Once “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” ended its run, Reid and her husband decided to build their own production company. You know, thinking I was gay.’ And I said, ‘Then don’t take the part.’ And he understood what committing to the role was and learned and was just able to understand how to commit in acting… What I am really pleased with is watching bloom because he had such an energy that he brought to that show and such a kind of thirst for learning that it was wonderful to be the elder with James Avery…and share our experiences with the young folks, who we’re watching as we would watch our own children just bloom and fly.” I was afraid of the guys in the neighborhood. “It was wonderful because we had had conversations with Will about commitment to what he was portraying when he did ‘Six Degrees of Separation.’ We sat him down on the couch and said, ‘You know, you didn’t commit.’ And he said, ‘I know. Reid said that even off-camera they mentored the younger actors.

Reid and Avery played the patriarchs on the show and in real life. And all I know is James said, ‘Now that’s acting.’ ” And James Avery grabbed him and told him something and he delivered that line and fell into James’ arms. And he wasn’t pleased on the first couple of shots at it. It makes me cry every time I see it… didn’t know how he was going to deliver his lines. When discussing one of the most popular episodes of the show’s run, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse,” that aired in season four of the show, Reid recalled a very teachable moment that she witnessed between Will Smith and James Avery. “We had the permission to give our cultural perspective on how black families raised children and it was something new to television and well done I think.” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” selfie of cast for 2017: (L-R) Will Smith, Tatyana Ali, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Joseph Marcell Photo: and Reid were well-respected members of the cast and were valued by the writers of the show, too.

How little we know fallout