Jada Pinkett Smith, at the age of 53, engaged in a captivating chat on the December 3rd episode of the podcast Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe. This conversation allowed her to look back on the remarkable highlights of her extensive career on both the big and small screens.

Rediscovering the Essence of a Character

A Different World and the Entry of Lena James

The actress made a significant entry into "A Different World" as Lena James prior to season 5. This spin-off of "The Cosby Show" centered around Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) during her sophomore year at Hillman College, a predominantly Black institution. Smith joined the cast mid-way through the show when the actors and actresses playing long-time recurring characters had already formed a strong bond. "There was already this deep camaraderie, you know what I mean? With Kadeem [Hardison] and Jasmine [Guy] and Cree [Summer] and the whole cast," she shared.This deep connection among the cast members set a unique tone for Smith's journey. She continued, "We're the new blood, so they were kind of like, 'All right, whatever.' Not in a funky way, but definitely like, 'Earn your stripes.' "

The First Day of Filming and the Anxiety

Smith's first day on set was filled with anxiety as she had never truly seen herself as a "comedic actress." The energy on set was intense as she was told, "Earn your stripes. Be funny. You got to earn your place." With a live audience present, everyone had to hold their own. This was a different experience compared to when she was doing one-camera drama, as she explained, "Four-camera sitcom, you gotta catch the rhythm. You gotta catch the rhythm of your cast members — versus when you're doing one-camera drama, that's a different game."

The Impact of Lena James' Identity

Lena James, Smith's character, was a Hillman student who had just finished her sophomore year by the end of the show. Her character's identity was greatly influenced by Smith's own personality and the way the show was filmed. "I did an extreme version of Jada," Smith explained. "In a four-camera sitcom, you need to catch the rhythm and that of your cast members. It's a different dynamic compared to one-camera drama."There wasn't a specific moment during filming when Smith knew her portrayal of Lena was hitting the mark with the audience. However, she knew it was working when the longtime cast members, especially Guy, Hardison, and Summer, started embracing her. Waithe noted that Smith's journey on "A Different World" mirrored her character's journey in the plot. "I just remember how the older cast was now starting to relate to me," she said. "That's when I knew — I was like, 'Okay, I'm good.' "