Will Smith & Jessie Spano: Sitcom Characters Feel Too

[originally written for overtimecomedy.com on 10/25/06]

Those crafty sitcoms! Sometimes they slide a little drama or bit of a message into an episode. Very crafty, guys!

Sitcom actors salivate over these scripts. The guy who had to wear a dress to pay for a car or something, or the girl who wore a long skirt to cheer practice finally got a chance to show off their chops. Will Smith could cry over his father abandoning for a second time. Jessie Spano could channel her drug addiction into a speed-addled rendition of "I'm So Excited." (I'm so scared...)

One of these actors used these opportunities to launch a multi-million dollar movie/tv/music career. The other did porn. Now I'm not going to say which is which, but I will say that when acting opposite Ben Vereen or Mark-Paul Gosselaar, you're reaching for a bar that's pretty darned high.