Will Smith has credited Quincy Jones for saving him from being “broke”.
At the time, Smith was in financial hardship following tax problems and Jones invited him to a party at his home that also featured Steven Spielberg.
On stage in London at an event with Idris Elba to promote his self-titled memoir, Smith said Jones asked him to audition for a part in front of the guests telling him it was “going to affect the rest of his life”.
Smith said he was reluctant to do the audition as he wasn’t an actor and begged Jones for a week to prepare but the music producer behind classic albums such as Michael Jackson’s Bad refused.
Smith said Jones told him he had to audition right there and then because “everyone needed to make the decision to offer [you] the part is in the room”.
That part was for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the sitcom that would launch Smith’s acting career as up until that point he was known as a rapper.
Smith agreed to perform in front of everyone and said he got a “standing ovation” from those in attendance.
Later that day, he was was offered the lead role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
At the same event Smith also reunited with his Fresh Prince co-star Joseph Marcell who refused a huge round of applause from the audience at the Savoy Theatre.
