Will Smith and ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ cast reuniting for a 30th anniversary special on HBO Max

Want to feel old? Will Smith became the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 30 years ago.

Philly’s Smith is reuniting the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Sept. 10 for a 30th anniversary special. The special will run on HBO Max on or near Thanksgiving.

And if it doesn’t seem possible that it could be 30 years, just remember: the Fresh Prince had a Walkman. And it’s been nearly two years since Smith celebrated his 50th birthday by bungee jumping over the Grand Canyon.

Like the coronavirus-delayed Friends special that was announced in February, and still hasn’t happened, the Fresh Prince reunion is a gimmick designed to promote a streaming library of reruns. HBO Max has exclusive streaming rights to all 148 episodes of the show, which ran for six seasons. It launched Smith’s acting career, with the Grammy-winning rapper starring as a teen from West Philly sent to live with rich relatives in California. (”I got in one little fight and my mom got scared and said, ’You’re moving with your auntie and your uncle in Bel-Air.”)

Produced by Westbrook Media, whose founders include Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the special promises to include series regulars Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, and Alfonso Ribeiro, as well as Philly’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeffrey A. Townes).

James Avery, who played Philip Banks, Smith’s uncle, died in 2013. Also missing from the lineup announced Monday: Janet Hubert, whom Reid replaced as Aunt Viv halfway through the show’s run.