Will Smith Shares 'Fresh Prince' Reunion Trailer Including, Yes, Both Aunt Vivs
The HBO Max ‘Fresh Prince’ reunites the entire OG cast
From West Philadelphia to Bel-Air, Calif. to our television screens via HBO Max, comes a reunion so amazing, you’ll think it was the ’90s all over again. Will Smith just dropped a trailer for an official Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion, and it’s got everyone and everything your Fresh Prince-loving heart could desire: the entire Banks family, including both actresses who portrayed Aunt Viv.
Notably absent from the reunion is actor James Avery, the beloved, booming actor who played Uncle Phil — the patriarch of the show and the heart of the Bel-Air mansion they all lived in. Avery passed away in 2013, but his memory lives on through the cast as they emotionally recount what his talent and presence brought to the beloved show.
Check out the trailer (and sure, grab a tissue or two while you’re at it):
The reunion is set to air on HBO Max three decades after the series first premiered. The show centered around Smith’s character, Will, who left Philadelphia and his mom behind to live with his posh aunt, uncle, cousins, and their butler, Geoffrey, in California. The social and economic divide between them, and the entire cast’s brilliant comedic timing and talent, led to one of the best sitcoms of the ’90s.
The original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert, makes a special appearance during the show, and the entire cast seems delighted and surprised to see her. Hubert left the show early on after some behind-the-scenes kerfuffle with Smith, but it looks like the two of them will let bygones be bygones.
The trailer has no shortage of laughter, particularly when it comes to the fan-favorite hijinks between Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton) and Smith. And let’s be honest, this little reunion special better include some Carlton dancing to Tom Jones — or we strike.
The sweetest moment in the trailer is, arguably, when Smith discusses working with Avery, specifically during the famous episode where Will grows vulnerable about being rejected by his father.
“James Avery was this 6’4″ Shakespearean beast, and I wanted him to think I was good. I fall into his arms at the end of the scene, and he’s holding me,” Smith says to his castmates. “The shot pans off and he whispers in my ear, ‘Now that’s acting.'”
The moment Smith dropped the trailer, Fresh Prince fans took to every avenue of social media to share their excitement.
In addition to Smith, Rebeiro, and Hubert, the reunion features Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Karyn Parsons (Hilary), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), Reid (Aunt Viv), and DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz). It premieres on HBO Max Nov. 19.
