Will Smith blocked RuPaul cameo on ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ producer claims
nypost.com“Freaks, Gleeks, & Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television.”According to the producer, Smith — who had veto power on every story arc in the ’90s sitcom — rarely rejected ideas but “refused” to have Charles, 62, on the show.Simon said that Smith, 54, “kept repeating that it was a bad idea,” so he eventually gave up and backed down on the idea.
The “Mad About You” producer later told Glassman that he suspected that Smith was worried about protecting his reputation.“The reason he would say no is because of his image.
Period. The End,” Simon said.The Post reached out to Smith and Charles for comment.Debuting in 1990, the autobiographical sitcom acted as a launchpad for Smith’s Hollywood career and would later be cemented as one of the most iconic television shows in history.During this time, Charles was also making a name for himself by releasing his 1993 debut album, “Supermodel of the World.”The drag star appeared as a guest star in several other shows such as “Sister, Sister,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”In 1996, Charles launched his own talk show which lasted for about two years.
Charles later rocketed to fame with the successful launch of the 2009 reality competition show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” which garnered several accolades and now has multiple spinoffs.
