Now, this is a story all about how...
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is of course an absolute stone-cold classic. It always was and it always will be. The show ran for 148 episodes between 1990 and 1996, and propelled Will Smith to superstardom in the lead role as a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who moves in with his wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel Air mansion.
As well as Will, there were so many iconic characters that made up the show, including of course
Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks, Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey the butler, DJ Jazzy Jeff as Jazz, and the authoritarian presence of James Avery as 'Uncle' Philip Banks. Part of the charm was the clashes between Will and Uncle Phil because they were so different.
But fast forward two decades and that difference has all but disappeared thanks to a photo of Will Smith literally being 'flipped-turned upside down'. He bungee-jumped off Victoria Falls bridge in Zambia and transformed into Uncle Phil himself before our very eyes. Take a look for yourself. It's freaky...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtup246CMMY
https://twitter.com/AndrewBerkshire/status/841492434928427008
https://twitter.com/_calev/status/840998790723133440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/Sayduhtv/status/841606753628254208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/abdinoorx2/status/841494778957221888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/StrictlySowa/status/841638135666790404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
If you think that's weird, get your head around this: James Avery was 44 years old when he started playing Philip Banks, and Will Smith is 48 now - so he's actually older than Uncle Phil. Mind blown...
