Will Smith knows the exact moment that Fresh Prince jumped the shark

In his new memoir, Will Smith is sharing secrets from his life and career, including pivotal decisions such as ending The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Last year's Fresh Prince reunion provided plenty of fun — and drama — but Smith saved some interesting scoop about the beloved sitcom. In the book, titled Will, he reveals that costar Alfonso Ribeiro gave him "the best advice ever," telling the actor, "Hey, man, I hear the producers discussing names for your character. Take it from me: Give your character your name, Will Smith. Because people are going to call you that for the rest of your life." Smith jokingly credited the quote to "Carlton," a nod to Ribeiro being forever known as the Tom Jones-loving cousin.

Speaking of his onscreen cousins, when running through his Fresh Prince castmates, Smith mentioned that Karyn Parsons "beat out a slew of Hollywood big hitters to win her role" as the materialistic Hilary Banks. "Was smart enough to tell me 'hell no' when I tried to explain we were not really cousins so it would be fine if we dated," he wrote of Parsons. "'I swear it won't mess up our working relationship.' She knew better that — good call, K.P."

Fresh Prince turned the Grammy-winning rapper into a TV star and opened the door for future movie stardom. And with opportunities like Bad Boys and Independence Day starting to come his way, Smith was left to decide if he'd continue after season 6, the final one the cast was under contract for. "The storylines were becoming increasingly hokey and it was difficult to maintain the 'Freshness,'" he shared. "Anyone who has ever been on a sitcom can tell you the episode in which their show jumped the shark. Ours was season 5, episode 15, 'Bullets Over Bel-Air,' the one in which I got shot and Carlton started carrying a gun. I had successfully fulfilled a promise to myself that I would never get caught in a cycle of deterioration without having the next thing on tap. The show could easily sustain another season; this was my family; I loved them. But a movie career was now a viable option; I was at a crossroads."

His direction was soon clear thanks to the help of Fresh Prince guest star John Amos, who saw his iconic run as James Evans on Good Times famously end when he was killed off due to a contract dispute. With Amos knowing the dilemma facing Smith, the two went for a walk during a break from rehearsals and Smith recalls the TV veteran telling him, "None of these execs, or producers, or businesspeople, give a s--- about your family. Do not let them f--- off all of your hard work and passion. It is your responsibility to make sure these people get to leave this show with some dignity."

Smith added of the conversation's impact: "I had remembered even as a child being jarred by James Evans's death on Good Times. As a kid, I wouldn't have used the word 'dignity,' but in retrospect there was a sense of disrespect that my heart sensed. As a fan, I felt insulted and abused by the narrative. John's character was unceremoniously killed off, and almost twenty years later the man himself spoke the word that fit the hole in my heart. The whole s--- was undignified. I even sensed John's pain, that maybe he had failed his TV family. The next week, I gathered my cast together. I told everyone that season six would be our final season and that they should take the year to make whatever plans or preparations they felt necessary. I promised them that we would go out with style and grace."

Will is available now, and features stories about Bad Boys, Pursuit of Happiness, and After Earth, but somehow not Hitch.

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