Before making a name for himself in the blockbusters big budget on the big screen, Will Smith He was mainly known for his work in television. And, more specifically, for his participation in ‘The prince of Bel Air’, the NBC series broadcast between 1990 and 1996 that catapulted the former rapper to global fame. But Smith would never have gotten his most emblematic role if it weren’t for the serious problems what he had with the Tax authorities United States. Basically, Will Smith was forced to ask for a job in television due to his financial problems during his time as a musical artist… although This decision benefited him in the long run.because the series was a resounding success that made him the star we all know today.
The story of how Will Smith participated in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ driven by his problems with the treasury
Will Smith himself is the one who tells in a video on his YouTube channel how His excessive spending and failure to file his taxes properly almost led him to ruin during his time as a successful rapper.. In his own words: “Before I had trouble with Uncle Phil, I had trouble with Uncle Sam”.
Although Smith is currently best remembered for his roles in film and television in productions such as ‘Men in Black’ (1997) or ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ (1990-1996), his initial rise to fame came thanks to to his career in the world of music, since He was part of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, founded in 1985.
Their first two albums sold very well.and They went on to win the first Grammy for Best Rap Performance thanks to the single ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’, which made them relevant artists in the world of hip-hop. But sales of his third album‘And In This Corner’ (1989) They weren’t as good as you’d expect., which began the group’s decline. During this period of prosperity, Will Smith had excessive expenses and did not pay a single cent to the treasury, which caused the Treasury to go after him relentlessly and seize a large part of his properties until he paid what I owed.
His partner at the time encouraged him to move to solve the situation, and he ended up meeting Quincy Jonesfamous composer and TV producer, who He proposed creating a television series about himself.something Will Smith accepted. This is how ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ was bornwhere he played a fictional version of himself.
The series not only allowed Will Smith to pay off his debt to the Treasurybut It catapulted him to world fame and even allowed him to continue his singing career in parallel.. Thanks to their income from the first season of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, Will and Jeff were able to publish their fourth album, called ‘Homebase’ (1991), and the musical duo would release more albums later. As a curiosity, Jeffrey Allen Townesalias DJ Jazzy Jeff, is the recurring character Jazz in the television serieswho Smith was able to land a role for.
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What was ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ about? Did he receive good reviews?
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ was a comedy television series originally aired on NBC between 1990 and 1996. In her, Will Smith played a fictional version of himself that, After getting into trouble in his native Philadelphia, he moves to the wealthy Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles with his upper-class relatives.. Much of the humor was derived from contrast between Will’s humble origins and the refined education of his high-born relatives. This story was told throughout 148 episodes divided into six seasons.
The series was a resounding success.and It is considered to have been the perfect vehicle for Will Smith to make the leap to television., which in turn opened the doors to the world of cinema in subsequent years. On IMDb it has a score of 7.9/10, and on Rotten Tomatoes its different seasons have ratings of around 90% from both critics and the public. At the time of writing this news, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ is available to watch on streaming on Prime Video, Movistar+, Max and Tivify.
In 2022 ‘Bel-Air’ was released, a reboot much more dramatic of the series that had its origin in a fan film of the same name that Will Smith himself liked it so much that he decided to meet with its creator to help him develop it.. Although Smith does not appear, has acted as producer of this project that consists of two seasons.
