Will Smith Opens Up About The Impact 'Fresh Prince' Co-Star Alfonso Ribeiro Has Had On His Life And Career

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Will Smith has come a long way since the days of Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but the Academy Award-winning actor and hit-maker has not forgotten the people along his journey who had the biggest impact on his life and career.

Recently, the Bad Boys actor made an appearance on Vice’s docuseries Black Comedy in America where he took time to shout out his co-stars and collaborators who influenced him creatively and held him down through true friendship, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, born Jeffrey Allen Townes, and none other than Carlton Banks himself, Alfonso Ribeiro.

“There’s been a couple of creative relationships I’ve had that have totally transformed my life. And the first one was Jazzy Jeff,” Smith said, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Now, if you know Will Smith, and you’ve known him since the days of ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ and ‘Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble,’ then it’s no surprise the “Summertime” emcee has such big love for the other half of the Hip-Hop duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Smith’s friendship with Ribeiro is also well-known, but it might not be as commonly known how much Smith believes he owes to his former sitcom co-star, who he said served as his “comedic limb.”

“Where you meet somebody who understands you in a way that other people don’t understand you,” Smith said during the interview. “And they’re able to understand you, then craft things for you to create and shine and explode. And Alfonso was that guy for sure.”

Smith said the chemistry between him and Ribeiro was apparent from the moment the latter auditioned for the role of Carlton.

“When he came in for the audition, there was like no question. That’s the one,” he said.

There’s the family we’re born with and the family we choose. Nothing is more beautiful than a lifelong friendship.