Will Smith refused to have RuPaul cameo on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , producer says

Will Smith and RuPaul were both rising stars in the early '90s, and it seems that they nearly crossed paths on Smith's popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But one of the show's producers says in a new book that Smith rejected the opportunity to have the drag performer appear in a cameo.

Speaking to Thea Glassman for Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television (which hit shelves Tuesday), Fresh Prince executive producer David Steven Simon recalled that Smith — who got to approve every story and didn't often reject ideas — shot Simon down when he suggested a RuPaul appearance.

"I remember him saying that would be a really bad idea," Simon said. "And I said, 'No, listen, hear my story —.'"

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; David Livingston/Getty Images Will Smith and RuPaul

Despite his appeals, Simon said that Smith "refused" and "kept repeating that it was a bad idea," so he ultimately backed down. He told Glassman that he believes Smith was worried about protecting his reputation. "The reason he would say no is because of his image. Period. The End," Simon said.

Representatives for Smith didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment Tuesday.

Premiering in 1990, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marked Smith's acting debut and his breakthrough screen role. Inspired by his own life, the NBC comedy built on his success as one half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.

Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images The cast of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'

Around the same time, RuPaul was making a name for himself with his 1993 debut album, Supermodel of the World. His iconic reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race — which went on to spawn a massive international franchise and make Emmys history for the host — was still many years away, launching in 2009.

But RuPaul was enjoying mainstream success thanks to the catchy dance track "Supermodel (You Better Work)," which became a radio hit and peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The drag performer went on to guest-star on several TV shows, including Sister, Sister; Sabrina The Teenage Witch; and Walker, Texas Ranger. He also landed a VH1 talk show of his own in 1996, which ran for two years.

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