Blast from the past! Will Smith surprised a receptionist, who he met 30 years ago before one of his “very first” interviews, in celebration of her retirement.
“My favorite moments on the road are the ones where I can connect with people like @anitascipio,” the Bad Boys for Life star, 51, captioned an Instagram video on Saturday, January 11, of himself surprising Anita Scipio on her last day at work at iHeartRadio.”I met her at the front desk before one of my VERY FIRST interviews of my career… and yesterday I was lucky enough to see her off into retirement 30 years later.”
He continued, “She said I made her day. Y’all… she made MINE. Enjoy yourself Mama and keep spreading that love & light wherever you go!”
In the video, Scipio is celebrating her retirement in the office with her coworkers when Smith comes out to surprise her. The reunited duo embrace and Scipio revealed she never forgot the special moment when she met Smith years ago.
“I met you then for the first time and now to have you back again is full circle,” Scipio told Smith. “Oh my goodness, you have made my day, sweetheart.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum encouraged her to ” go out there and make sure you have some fun” in her retirement.
Smith’s career has come a long way since he last encountered Scipio. The star has become a blockbuster leading man for films such as Ali, Men in Black, the Bad Boys franchise, Suicide Squad and, more recently, Spies in Disguise. In November 2019, he left his mark on the fashion world with his second Fresh Prince of Bel-Air collection — which includes hoodies, snapbacks, duffel bags and more inspired by the ’90s sitcom.
However, the Pennsylvania native remembers what it’s like to be a newbie in Hollywood. In December 2019, he reassured his Aladdin costar Mena Massoud that his career would hit an upswing after the actor spoke out about his lack of auditions despite starring as the title character in the film, which made $1 billion worldwide at the box office.
“He’s a spectacular actor and he has nothing to worry about,” Smith told Variety at the time.
