‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’: Tatyana Ali Reveals the ‘Incredible’ Moment Cut from the Reunion
2020 was already shaping up to be a big year for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The series — which ran from 1990 to 1996 — was set to join the HBO Max library. But that turned out to be only the beginning. In fact, Will Smith was in the midst of assembling his former castmates for a reunion special. But one key moment was left out of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion.
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ turned 30 years old in 2020
Thirty years had passed between The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s series premiere and its cast reunion. And to mark this occasion, Smith got together for a poignant walk down memory lane. Everyone from Alfonso Ribeiro and Karyn Parsons to Ross Bagley and Jeff “DJ Jazzy Jeff” Townes attended. But much of the marketing hinged on one surprise participant in the reunion.
Midway through the show’s six-season run, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air replaced actor Janet Hubert with Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks. The circumstances behind Hubert’s firing remained in contention for years. And Smith and Hubert have often publicly spoken out against each other. So no one expected Hubert and Smith to sit down for a candid chat to bury the hatchet.
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ united the show’s two ‘Aunt Viv’ actors
However, not all of Hubert’s reunion with her former castmates made it into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s reunion special. In a recent interview with Sirius SM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Tatyana Ali — who played Hubert’s TV daughter, Ashley — shared a sweet moment between Smith, Hubert, and Reid that fans didn’t get to see.
“This is what they didn’t show. They kind of cut this out, not on purpose but for time or whatever. We watched the interview. It was amazing. And then Janet walks around from the screen and we’re all just like, ‘[Gasp], what now?’ And then Daphne got up and said to Janet, ‘Come say hi to your family.’ Janet walks in. Daphne was about to give Janet her chair. And Will said, ‘No, no, no, you keep your seat. Take mine.’ …
It was just so incredible, like that’s how it happened. Everybody just put their stuff down. Whatever that old stuff was, they just put it down. We made something beautiful. And sometimes that’s what forgiveness is, just putting it down.”
Smith sat down with Hubert for a separate discussion, in which both actors hashed out their differences. Then after this segment, Hubert joined the rest of the cast. For the first time ever, the complete cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — minus the late James Avery — united to celebrate the beloved series.
Will any of the original stars appear in the ‘Bel Air’ reboot?
Fans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air don’t have to let the show go just yet. After all, Smith is producing a reboot for NBC’s new Peacock streaming service. Inspired by a 2019 viral video, the new show retells the story through a more dramatic lens.
Still, since the original show’s fan base remains so loyal, perhaps the reboot could find room for some returning actors. Could Hubert, Ribeiro, Parsons, or Ali play new characters in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot? Maybe the new show even takes place in the same universe as the original.
As the project develops, fans will have to wait a while for answers.
