Will Smith, 51, & Tyra Banks, 46, Reunite 30 Years After Being On ‘Fresh Prince’ Together — Watch
It’s 1993 all over again. Nearly three decades after they starred on ‘The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air,’ Will Smith and Tyra Banks recreated one of their epic scenes, and she still remembered every line!
27 years after Tyra Banks starred opposite Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the ‘90s icons reunited on Will’s Snapchat show, Will From Home, to relive one of their more memorable scenes together. “This next piece is one of my favorite moments,” said Will, 51, while in a video chat with Tyra, 46. As they watched the scene in which Jackie Ames (Tyra) and Will had their famous blow-out, the Next Top Model star recited every word. Nearly three decades later, and she remembered it as if it were yesterday.
Watching Tyra and Will talk, it’s hard to think that it’s been so long since they worked together, since neither seemed to have aged a day. However, Tyra was shocked when remembering just how young she was. “I was 19, Will,” she said, before revealing that her Fresh Prince role was her first acting gig ever. “Cause I had an acting agent even though I hadn’t acted yet. And he was like, ‘You gotta go and do this audition for The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. You’re going to be auditioning to play Will Smith’s ex-girlfriend from Philly.” Needless to say, she got the part, and wound up portrayed Jackie Ames on eight episodes in 1993.
“When I auditioned for Fresh Prince, they said [Jackie] was a basketball player, an ex-girlfriend of Will Smith’s characters, so I went in totally [dressed like a] baller,” she told Complex in March. “Like, big t-shirt, cut-off shorts and sweats or somethin’, and I walked into the audition room and every single actress had on a tight black dress and heels. And I was like, ‘I made a mistake’ and I almost wanted to go home. I went through it anyway, and got the part.”
Who else will drop by Will’s home – albeit virtually – on this new series? For 12 episode, Will From Home will see the pop culture icon talk with family, special guests like Tyra, and everyday people who are practicing social distancing by staying at home, per Billboard. Sean Mills, head of Original Content for Snapchat, said the show was created from discussions between Will’s company, Westbrook Media, and Snapchat over the constraints of the global shutdown. “Will was feeling a lot of pent up creative energy and was excited to do something with it in a new and different way,” said Mills.
“The kinds of things that the [Snachat] community wants are things that are positive, that feel empowering. It’s not just about escapism but it’s about actually what is the good that can come of a challenging moment in time. Will From Home fits perfectly with that.”