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Will Smith can't bear watching himself in The Fresh Prince

Written by . Published: December 20 2017

Will Smith struggles to watch early episodes of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air as he's embarrassed by his acting.


Will started out as a rapper in the 1980s, but became a major TV star after playing a fictionalized version of himself in the hit sitcom - which debuted in 1990.

Despite the show making his name as an actor, the Men In Black star confesses he finds it difficult to watch some episodes as his enthusiasm got the better of him during filming.

"It was my very first role and I was very, very focused on being successful so I learnt the whole script and everyone else's lines," the 49-year-old actor told U.K. chat show host Graham Norton. "If you watch the first four or five episodes you can see I'm mouthing other people's lines. It's terrible and I can't bear to watch it."

The Hollywood superstar reunited with his old music partner DJ Jazzy Jeff, who also played Will's best pal Jazz in The Fresh Prince, earlier this year (17) for two gigs.

After their musical reunion Jeff expressed his hopes that Will would agree to bring back The Fresh Prince.

"There have been talks with people about doing something," he confessed to British newspaper The Sun. "I think it would be cool if they did it and go down memory lane again."

Will is less keen however, and jokes he'd now have to take on the role of Uncle Phil, his character's adopted guardian, who was played by the late James Avery.

He told Graham, "Man, I'd have to be Uncle Phil in that one now I'm nearly 50!"

James passed away in 2013, and Will's co-star Alfonso Ribeiro has said the show will never be revived as it "doesn't work" without the late actor.

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