She was loose and more down to earth than the second one. It seemed like she got into Will more and had more of a personality.

Yeah she did, that's why the second Aunt Viv just didn't work.

Yeah she did, that's why the second Aunt Viv just didn't work.


I agree!

yes that was exactly what i was thinking...

Personally though I liked the 2nd Vivian better then the first, both were good but there was something about the 2nd one that I think made her fit in better.

The first one was better

The First Vivian was the best. The second one didn't quite fit.

Vivian 2 was WAYYY better to me.

I agree the first Vivian had somewhat of a different personality but I liked the second Vivian also. Normally I don't like character replacements but having the second Vivian did not ruin the show in my opinion.

The second vivian brought nothing to the show in my opinon.

the original aunt viv put her foot down when she needed to. however, there were still times when i felt uncle phil tried to dominate her, and she just went along with it.

Absolutely, without a doubt! Janet Hubert's unforgettable performance as "Vivian #1" during "Fresh Prince's" first three seasons was no-nonsense but still both sensible and sympathetic...she wasn't afraid to put Will in his place or give him a taste of his own medicine whenever Will got out of line (which was often).

After Daphne Maxwell Reid replaced the departing Hubert--due to both her real-life pregnancy as well as a behind-the-scenes feud with Will Smith--early in the fourth season, Vivian became more of a typical housewife and her career as a college professor was seldom mentioned (presumably because of the birth of Philip and Vivian's fourth child, and Will's cousin, Nicky)...in layman's terms, Daphne's performance as "Vivian #2" was like ice cream on a hot, summer day: soft. I'm not berating or belittling Daphne (I'm sure she's both a marvelous actress and a wonderful human being), but even when I watched "Fresh Prince" as a teenager, I kept hoping and praying that she would lose her temper and really give Will a piece of her mind, but alas, that never happened.

Enjoy your evening, as well as your weekend!

Absolutely, without a doubt! Janet Hubert's unforgettable performance as "Vivian #1" during "Fresh Prince's" first three seasons was no-nonsense but still both sensible and sympathetic...she wasn't afraid to put Will in his place or give him a taste of his own medicine whenever Will got out of line (which was often).

After Daphne Maxwell Reid replaced the departing Hubert--due to both her real-life pregnancy as well as a behind-the-scenes feud with Will Smith--early in the fourth season, Vivian became more of a typical housewife and her career as a college professor was seldom mentioned (presumably because of the birth of Philip and Vivian's fourth child, and Will's cousin, Nicky)...in layman's terms, Daphne's performance as "Vivian #2" was like ice cream on a hot, summer day: soft. I'm not berating or belittling Daphne (I'm sure she's both a marvelous actress and a wonderful human being), but even when I watched "Fresh Prince" as a teenager, I kept hoping and praying that she would lose her temper and really give Will a piece of her mind, but alas, that never happened.

I think that's well stated: the original Aunt Viv had spice to her character: she wasn't afraid to tell Will he was wrong about something. Second Viv was very mild in comparison. It had nothing to do with Daphne Maxwell Reid, but with the writing.

I definitely liked Janet Hubert's portrayal of Vivian better. Her character gave off the impression of an accomplished person that didn't take crap off people. I can't say that about Daphne Reid's portrayal of Vivian.

the original aunt viv had some funny one liners in the ‘lucky charm’ episode from season one. it was about the superstitious client of uncle phil’s law firm. she didn’t hide her feelings at all lol

Mr. Whitworth had more than just a few screws loose. Especially when he started investing in stock based on Will's age! Vivian had him pegged from the beginning.

aunt viv was also hilarious in the ‘talking turkey’ episode, were she imitated Hilary’s trademark catchphrase; ‘daddy, I need 300 dollars’

I think that's well stated: the original Aunt Viv had spice to her character: she wasn't afraid to tell Will he was wrong about something. Second Viv was very mild in comparison. It had nothing to do with Daphne Maxwell Reid, but with the writing.
It is true that the second Viv didn't tell Will off as much as the first Viv did.
But she could be rightfully angry with Phil, and I loved how she handled Will's father.

They're both funny, but the first one is supposed to be loose and aggressive as James/Phil, but unfortunately, the first one doesn't control her aggressiveness correctly well as James/Phil and that what led Will to fire the first one.

Personally though I liked the 2nd Vivian better then the first, both were good but there was something about the 2nd one that I think made her fit in better.

The 2nd Vivian (Daphne Maxwell-Reid) definitely had better chemistry with the cast (Will included).

However, I agree with others that she didn't bring the same personality into the role that Janet Hubert did.

The 2nd Vivian (Daphne Maxwell-Reid) definitely had better chemistry with the cast (Will included).

However, I agree with others that she didn't bring the same personality into the role that Janet Hubert did.

True, but Janet Hubert Whitten has anger management technique problems that she had a hard time to control and that's why Will fired her.

James Avery has better correct anger management techniques than Janet and that's why James was kept longer, TBH, IMO...