Page 58 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

Will Smith
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Behind the scenes there were more changes, some
brought on by Smith himself. Andy and Susan Borowitz,
who had begun as writers on the show, were now the
executive producers. Smith believed the show’s plots had
become too filled with slapstick comedy and had stopped
reflecting the African-American experience. Filled with
confidence after his movie successes, Smith did not hesitate
to approach the Borowitzes with his concerns. He wanted the
show to be changed, he said.
However, the ratings were still high. Without high
ratings, the show would likely be canceled and everyone
involved with it, including the actors, would be out of work.
The Borowitzes were hesitant to make any changes. They
believed in the old saying, If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.
Smith was frustrated. At one point, he confided in one of
his idols, the legendary actor and comedian Bill Cosby. He
told Cosby that the writers were creating weak scripts. If he
expectedCosby to immediately agree, Smithwas disappointed.
Smith said, “When I complained about the writing on the
show, Bill suggested I write a script. ‘Just write one and don’t
go to sleep until it’s finished,’ he told me.”14
Taking Cosby’s advice, Smith soon discovered that script
writing is not easy. He also learned a hard lesson about judging
other people’s work. “When I met the writers the next day, I had
a lot less anger and a lot more understanding of the process.”15
Still, that did not change his mind about the show’s
direction, which he felt should better reflect the African-
American experience. He got together with Benny Medina