He advertised $30 overnight stays at the mansion that served as the exterior for his iconic sitcom back in September.
And Will Smith continued the nostalgia trip on Friday when he released the trailer for his upcoming Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air reunion special.
The 52-year-old rapper-turned-actor shared some laughs and a few tears as he caught up with his costars Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell and Daphne Maxwell Reid.
Getting emotional: Will Smith, 52, shed a few tears and shared some laughs with his Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air costars in the trailer for the HBO Max reunion, which he released Friday on social media
Will began the video in a short clip filmed outside on his phone.
‘You’ve probably seen the picture,’ he said, referring to a photo from the cast reunion that was shared on his social media accounts.
‘You not ready for this trailer. You couldn’t be ready for this trailer!’ he boasted, before wishing his fans a happy Thanksgiving.
Low key: Will began the video in a short clip filmed outside on his phone. ‘You not ready for this trailer. You couldn’t be ready for this trailer!’ he boasted
Meet-up: ‘You’ve probably seen the picture,’ he said, referring to a photo from the cast reunion that he posted to his social media accounts
Humble beginning: The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air aired on NBC from 1990–1996 and helped Will transition from a hit-making rapper to a blockbuster actor
Like the original series, which aired from 1990–1996, Will arrived at the Bel-Air mansion in a taxi.
After footage of ‘The Banks Family’ reuniting in the show’s living room set, Will admits to his costar Alfonso that he has ‘always been able to recognize chemistry,’ while Tatiana describes them on set as ‘playmates.’
Then, in a more vulnerable moment, the Men In Black star admits that ‘nobody asked me if I could act.’
‘And you couldn’t!’ Alfonso jumps in, getting a hearty laugh from the rest of the cast.
Picture perfect: Like the original series, Will arrived at the Bel-Air mansion in a taxi
Back together: The Banks family was seen reuniting in the living room set
Old friends: Will admits to his costar Alfonso Ribeiro that he has ‘always been able to recognize chemistry,’ while Tatiana Ali describes them on set as ‘playmates’
Later, DJ Jazzy Jeff (real name: Jeffrey Townes) admits in a solo interview that he ‘had no aspirations to act,’ though Will was able to convince him to appear throughout the series’ run as a recurring character.
‘Jeff turned down the show literally ten times,’ Will said, before Jeff added: ‘Will is very good at talking me into things.’
Prior to starring on The Fresh Prince, Will and Jeff were best known for their single Parents Just Don’t Understand, which they followed with the 1991 Top-10 hit Summertime.
Hesitant: Later, DJ Jazzy Jeff (real name: Jeffrey Townes) admits in a solo interview that he ‘had no aspirations to act’
Change of heart: ‘Jeff turned down the show literally ten times,’ Will said, before Jeff added: ‘Will is very good at talking me into things’
The trailer also revealed how the series struggled to gain legitimacy initially, as some dismissed it due to Will’s scant acting experience.
Daphne, who appeared in the final three seasons of the show as the second aunt Vivian, said her initial response was to ‘pass’ on the series after learning it was a ‘sitcom with a rapper.’
The trailer also features a playful moment in which all the actors pick up percussion instruments to recreate the musical warm-ups they did in front of audiences before taping their episodes.
No thanks: Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played the second aunt Vivian, said her initial response was to ‘pass’ on the series after learning it was a ‘sitcom with a rapper’
In the mood: The trailer features a playful moment in which the actors pick up percussion instruments to recreate the warm-ups they did in front of audiences before taping their episodes
The trailer then took on a somber note as Will and his costars remembered the late James Avery, who played Uncle Phil.
Avery died in 2013 of complications following open-heart surgery.
‘James was the heart of the show,’ Tatiana said in her solo interview, while Will described him as ‘this six foot four Shakespearean beast.’
‘I wanted him to think I was good,’ he admitted, describing an early scene in which his character broke down in tears and asked, ‘How come you don’t want me, man?’
‘I fall into his arms at the end of the scene, and he’s holding me, and the shot pans off, and he whispered, “Now that’s acting.”‘
Gone too soon: The trailer then took on a somber note as Will and his costars remembered the late James Avery, who played Uncle Phil and died in 2013
Tender: ‘I wanted him to think I was good,’ Will admitted, describing an early scene in which his character broke down in tears and asked, ‘How come you don’t want me, man?’
Made it: ‘I fall into his arms at the end of the scene, and he’s holding me, and the shot pans off, and he whispered, “Now that’s acting”‘
The clip ends with a tease of a previously announced conversation between Will and the original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert-Whitten, though she wasn’t featured in the group reunion.
The actress was replaced following the third season, reportedly due to tensions between her and Will on set.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air reunion will be available to stream on HBO Max starting on November 19.
Surprise! The clip ends with a tease of a previously announced conversation between Will and the original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert-Whitten, though she wasn’t featured in the group reunion
Coming soon: The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air reunion will be available to stream on HBO Max starting on November 19