Chris Rock Briefly Dated Will Smith on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’
It’s safe to say the 2022 Academy Awards didn’t go exactly how anyone planned it. In particular, Will Smith — who won the Academy Award for his role in King Richard — ended the night in controversy. Earlier in the evening, Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. While fans were reeling from the incident, it’s even wilder considering Rock and Smith’s previous on-screen history.
Chris Rock and Will Smith weren’t movie stars when they worked together
Today, Smith is considered one of the world’s most famous movie stars. And Rock is among the most successful stand-up comedians of all time and a film director himself. However, neither was well-acquainted with the big screen when they appeared together in 1995. At that point, Rock’s most prominent movie roles were a supporting turn in New Jack City and a lead role in the 1993 comedy CB4, which ultimately became a cult favorite.
Smith had even fewer movie credits to his name. Although he was a Grammy-winning rap artist, the actor had only appeared in three movies before 1995. And just months before he and Rock shared the screen, Smith and Martin Lawrence co-starred in Bad Boys. That action-thriller — the directorial debut of Michael Bay — became a box office hit and spawned two sequels. Development on a fourth film is now paused, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The two actors once shared the screen on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’
So both Rock and Smith had even brighter futures ahead of them when the former made a guest appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the Season 6 episode “Get a Job,” Rock plays a rising star named Maurice, who is considering appearing on Hilary’s (Karyn Parsons) talk show. The catch is that his decision may hinge on whether Will (Smith) can show Maurice’s sister, Jasmine (also played by Rock), a good time.
With Rock playing a dual role, hilarity ensues as Jasmine continues to romantically pursue Will, much to his dismay. Airing Sept. 25, 1995, the episode was just the second of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air‘s final season. Of course, the series has re-entered the public consciousness again recently. The cast — sans the late James Avery — came together for a reunion special in 2020. And a dramatic reboot, titled Bel-Air, launched on Peacock in February 2022.
What’s next for Chris Rock and Will Smith after the Oscars controversy?
Soon after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air went off the air in 1996, Smith’s movie star status was confirmed with Independence Day. And Rock’s HBO comedy special, Bring the Pain, set him off on an A-list path of his own. But now that the two men’s paths have crossed again so dramatically, what does the future hold?
Rock is currently hitting tour dates in his Ego Death World Tour. And thanks to the Oscars controversy, sales for his stand-up comedy shows have reportedly doubled. Meanwhile, Smith is dealing with the continuing fallout from his actions, though his action-thriller Emancipation will — so far — stay on target for its 2022 release on Apple TV+.
