Why would Will Smith dump the show for a movie career?

[Confidence30]

Why would Will Smith, who was a good actor in the 90s who had a successful show at the time, quit it and start making random movies?

[irehtman]

Originally Posted by Confidence30

Why would Will Smith, who was a good actor in the 90s who had a successful show at the time, quit it and start making random movies?

Two reasons: running low of money and the financial rules of the mansion are not all the standard in scheduling.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Confidence30

Why would Will Smith, who was a good actor in the 90s who had a successful show at the time, quit it and start making random movies?

TV is a medium in which Will would have had had to work five days a week for 24 weeks per year. For film, a production often only takes a few months.

There's also the the facts that film often pays better than television. Will Smith's salary from Bad Boys was $2 million; for Independence Day it was $5 million. He made $14 million from Enemy of the State, and $100 million for Men in Black III. 1990s TV salaries did not remotely match these numbers.

[irehtman]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

TV is a medium in which Will would have had had to work five days a week for 24 weeks per year. For film, a production often only takes a few months.

There's also the the facts that film often pays better than television. Will Smith's salary from Bad Boys was $2 million; for Independence Day it was $5 million. He made $14 million from Enemy of the State, and $100 million for Men in Black III. 1990s TV salaries did not remotely match these numbers.

True, the sixth season may have run out of money too quickly soon for this show even if Will is in a hurry or not to get into movies along the way, back then.

Although, even if Will was in a hurry to return to movies, he or this entire sitcom or both made the mistake omitting two episodes of this entire sitcom's sixth season: One should have been mentioning about Will graduated from college on time as this show ends and the other should have been mentioning about Will finds a brand new permanent job for the rest of his life in the west coast as this show ends also.

[TMC]

Will Smith's new memoir Will delves into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air jumping the shark and his decision to leave the show

"The storylines were becoming increasingly hokey and it was difficult to maintain the 'Freshness,'" Smith writes in Will, according to EW. "Anyone who has ever been on a sitcom can tell you the episode in which their show jumped the shark. Ours was season 5, episode 15, 'Bullets Over Bel-Air,' the one in which I got shot and Carlton started carrying a gun. I had successfully fulfilled a promise to myself that I would never get caught in a cycle of deterioration without having the next thing on tap. The show could easily sustain another season; this was my family; I loved them. But a movie career was now a viable option; I was at a crossroads." Smith writes that a long conversation he had with Fresh Prince guest-star John Amos -- whose Good Times character was killed off during a contract dispute --helped him with his decision to exit the show. Smith recalls Amos telling him, "None of these execs, or producers, or businesspeople, give a s*** about your family. Do not let them f*** off all of your hard work and passion. It is your responsibility to make sure these people get to leave this show with some dignity."