lark Voorhies, Oprah Winfrey, Naya Rivera, Hugh Hefner, Branford Marsalis, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Conrad Bain, Donald Trump and many more. 

Will Smith’s shows

Some of the other popular Will Smith’s shows include The Earth Day Special, One Strange Rock, Cobra Kai, All of Us, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales For Every Child, Blossom, Rockin’ Through Decades, Amend: The Fight For America and many more. 

IMAGE: A STILL FROM THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR