In the early 1990s, Jones served as producer for the NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The series, about a young boy from inner-city Philadelphia who gets sent to live with his well-to-do aunt, uncle and cousins in Bel Air, premiered in September 1990 and ran for six seasons until May 1996.

In a 2024 interview, Will Smith shared how he got his iconic role after meeting Benny Medina, whose life Will’s character was based on. Smith said Benny invited him to Quincy Jones’ home, who gave him a screenplay and asked him to audition for the role on the spot. Smith, who had never acted before, asked Jones for a little more time to prepare and was surprised by the answer he got.

“Three weeks from now would be good, or you can take 10 minutes right now, and you can change your life forever,” he said. “I said yes, and I let it rip.” After the audition, Smith said Jones gave him the part on the spot.