Will Smith Says Partnership With Alfonso Ribeiro ‘Transformed My Life’

Will Smith is reflecting back on his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air days. 

The Oscar winner spoke about the creative partners who impacted his life and career while appearing as a guest on the Tuesday episode of VICE TV’s Black Comedy in America series. Smith lists Jazzy Jeff, who he performed with as part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and Fresh Prince co-star Alfonso Ribeiro as two major influences on his journey to super-stardom. 

“There’s been a couple of creative relationships I’ve had that have totally transformed my life,” Smith shared. “The first one was Jazzy Jeff, where you meet somebody who understands you in a way that other people don’t understand you — and they’re able to understand you, then craft things for you to create and shine and explode. And Alfonso [Ribeiro] was that guy for sure.” 

“When he came in for the audition, there was like no question, that’s the one,” the King Richard star added. “Nobody commits as hard as Alf. We call it the ‘comedic limb.’ You know where you gon’ try this joke and you gon’ go out there with it and you gon’ risk it all. And one of his big things, why he would commit so hard with the lines, he says, ‘You commit so the writers can know it doesn’t work.’”

Smith continued to gush about the Dancing With the Stars host, saying that Ribeiro would often be “redlining” and “giving everything” on Tuesday, even though the NBC series did not shoot until Friday. 

“The willingness to crash and burn is the only way you can be funny,” Smith told host Chris Spencer.

Later on in the episode, the I Am Legend actor reflected on his relationships with other members of the Fresh Prince cast, including Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv from 1990 to 1993. Hubert said at the time of her departure that Smith probably played a role in her ousting, according to Jet magazine. 

“I made a horrible error and misjudgment of her value and power and beauty to the show,” Smith said about his past actions. “I horribly underestimated what she was for me at that point in my life.”

Smith and Hubert reconciled in 2020 when they both appeared in a Max reunion special celebrating 30 years of the sitcom.

“I have to say, after 27 years, being here today and having the conversation that Will and I had together — it’s healing,” Hubert said in the special. “I didn’t come here to have animosity, I came here to resolve, ’cause it’s time.”

New episodes of Black Comedy in America air every Tuesday at 10 p.m. on Vice TV.