14 Actors You Totally Forgot Showed Up On The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" ran for six hilarious seasons in the early 1990s and made rapper-turned-actor Will Smith a household name. Although it went off the air in 1996, the series has maintained a loyal following for over two decades. Smith stars as the eponymous main character, a young man from Philadelphia inspired by the actor's real-life personality. After changing coasts to live with wealthy Uncle Phil (James Avery) and Aunt Viv (Janet Hubert), young Will slowly goes from a quintessential fish-out-of-water to an irreplaceable part of their household.

However, Smith and the rest of the main cast are just some of the draws for this beloved sitcom. Throughout its tenure, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" also featured cameos from some of the biggest names in 1990s Hollywood. Some performers had already enjoyed long careers in show business, while others were just getting their start. These actors each brought their signature brand of comedy and drama to the series, making their minor characters truly memorable.

Uncle Phil's career as a judge makes him a pillar of his community, which earns him an Urban Spirit Award in Season 1's "Not With My Pig, You Don't." Phil's parents take a last-minute flight to California to celebrate this momentous occasion. After their arrival, Phil's mother, Hattie (Virginia Capers), shares hysterical stories about Phil's upbringing in North Carolina. Early in the episode, comedian Kathy Griffin appears as Susan Klein, a reporter who plans to profile Phil before the awards ceremony.

This single-episode cameo was one of Griffin's earliest television roles and her first appearance in a sitcom. Griffin is very convincing as Susan, a no-nonsense journalist who doesn't miss a beat during the family interview. However, Will overhears her complaining about how boring his uncle is after the interview. To save the story, Will good-naturedly shares some of Grandma Hattie's anecdotes about young Phil. Susan loves this unexpected side of the prominent judge and uses the details Will provides as the heart of her report. Unfortunately, the story causes strife in the Banks family after it runs in the local newspaper.

Will does his fair share of womanizing, but he meets his match in Season 5's "Will's Misery." In this episode, "Friday" actress Nia Long begins her tenure as Lisa Wilkes, a young woman who teaches Will a lesson about his behavior towards women. Lisa has no patience for chauvinists and believes that men like Will should be shown the error of their ways. As part of a prank orchestrated by Carlton, Lisa takes Will on a date to a secluded cabin and ties him to a chair, intent on making him regret his past indiscretions.

When the prank backfires, the two join forces and turn the tables on Carlton. In the process, Lisa earns the favor of a sorority at her college and begins a romantic relationship with Will. Although Long is only part of the series for one season, her character is crucial to Will's maturity. He and Lisa get engaged in a later episode, but their wedding plans never come to fruition. The pair call off the wedding in the season finale, "For Whom The Wedding Bells Toll," which marks Long's final appearance as Lisa. Diehard fans of the show will also remember that Long actually first appeared in Season 2's "She Ain't Heavy," as Claudia, who Will takes to a school dance.

Pam Grier became a star as the incomparable Foxy Brown and has been part of countless successful film projects. However, the actress has also made memorable appearances in several television shows. In Season 4's "M Is For The Many Things She Gave Me," Grier stars as Janice Robertson, Uncle Phil's college girlfriend. Phil describes Janice as a missed opportunity and admits to settling for his current wife after the relationship with his old flame failed.

The situation quickly becomes awkward when Janice visits the Banks family at their home. She is flirtatious and charming towards all of the Banks men, even with Phil's wife watching. Unsurprisingly, her presence makes Viv uncomfortable, but Uncle Phil isn't the only family member Janice has in her sights. Instead of solely trying to rekindle her romance with Phil, Janice also seduces unsuspecting Will and sleeps with him. Although Phil is initially upset with this outcome, Janice's actions help him realize how lucky he is to have Viv by his side.

Most television viewers in the 1990s likely recognized Hank Azaria as the voice of multiple characters on "The Simpsons." However, the actor also has a long list of live-action roles to his credit. For example, in the Season 1 episode, "Mistaken Identity," Azaria has a small role as a police officer, Jerry, who Will and Carlton encounter during a traffic stop. While most sitcom episodes focus on making audiences laugh, "Mistaken Identity" raises important questions about how police officers treat African Americans.

Azaria's character racially profiles both young men and subsequently arrests them for "stealing" the Mercedes Carlton is driving. However, the car actually belongs to one of Phil's associates, Henry Furth (John Petlock), who asked the pair to drive it to Palm Springs. Unfortunately, Jerry and the police sergeant (Dan Desmond) don't believe Will or Carlton's explanations of the facts. As a result, the two find themselves waiting in prison for the rest of the Banks family. The police officers only agree to let the young men go free when Furth — the only white character defending their honor — corroborates their story.

Jaleel White isn't always lucky in love as Steve Urkel from "Family Matters," but his chances seem better as Ashley Banks' (Tatyana Ali) long-distance boyfriend, Derek. Although he wears glasses similar to Steve's, Derek is far more refined than his nerdy counterpart. The smooth-talking college student appears in a single "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" episode: Season 6's "Not With My Cousin You Don't." This episode aired in the middle of White's tenure on "Family Matters," so the actor briefly captured sitcom audiences on two different networks.

Derek and Ashley are childhood friends, but Derek stirs up trouble when he suggests they become lovers. Although Hilary is supportive of any decision Ashley makes, overprotective Will and Carlton treat Ashley like she is still too young for intimacy. They believe Derek is trying to pressure her, but the young man graciously accepts Ashley's decision when she refuses to be intimate with him at the end of the episode. Derek never reappears, but the encounter teaches Ashley a valuable lesson about trusting her instincts.

Don Cheadle has appeared in television and film projects since the mid-1980s, with a career spanning multiple genres. However, years before he became a well-known actor, Cheadle appeared as Ice Tray in Season 1's "Homeboy, Sweet Homeboy." Tray, Will's old friend from Philadelphia, gives him a welcome taste of home when he visits Bel-Air. The two reminisce about their time together in Philadelphia, and Tray offers Will updates on his old neighborhood. The believable chemistry between Smith and Cheadle makes this reunion especially heartwarming for fans.

Although Will's aunt and uncle invited Tray to visit, they soon regret this decision when Tray builds an unlikely bond with Hilary. Viv and Phil decide to fake their support of Hilary's desire to date Tray, hoping their approval will make the potential relationship less appealing to their rebellious young daughter. When Will discovers the plot, Tray's presence raises thought-provoking questions about how the Banks view their less-privileged nephew.

As Smith revealed in his 2021-released memoir, "Will," Quincy Jones was the key to him landing his iconic role in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (via Vanity Fair). According to the excerpt, Jones invited Smith to a party and asked the then-aspiring actor to do an impromptu audition for the role. Jones served as an executive producer for the series, but he also lent his acting talents to the second part of Season 1's "Some Day Your Prince Will Be In Effect." In this single-episode cameo, Jones appears as himself to ask Will for a favor. 

This episode is full of cameos from other actors, musicians, and even football player Bo Jackson, but Jones' appearance is especially memorable. He arrives at the Banks' home mid-episode to request that Will help him finish a record in his music studio. The accomplished producer looks humble and anxious in Will's presence, an amusing reversal of their real-life relationship at the beginning of the series. Since Will is too busy with homework to help, he calls another friend, singer Al B. Sure!, who comes to Jones' rescue. But, of course, all of this is a hilarious fantasy Will creates to try (and fail) to one-up Carlton and win femme fatale Melinda's (Paris Vaughn) heart.