Note: This story contains spoilers from “Bel-Air” Season 4, Episode 8.
“Bel-Air” creator Morgan Cooper explained how that big surprise cameo with Oscar winning actor and original “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Will Smith came to life on screen for the Peacock show’s fourth and final season.
“We wanted to surprise everyone, so it was important that we saved that moment for our audience,” Cooper told TheWrap about keeping the special appearance under wraps. “In this day and age, with just so many media outlets and so many sources of information it’s so easy for a leak. It’s harder to find ourselves being surprised by anything now … So it was important for us to hold that back and allow our audience to experience this really beautiful moment between Will and Jabari.”
The big scene happens just moments before the end of Episode 8, titled “The Next Act.” As Jazz (Jordan L. Jones) drove Will (Jabari Banks) and Carlton (Olly Sholotan) to the airport before their flight to Philly, Will asked if they could make a quick stop at an overlook of Los Angeles. After enjoying the views, Jazz suggested they head out quickly to beat traffic, but Will needs just a few more seconds too seep in his last looks of sunny California. Carlton and Jazz leave him alone with his thoughts, but as he’s processing what’s next to come, a familiar face joined him to give him some words of wisdom.
And it’s exactly who you think it is — Will Smith himself. While Smith’s character never reveals his identity to Will, their conversation hints that Will is talking to his future self but doesn’t know it.
“Stepping into the future’s kind of scary, huh?” Smith asks young Will.
“Nah, I, I’m … cool,” Will says proudly but with noticeable hesitation.
“It’s OK … I won’t tell ya boys,” Smith responds, earning a laugh from his younger self.
The camera centers in on the two Wills as the background blurs, showing that Will has shifted in a mode of self-reflection. He shares his concerns with Smith’s character that he once thought he’d lose sight of who he was when he came to Los Angeles, and that now that he’s heading home, he doesn’t want to forget who he’s become.
“Don’t worry about having all the answers, nobody does. Not even the people who pretend like they do,” Smith explains. “Trust me, you’re going to mess some things up and do some dumb s—t, but you’re human. You’ll learn, you’ll grow, and just live and laugh and cry. Eat a cheesesteak, just not every day ’cause cholesterol is real. Life goes by fast. Try to enjoy the ride.”
He wraps up his advice by filling Will in on a “little secret”: “We’re going to be alright.”
Will’s face shows a bit of confusion, but he somehow understands what the mysterious man is telling him. After a fist bump, Carlton checks back in with Will to get back on the road. When Will tells Carlton that he was just getting some much needed “knowledge” from his new friend, he turns to find that Smith is gone.
Cooper told TheWrap that conversations about how Smith would be incorporated into the show started up when Smith was filming “King Richard.” Originally, they wanted Smith to star as Will’s father, Lou, but due to scheduling conflicts, it never worked out. Ultimately, actor and comedian Marlon Wayans came in for the role.
“It just didn’t time out with his other projects, and so we weren’t able to make that happen,” Cooper said. “But since day one, that was always something that we wanted to do, and it was just a matter of finding the right moment. And for that to be the final moment of the series just felt so right. It all led up to that, but was always in the cards.”
“Bel-Air” showrunner Carla Banks Waddles penned the episode, including Will and Smith’s chat, which Cooper said the Oscar winner seamlessly brought to life.
“When Will steps on set, he drops in. So he’s able to just drop in so quickly into the material,” Cooper explained. “And that’s what great acting is, being able to take words on a page and make it real and to connect with them on an emotional level. So to see the performance that he gave us was such a powerful experience, working with him and bringing that scene to life.”
He added that Banks was more than ready for the meta of it all.
“That’s the thing I love about Jabari: he’s fearless. It doesn’t matter who he’s standing next to, Jabari is going to do what he does at the highest level. And he always comes prepared; he was prepared day of. He was very comfortable,” Cooper said. “It was such a full circle [moment] for Jabari to step into the role of Will and embody this reimagined character for years now, and to be able to share screen time with the biggest actor of all time … He didn’t flinch, and he was ready.”
“Bel-Air” Season 4 is now streaming on Peacock.
The post ‘Bel-Air’ Creator Explains That Surprise Finale Cameo: ‘It All Led Up to That’ appeared first on TheWrap.
