A little backstory to this clip before you watch it:
Will Smith’s father abandoned him and his mother when he was a child, and when Will was finally getting into show business and making a name for himself, he tried to snake his way back into his life like nothing happened. Will co-wrote this episode, and James Avery (Uncle Phil) said “this scene was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to shoot in my life. Every emotion, every word.. that was Will”
Will was actually supposed to play it off and then walk away, and there was originally an alternate scene that was supposed to happen, but he actually completely cut out what was supposed to be said, and did all of his own dialogue. The hug at the end of this scene is completely genuine, and this was a stepping stone in Will’s career where he started to take on the “do what feels, sounds, and looks right” approach to his acting.THIS IS WHY WILL SMITH IS MY FAVORITE ACTOR. THIS IS SAD.
This hit home. REAL HARD. Especially today, on father’s day. I remember seeing this episode late late at night a ong time ago when I was chillin in the living room all by myself, and I started BAWLING. My dad was NEVER part of my life. I wouldn’t include his picking my sister and I up some random weekend and sticking us with our step mom as being part of my life. Maybe its a good thing, cuz I have no idea what it’s like to have your real dad around, so I have no idea what I’m missing. IDK. All I know now is that I’ve been alive 21 years and have grown into the woman I am today because of my mother, who played mommy and daddy all by herself. It may not have been easy, but she did the best she could, and that all that matters.
On the bright side, I also had Pop, who’s been around since I was 2. Mom and Pop might have been super unstable and always at each other’s throats all these years, but at least he made an effort to be my dad, when he didn’t have to, and gave me somewhat of a father figure.
Either way, happy father’s day to all the real fathers and all the mom’s who had to play both roles.
