Will Smith Still Thinks Janet Hubert Is "Brilliant" Even After Fresh Prince of Bel Air Star Slammed Jada Pinkett Smith

Actor also discusses this year’s Oscar nominations during an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra

By Mike Vulpo Feb 10, 2016 3:41 AMTags
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Janet HubertGabe Ginsberg/WireImage, Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank

If you're expecting Will Smith to say some not-so-nice things about Janet Hubert, it's not going to happen.

Well, at least it didn't happen this week when the actor sat down for an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

After bringing up the Oscars' controversy, host A.Dot had to ask about Will's Fresh Prince of Bel Air co-star. "Who was the best Aunt Viv?" the radio jock asked. "The First Aunt Viv or Second Aunt Viv?"

"Listen I think that both of the Aunt Vivs were really, really fantastic. I think when you make a show, anytime you make a change, it's going to be excruciating and painful," Will explained. "I think that Janet Hubert brought a really powerful dignity to the show."

When A.Dot followed up asking if Will still likes her, he didn't hesitate with his answer.

"I think she is brilliant," he continued. "As an artist, there's so many things that she does. She sings, she dances, she's like a really powerful artist so I love what she brought to the Fresh Prince."

For those who don't recall, Janet came out swingin' last month when reacting to Jada Pinkett Smith's decision to boycott the Oscars for the lack of diversity in their nominees. In a lengthy YouTube video, the actress got fired up about the controversial topic surrounding award season. 

"First of all, Miss Thing," she began in her four-minute video, "Does your man not have a mouth of his own with which to speak?"

She continued, "The second thing, girlfriend, there's a lot of s--t going on in the world that you all don't seem to recognize. People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are starving. People are trying to pay bills. And you're talking about some [expletive] actors and Oscars. It just ain't that deep."

NBC

While not everyone may agree with Will and Jada's decision to boycott the Oscars, the Hollywood couple is sticking by their beliefs. In fact, the actor only reiterated his thoughts on the lack of diversity in Hollywood this week.

"It's so far not about me. It's not about us going to a show or not. For me, it's a much bigger social issue. I'm recognizing a pattern of the narrowing of the imagery that the narrowing of tolerance in America," he shared during Monday's interview. "For the last 18 months that I've been watching the news and experiencing the things that are going on in my country, my concern is that Hollywood is reflecting a regressive trend."

He continued, "Hollywood is supposed to lead. Hollywood is supposed to be the most diverse and the most inclusive, all of the voices of so many different types of people and so many different stories and I think that it's an absolute necessity that Hollywood lead and I'm just concerned that I'm seeing Hollywood slipping and making us slide."