Aunt Vivian on The Fresh Prince was an issue that some people felt was worth debating at one time since the loss of Janet Hubert and the replacement of the character using Daphne Maxwell Reid was kind of an odd choice in the eyes of many people considering that Hubert managed to work the role in a very convincing way. In a lot of ways, she was more active than Reid since she could get in there and really work out a scene in a physical manner if she had to. Reid was a good addition to the show, but she was more of the stereotypical sitcom mother in that she didn’t do much apart from being an authority figure in the Banks home and was someone that the kids listened to and worried about disappointing. Where Uncle Phil, played by the late James Avery, was the disciplinarian and the ‘wrath of God’ character with a big heart, Aunt Vivian was usually the voice of reason and calm that tried to settle Phil down, but she could get indignant as well since there were a few episodes that Hubert player in that showcased her vibrant spirit and ability to clap back in a very effective manner to characters that dared to challenge Aunt Viv in any way. Really, Hubert did have a bit more feeling to her role than Reid did, but both women played the role beautifully in their own ways. It was saddening to hear that it was a dispute that emerged between Will Smith and Hubert that saw her getting released from the show.
To be certain, Will would have had to do something pretty seriously wrong to get booted from a show in which he was the primary star. It didn’t matter what happened so long as it wasn’t so irredeemable that it couldn’t be excused, Will was bound to stay. Hubert and the others though weren’t quite that fortunate since as it was proven, they were kind of disposable since Hubert was replaced with Reid at one point, no matter that she was a big part of the show. Thankfully it sounds as though Smith and Hubert squashed whatever beef there was between them and managed to reconcile in a way that was undoubtedly a relief to both of them. After so long it’s definitely time to let go of any and all bad feelings and just get on with life, especially with a Fresh Prince reunion to attend. It’s bound to be a happy and somewhat sad reunion with the absence of Avery since Uncle Phil was an integral part of the show that really couldn’t have been replaced no matter how anyone might have said that it could have been possible. The man was one of the great actors that a lot of people remember from their younger years that was just too good to do without.
It’s usually more than a little difficult to really get fans to accept a new face in an established role since people grow so used to seeing one person that upon being replaced by someone else a lot of fans will cry foul since they don’t want to see the expected actors suddenly get the boot. The funny thing about the Fresh Prince is that people either didn’t watch the earlier episodes or weren’t that put out by the switch since the majority of the cast was still kept around. There were only a couple of characters that were switched out over the course of the show, and while Aunt Viv was one of them that people didn’t feel could be easily replaced, she was one of the most noticeable to go. The show went on obviously, but there were definitely hard feelings since Hubert went on to write a book about her experience, which is pretty normal really since if a person has something to get off their chest there are a lot of ways to do it. She did a great job on the show, but it wasn’t enough since when it came down to it, Will was kept and she was shown the door. The funny thing is that the reason for the dispute was kind of muddied since Janet thought it was because she became pregnant, which is kind of ridiculous since writers have little to no issue making their way around this kind of development. Then there was the idea that there was a pay discrepancy or creative differences, but the point is that she was let go and that’s that. And another good point is that Will was pretty vocal about the issues that stood between the two of them.
However it happened and why it sounds as though Smith and Hubert have made it work again, and it’s nice to see.
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