Recast Roles In Film And TV You Didn’t Know Happened

The Fresh Prince Gets A New Aunt Viv

Photo Credit: NBC

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air brought Will Smith into the limelight. The show ran for six seasons from 1990 until 1996. Three seasons into its run the show had a major cast shake-up, firing the actress who played Aunt Viv; Janet Hubert-Whitten. Her and Smith reportedly didn’t get along behind the scenes, so she got the ax.

Daphne Maxwell Reid replaced Hubert-Whitten at the start of season four. With the new casting, the character made some peculiar changes of her own. After three seasons as an outspoken and educated career-woman, Aunt Viv was turned into a stay at home mom with limited screen time.