10 Saddest TV Character Exits That Made You Cry

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air had some fantastic ‘very special’ episodes in its six-year run, but this could be the best of the lot. This is the moment Will Smith really became an actor.

Lou is Will’s deadbeat dad, and no one is sorry to see him go. That’s not where the sadness comes from. Lou is ready to skip town without saying goodbye, but Will walks in just in time. Bags slung over his shoulders enthusiastically, Will puts up a decent front as he learns the trip they had planned together is off. He keeps his composure, even managing to deliver an ice cold ‘Lou,’ instead of ‘dad,’ as his father exits.

Once he’s gone, that facade quickly crumbles. Showcasing incredible range, Will is cocky, vulnerable and angry all at once as he lists all the ways he’s been better off without Lou anyway. His performance was so emotional, Karen Parsons (who plays Hilary) can be heard crying off screen.

As Will screams ‘to hell with him!’ the rage disappears entirely, leaving Will, Uncle Phil and the audience on the brink of tears. Then, as he delivers the final, heartbreaking line ‘how come he don’t want me, man?’, everyone is pushed over the brink.