who plays will's father on fresh prince
List of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air characters Lou Smith (played by Ben Vereen) was a one-time character, appearing only in the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse." He is Will's father, and a trucker. Lou abandoned his family (Will and Viola "Vy" Smith) when Will was 3 years-old, and explains his motives for leaving by saying he wasn't ready for fatherhood, that he "started feeling trapped" and that he was scared.