‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Premiered 35 Years Ago, These Are the Most Unbelievable Guest Stars
On September 10, 1990, the very first episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played on NBC. The show would run through 1996, and cement Will Smith as a superstar. The sitcom somehow never won an Emmy, but did cement itself as a staple television show for decades to come. I remember sitting in my bedroom in 2010 watching reruns on Nick at Nite, still laughing at jokes written 20 years ago.
But what might have gotten lost in the 35 years since the show premiered was the unbelievable run of guest stars the show had. It was a time when being a guest star on television was real fun; today it feels like a lost art in the streaming era. The only recent comparable guest star moment I can think of is the Abbott Elementary/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover. And that was a crossover, not really guest star!
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Back then, though, in front of a live studio audience, the appearance of William Shatner or Robin Givens would be met with real applause. As we celebrate the anniversary of a truly classic sitcom, let's go back and revisit some of the most unbelievable guest stars from the show.
Donald Trump
In Season Four, Trump played himself, and wanted to buy the Banks estate.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
In Season Five, Abdul-Jabbar appeared as himself.
William Shatner
In Season Six, Shatner appeared as himself as a guest on Hilary’s show.
Kathy Griffin
In Season One, Griffin played Susan Klein, a journalist writing an article about Uncle Phil.
Don Cheadle
Also in Season One, Cheadle played Ice Tray, a friend of Will’s from home who wants to date Hilary.
Jay Leno
In Season Five, Leno popped on the show as himself.
Naomi Campbell
In Season One, Campbell played Helen, who went on a blind date with Geoffrey.
Oprah Winfrey
In Season Three, Winfrey played herself, wanting to feature the Banks family on the show.
Hank Azaria
In Season One, Azaria played a policeman who wrongly arrests Will and Carlton.
Pam Grier
In Season Four, Grier played Janice, Phil’s ex-girlfriend who takes a liking to Will.
These are just a handful of the numerous guest stars and major celebrities who had small roles on the show. For instance, Tyra Banks had an eight-episode arc in Season Four. Robin Givens and Vanessa Williams were also both guest stars.
It’s obviously cliché to say, but man, they really don’t make TV like this anymore.