Will Smith says he did The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air because he was in trouble with the IRS

Billboard

Smith released a video to his YouTube channel explaining how he got his NBC sitcom. In it, Smith explains that he blew through all his money after he and DJ Jazzy Jeff released “Parents Just Don’t Understand." In search of a new gig, his then-girlfriend suggested he hang around Paramount Studios near The Arsenio Hall Show, which is where he met Quincy Jones, resulting in an audition in front of then-NBC boss Brandon Tartikoff.