The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air’s 10 Best Guest Stars

With the re-boot set to air this February, there’s no better time to re-visit The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The sitcom launched Will Smith’s star power into the stratosphere while cementing a name for itself as one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. Throughout the course of the show, a number of talented guest actors have starred in guest roles on the show, as well.

Many of these actors were more famous than Will Smith at the time, while others helped utilize Fresh Prince‘s popularity to move on to bigger and better things. These are the guest stars who really contributed a lot to the success of the show, and helped craft some of its most memorable episodes.

Felton Perry

Actor Felton Perry is best known for playing Donald Johnson in the RoboCop film franchise, a high-ranking employee of OCP who acts as the only thing resembling a conscience within the company. He’s gone on to star in films like Dumb and Dumber, as well as TV shows like Judging Amy and The West Wing.

In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Perry played Lester Lewis, the husband of Vivian’s sister Helen Smith. He starts out as a benevolent and honorable character who proves his commitment to Helen in season 2, only for his philandering ways to catch up with him.

Tyra Banks

Supermodel icon Tyra Banks got her big start in 1991 when she starred in Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” music video. Her first acting role was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where she played Jackie Ames, an old flame of Will’s from his days in Phili.

Since that time, Banks has starred in multiple TV series like Glee,Soul Food, and Felicity, as well as movies like Halloween: Resurrection. Her big claim to fame arrived when she was hired to host the popular reality TV show America’s Next Top Model, which featured some of the best episodes over its many seasons.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Malcolm-Jamal Warner became a household name during the 1980s, thanks to his long-running role as Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show. Though his star power never really reached critical mass, he has kept busy with work on both film, and TV.

In The Fresh Prince, Warner played Eric Sanders, a hotshot young lawyer dating Hillary, who drags Will to court over a simple car accident. It’s up to Uncle Phil to defend Will in court, where he shows just how tough his character is.

Vivica A. Fox

Vivica A. Fox has starred in plenty of hot properties over the years, from Independence Day to Family Matters, and Law & Order. One of her best roles is Vernita Green in Quentin Tarantino’s ultra-hit Kill Bill duology, where she brutally fought Uma Thurman’s main character.

She played Jazz’s sister Janet in season 1 of The Fresh Prince, a character with a bossy attitude who inflicts her controlling ways on Will. She’s eventually pawned off to none other than Carlton, who puts her in her place, causing her to become more friendly and palatable.

Oprah Winfrey

Few celebrities are as famous as Oprah Winfrey, and she was in the middle of her prime when she made a cameo on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The episode in question took place during season 3 when Uncle Phil and his family are invited onto the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Since he’s not immediate family, Will gets left out, which causes him to crash the taping of the show, much to Oprah’s annoyance. It’s one of the funniest takes on the Oprah Winfrey Show to date.

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree is one of the best blaxploitation actors in the business, known for popularizing the character of Shaft way back in 1971. Since that time, he’s gone on to star in films like Opposing Force, Maniac Cop, and George of the Jungle, while reprising his Shaft role several times in subsequent films.

In The Fresh Prince, Roundtree played the overbearing Dr. Mumford in the season 1 episode “Chubba Hubba,” as well as Reverend Gordon Sims in the season 6 episode “Hare Today.” He was one of the few repeat actors to play different characters.

Don Cheadle

Long before Don Cheadle donned the War Machine power suit in the Avengers movies, he was making a name for himself in various TV and film roles. One of his first big breaks came during The Fresh Prince, where he played Will’s slacker childhood friend Ice Tray.

Since then, Cheadle has starred in films like Ocean’s Eleven, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Rush Hour 2, as well as TV shows like ER, MADtv, and Picket Fences. He has cemented an acting legacy for himself, as evidenced by Cheadle’s best films, rated by IMDb.

Queen Latifah

One of The Fresh Prince’s most memorable guest stars was undoubtedly rap icon Queen Latifah, a woman who has gone on to make quite a name for herself as an actress, amassing 100 credits over the course of her career. She played the popular Dee Dee in season 2’s “She Ain’t Heavy,” where she gave Will a valuable lesson about being superficial.

However, she initially got her started in the season 1 episode “Working It Out,” where she played the tyrannical Marissa Redman, an actress who hires Hillary as her assistant, only to berate her at every opportunity.

Jay Leno

Popular comedian and Tonight Show host Jay Leno made a cameo as himself on The Fresh Prince during two episodes in seasons 5 and 6. In “Will’s Up The Dirt Road,” Leno sues Will for publishing defamatory content about him being a toxic polluter. In “The Script Formerly Known As…,” Will ends up making Uncle Phil the subject of Leno’s latest Tonight Show monologue, which goes over like a lead balloon.

Leno has been a staple of the comedic circuit for decades, but he’s also branched out into acting roles over the years, some of which weren’t so good. Most recently, he played the abrasive and moody Joe on Tim Allen’s hit sitcom series Last Man Standing. 

DJ Jazzy Jeff

It would be unfair to leave out Will’s partner in musical fame DJ Jazzy Jeff, who ended up being one of the most prolific guest stars on the show. Jeff went by his nickname “Jazz” in The Fresh Prince, one of Will’s closest friends, and the never-ending thorn in the side of Uncle Phil.

Jazz was such a popular character that he ended up making numerous appearances over the years, and he was also responsible for cementing one of The Fresh Prince’s longest-running gags. Though he was never considered a permanent cast member, he was the next best thing, and certainly an integral part of what made the show so funny.

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