What if Will Smith didn't get along with James Avery and they brung in another actor to play Uncle Phil would that have been the complete end?-lol I know for me it would have.

What if Will Smith didn't get along with James Avery and they brung in another actor to play Uncle Phil would that have been the complete end?-lol I know for me it would have.
me too!

I agree - you can't replace Uncle Phil!! That would be almost like replacing Will himself!

One character replaced maybe, but you can't get away with two of them in the same show!

I can't picture anybody else as Uncle Phil!! :)

I agree - you can't replace Uncle Phil!! That would be almost like replacing Will himself!

One character replaced maybe, but you can't get away with two of them in the same show!

I can't picture anybody else as Uncle Phil!! :)


I was talking about the same Vivian but a different Uncle Phil. The other way around. I don't think nobody would have watched if both Vivian and Phllip was replaced=lol

I was talking about the same Vivian but a different Uncle Phil. The other way around. I don't think nobody would have watched if both Vivian and Phllip was replaced=lol


Yeah - DEFINITELY if the both had left.

I still think it would be tough with just Phil. He did have a larger role than Vivian all along. I'm not sure if even another big man would do it......


It's such WEIRD replacing characters without some sort of explanation, but I know they didn't have much choice in the matter. Too "thick" to try to explain Vivian's death or divorce and start up with a another girlfriend or wife and would just throw off the whole balance of direction of the show.

Maybe they could do it if the characters wore "original Phil/Vivian masks"!! :lol:

Uncle Phil was the second most important character on the show as far as I'm concerned so I would have stopped watching.

Uncle Phil was the second most important character on the show as far as I'm concerned so I would have stopped watching.



I agree, Will was the star, and Uncle Phil was the Co-star

James Avery will always be Uncle Phil to me.

Nothing more, Nothing Less.

I'd stop watching too, Uncle Phil was one of those characters who couldn't be replaced.

What if Will Smith didn't get along with James Avery and they brung in another actor to play Uncle Phil would that have been the complete end?-lol I know for me it would have.
I would have kept watching, nobody could replace Uncle Phil. The closet person that comes to mind would be Reginald Vel-Johnson, what do you think?

I would have kept watching, nobody could replace Uncle Phil. The closet person that comes to mind would be Reginald Vel-Johnson, what do you think?


No Way,

well how about Tom Bosely lol. well just imagine if they had the Florence charactor from Jeffersons then Geoffery now that be intresting lol

well how about Tom Bosely lol. well just imagine if they had the Florence charactor from Jeffersons then Geoffery now that be intresting lol
She wouldn't have fit the chemistry. Robert Guilliame would have been a better choice.

Maybe they could do it if the characters wore "original Phil/Vivian masks"!! :lol:

Or they could say that Vivian just got plastic surgery. :lol:

how about Isabel sanford or Aunt Esther from Sanford n son playing vivian now that be funny.can u see unclel phil handeling florence from Jeffersons as his maid when she dont do nothing anyway. yeah Benson or sherman hemesley be god uncle phil.or Deymond wilson lol.

What if Will Smith didn't get along with James Avery and they brung in another actor to play Uncle Phil would that have been the complete end?-lol I know for me it would have.


Heck Yeah!!! They already replaced the first Viv, replacing Uncle Phil wouldve killed the ratings, no matter what will did.

That's like when John Amos was written out of the show (fired) in Good Times...the show never recovered from that point on.

Nobody but James Avery could play Uncle Phil! Recasting Vivian was a big mistake!

I'm still confused as to why the actress who played the 2nd Vivian wasn't featured in the Behind the Scenes Special with Dick Clark.

i can't imagine any other actor playing uncle phil. though i would continue watching if his character was written out somehow. he was my least favourite. my favourite episodes were the ones where he wasn't featured as much..