Talk:List of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air characters

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Uncle Phil at Princeton Law?
Didn't Uncle Phil go to Princeton Law? I don't have a cite for this, but I seem to remember it because Princeton has no law school. Ideas? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.28.226.42 (talk) 19:58, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
 * No it says in the pig episode where Uncle Phil gets the Urban Spirit Award, one of the kids tells the reporter that he'd been to Princeton and then Harvard Law SchoolEugene-elgato (talk) 20:41, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

Geoffrey South Africa or Britain?
I thought that Geoffrey was actually from South Africa, not Britain. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Moore1612 (talk) 01:21, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Carlton
The aricle currently says that Carlton is an "Uncle Tom". I don't think that this is what the producers of the show had in mind with the character and I while he might display characteristics that are traditionally (and in essentially a racist manner) attributed to whites; good grades, belief in self-sustainance, conservative and traditional dressing, at not point is the character portrayed as being subservient to white people. I think this is a rather unfair judgement of the character and I will be editing it.--Zoso Jade 20:53, 20 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I've heard before that he's named for Carleton College. Anyone know if that's true? Choiniej (talk) 23:19, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Carlton Segment
Carlton does not have a segment about him in this article. Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.68.103.133 (talk) 05:15, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

Lou Smith
lou smith is in the recurring characters list even though the description begins by stating he is a one time character, if he only showed up in one episode i dont think he belong on that list Tyler9090 06:53, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

he was referred to many times, and played a huge part in the episode —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.122.127.162 (talk) 01:15, 9 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Even though he's not on this page any more, I maintain that he belongs there as he's a major plot-point, even though he only physically appears in one episode. He's much more important to the series than, say, someone like Cornflake. 75.179.3.77 (talk) 07:11, 25 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Something else a bit weird: the way that apparently there's two uncle Lous....the episode for example where Will tells his mom he's not moving back to Philly at the end of his high school, and all the family are there; uncle lou is a very old guy with his randy wife. He's mentioned in other episodes, apparently not as Will's father.Eugene-elgato (talk) 17:29, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

Celebrity Appearances
Why is John Witherspoon listed, the article it links to is that of a historical man. If it means to link some different person, please update this article. U235 06:37, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Is it really accurate to refer to Don Cheadle and D. L. Hughley as celebrity guests? They weren't well-known when they appeared in the show, and only really became famous after being on the show. --Mugsywwiii (talk) 01:11, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Myspace?
Someone put a link to Uncle Phil's supposed Myspace account. I went to it and I found obscene images and I don't believe it was an official character Myspace account. So I removed the link.

Geoffrey calls Will "Master William"
I was wondering why it is supposedly "incorrect" for Geoffrey to refer to Will by his first name/proper title, as written in the Geoffrey Butler section. Is there a source that can be cited showing this incorrectness? Geoffrey did say in the first episode that it was important to maintain by tradition a particular level of relationship between a butler and the family served.

thanks, GoldenGoose100 07:57, 12 November 2007 (UTC)


 * I looked around and found this: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Butler "Such butlers engaged and directed all junior staff. Butlers were addressed by last name alone by their employers and their employers' children and guests, but as "Mr. [Surname]" by fellow servants, retainers, and tradespersons." So it seems it was not Geoffrey who addressed Will improperly, but the other way around. --Mugsywwiii (talk) 01:35, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

South or North?
Phil normally says he is from South Carolina, not North Carolina. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.115.234.162 (talk) 05:30, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Hilary
uh Hilary isn't even on this page, what gives? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.211.212.27 (talk) 09:12, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, really. Where is Hilary? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.227.101.82 (talk) 07:57, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

The Bel-Air family - Um.. ?
Why is the section that mentions the Banks family titled "The Bel-Air family"? Many characters in the show other than the Banks reside in Bel-Air in the show. I noticed it has stayed unchanged for a while,and that's why the red flag went up in my brain. I suggest it should be changed. If there is a reason the section is titled like that,then I would like to be told. 99.230.152.143 (talk) 00:59, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Good point. I changed it to The Banks', because after all - Geoffrey is a genuine part of the family and a great friend. ~ GoldenGoose100 (talk) 06:02, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Rather, I put The Banks family, as every member is not surnamed Banks. take care ~ GoldenGoose100 (talk) 06:10, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

More Celebrity Appearances
The list of Celebrity Appearances has a link to the disambiguation page for Daniel Evans. I can't remember the show, but knowing the actor Daniel Evans's pretty well, I'd say it wasn't him. Could someone who knows more about it (and the other, probably American people named Daniel Evans) please link it to the correct Daniel Evans? Thanks loads, Kastrel (talk) 08:18, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Niko?
Am I the only one who has never heard him called "Niko?" He was called Nicholas at birth and "Nicky" ever since then. 75.179.3.77 (talk) 07:14, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, me neither. I've already fixed that. Jmcalil (talk) 03:21, 3 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Nico happens to be in the real life the name of the kid of the actress that plays Hilary but that's itEugene-elgato (talk) 20:43, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

Uncle Phil's full name
Does Uncle Phil's full name really have "Ezekiel"? I've never seen him nor anyone in the series saying it. He is nicknamed "Zeke" by his mother, but his name could be Philip Ezekiel Banks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jmcalil (talk • contribs) 03:26, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

Aunt Vivian's full name
I don't think she's called Vivian Smith Banks. As far as I know, when a woman marries in USA she has indeed the option of using her husband's family name in conjunction with hers, but with an hifen; An example is the own actress who plays the first Aunt Vivian, Janet Hubert-Whitten (who was credited as Janet Hubert in some episodes, possibly before having married a Whitten-surnamed man). There's also the fact that, when she refers to herself by her full name in the series, it's always "Vivian Banks". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jmcalil (talk • contribs) 03:44, 3 August 2009 (UTC)


 * A hyphen is not 'required' for a name change when two people marry each other in the United States. A man and a woman who marry in the United States can do basically anything they want with their names as long as it is recorded on the marriage documents filed with the government. As examples, Mary Smith and John Jones, when they marry in the United States can become (N.B.: this is not an exhaustive list of the possibilities);


 * Mary Smith and John Jones (no change),
 * Mary Jones and John Jones,
 * Mary Smith and John Smith,
 * Mary Smith-Jones and John Smith-Jones,
 * Mary Smith Jones and John Smith Jones (no hyphen),
 * Mary Jones Smith and John Smith Jones,
 * Mary Smith Jones and John Jones,
 * Mary Smith-Jones and John Jones,
 * Mary Franklin and John Franklin (a completely new last name).


 * And if that's not confusing enough, in the United States anyone can 'use' any name they want as long as they are not doing so for illegal purposes. Joe Hepperle (talk) 15:49, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

Grandma Smith
Does anyone notice that Will mentions that Grandma Smith used to rock him to bed when he was little but Hillary mentions she never met Grandma Smith and she is older then Will. So is Will's grandmother Lou's mother. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Beyonceisdabomb (talk • contribs) 16:38, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

G
Geoffrey's character changes over the series: in early episodes, he is very dutiful and gentlemanly, whereas he becomes very cynical in later episodes. Joseph Marcell explains that he began by playing Geoffrey as stereotypically English but then felt that the American audience was not accustomed to seeing Black Englishmen.[5]

I disagree; that citation says precisely what it's meant to, ie that perhaps earlier on he was more english. That firstly doesn't mean the producer was saying that it meant G was more dutiful; and secondly, jus take a look again at Season 1, and apart from the very first episode, where is there an episode where G is NOT sarcastic? Eugene-elgato (talk) 20:40, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

UM. Well let us specify, there is no way someone can become 'less English'. Just less steretypically English. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.111.137.209 (talk) 11:48, 2 October 2009 (UTC)

OK then I'd like this clarified some more; I'm not sure that Joseph Marcell could have meant that Geoffrey was dutiful and gentlemanly any more earlier on. having watched every episode again, it doesn't seem like there's anything different about G at all, with the sole exception of the pilot episode. Eugene-elgato (talk) 22:42, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

TODD
I want to know why Todd is not on the list. He was a very much recurring friend for Will and Jazz at the beginning. Some one should add him in recurring characters or other characters. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.210.159.33 (talk) 16:19, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Spelling of Name
I know the ACTOR Will Smith spells his name with two L's, but in the show is the character's name spelled with one? In the first episode where Ashley makes a welcome poster for him, it reads "Wil."

'geoffrey butler'
There's currently a redirect set up from 'Geoffrey Butler' to this page, which seems a little off — I got here looking for Sir Geoffrey Butler, deceased British MP, author of 'The Tory Tradition', & member of the peerage. I'm not really sure how that works with regards to wikipedia's notability standards, but I'd argue that the real person is probably somewhat more notable than the fictional character. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.41.0.240 (talk) 14:16, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Birthdates
Are there sources for these birthdates? I remember Will and Carlton mentioning theirs in one episode, but what about the rest of them? Pumpkingrrl (talk) 04:55, 5 February 2015 (UTC)