Who arranged Will Smith's meeting with NBC chief Brandon Tartikoff?

Quincy Jones arranged Will Smith’s meeting with NBC chief Brandon Tartikoff.

The connection began with music manager Benny Medina, who wanted to develop a television story inspired by his own experience growing up in East Los Angeles and later living with a wealthy family. Medina and business partner Jeff Pollack developed the concept, then pitched it to Jones, who had a production deal with Warner Bros. Television.

Jones was impressed by the idea and brought it to Tartikoff, then NBC’s entertainment chief. Smith was subsequently drawn into the project after Medina encountered him around The Arsenio Hall Show. At a December 1989 birthday gathering at Jones’s home, Smith was asked to audition on the spot for Tartikoff and other television executives.

That informal audition became a turning point. The basic deal was reportedly drawn up that night, helping launch Smith’s acting career and the sitcom’s production. Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz later shaped the concept into the series that premiered on NBC in September 1990.