Hollywood is full of “what if” stories about casting and development. This can lead to fun questions about how our favorite shows and movies would have possibly turned out. The latest crazy “what if” surrounds the classic ‘90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
As the story goes, Will Smith a.k.a. the Fresh Prince, was always meant to be the star. However, a group of rap legends recently revealed that may not have been the case, and it changes the entire outlook of the series.
While appearing on the debut episode of their new Apple Music show “Art Official Intelligence Radio with De La Soul,” Posdnuos and Maseo were joined by Queen Latifah as they took a walk down memory lane, including their surprising connection to the popular TV comedy.
“A lot of people don’t know, yo, the Fresh Prince thing was offered to us,” Posdnuos said. “They want us to do this? Russell [Simmons] was like, ‘Yo, y’all need to try out. Go out there.’ We was like, ‘Nah. We do rap and stuff.’ Honestly, we were scared. Seriously, we were scared. And shit, I could have been Will Smith. I could have got married to Jada. Damn.”
Though “The Equalizer” actress agreed that their lives could have been drastically different as TV stars, she noted that it all turned out OK.
“You definitely could have. But I think you good where you at right now,” she said. “I think you good.”
What would “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” look like with the unique style of De La Soul as the focus? Those early episodes about Will’s background being “too street” for Uncle Phil certainly wouldn’t have applied to a story revolving around the “3 Feet High and Rising” artists.
Would the jokes with the uptight Carlton land the same? Would Hilary still be the same self-centered, snobby, shopaholic? Would the best friend be a shady grifter from the hood who’s constantly tossed out the front door? We assume that last part would stay the same because it’s iconic, but how different would the Jazz character be? So much of the character and family were based around Smith’s portrayal, changing Will with someone else makes it a whole new show.
De La Soul provided an interesting alternative to the more masculine, tough guy rap of the ‘90s. Much like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, their personality helped them stand out from the crowd. However, it didn’t always lead to mainstream success, so it’s hard to imagine De La Sou’s vibe as the center of a network sitcom that ran for six seasons.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as we know it was definitely meant to star Will Smith, however, we totally would love to see what a version starring De La Soul looks like.