“In West Philadelphia, born and raised” is more than just a catchy tune Will Smith created for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The theme song also links him to one of Hollywood’s best-dressed and most respected actors — Colman Domingo. Domingo, 56, dropped an unexpected Hollywood co nnection, revealing he and the “Bad Boys” star crossed paths long before the fame. (Photos by Taylor Hill/WireImage; Sergi Alexander/Getty Images) “I went to high school with Will. I did. Same time. He was in class before me; we had gym class and science class together,” Domingo, 56, revealed during the Nov. 3 episode of the “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast. The revelation is old news to him. But for hosts Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, and Kristin Batalucco, the thread connecting the two megastars to Overbrook High School was a bombshell. ‘That’s Crazy’: Colman Domingo Says Transforming Into Michael Jackson’s Father Joe Jackson Was One Thing — Bringing Him to Life Took Real ‘Work’ ‘That’s When I Lost My Mind’: ‘The Color Purple’ Star Colman Domingo Opens Up About Losing ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Role Due to Dark Skin “Are you guys still friends?” Batalucco asked. “We were never friends. He was the cool kid, and I was like a nerd. I was trying not to get beat up the whole time,” Domingo explained. When asked if Smith, 58, was “considered cool,” he responded matter-of-factly, “Yeah, he was because he was a rapper. He was famous, especially in West Philly, because he and Jazzy Jeff would go and perform at Wynn Ballroom.” Later in the interview, Domingo described teenage Smith as “charismatic, wonderful,” while he was the complete opposite. “I was a nerdy kid, really good friends with his girlfriend Gina [Cooper],” he said. Smith bypassed college to pursue his dream of a music career. The wager worked out. “The last interaction I had with him was working at El Torito restaurant in Philadelphia as a waiter. This is after he became very successful, moved to L.A., and came back. … He looked at me like I looked somewhat familiar,” Domingo recalled. He reminded his peer that they went to high school together and they exchanged more outgoing hellos and a hug. The two men have not ended up on set or a red carpet together yet, despite the overlap in their professional circles. “Everyone knows everyone in Hollywood,” said one social media user. Another joked, “The irony is that Colman is now the cool guy,” referring to the praise around Domingo’s roles in ‘Fear of the Walking Dead,” Rustin,” “The Running Man,” and latest, “Michael.” “I did not know that Colman was in his 50’s…I thought dawg was in his 30’s,” added a third person. “Insane,” added a fourth person. Hollywood is known for being a small town, but like Smith and Domingo, other celebrities crossed paths before they became household names. Jada Pinkett Smith and Tupac Shakur The “Set It Off” actress and the iconic West Coast rapper met in the 10th grade at the Baltimore School for the Arts. They became fast friends and were a part of each other’s lives until Tupac’s tragic death in 1996 at 25 years old. Pinkett Smith leaned into acting while Tupac rose to stardom in rap, but their worlds still collided on the screen during a 1993 episode of “A Different World.” Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z The two New York rappers broke into the music industry in the ’90s with unique swagger and lyrical flows. But before they were seated on Billboard charts together, Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z walked the halls of George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Snoop Dogg and Cameron Diaz The “Something About Mary” actress and Snoop Dogg have shared their teenage history for years. They both attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Diaz told George Lopez on the “Lopez Tonight” show in 2011, “He was a year older than me. I remember him, he was very tall and skinny, wore lots of ponytails. Pretty sure I bought weed from him. I had to have.” Zendaya and Gabby Douglas The Emmy-winning former Disney Channel star and the gymnastics phenomenon attended Oak Park Independent School in California but never had traditional student interactions, given their existing careers. Zendaya and Douglas both graduated in 2015, a time when the world already recognized them for their individual star power. Lauryn Hill and Zach Braff Before crafting “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” the Fugees frontwoman was a regular student at Columbia High School in New Jersey. Among her friends was none other than the longtime “Scrubs” star. Gabrielle Union and Jason Kidd One former love-and-basketball duo actually attended rival schools: Gabrielle Union attended Foothill High School, and Kidd went to St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in California. Union and the then-future NBA star were briefly teenage sweethearts. Colman Domingo revealed he went to the SAME HIGH SCHOOL as Will Smith, who was already the MOST POPULAR KID while Colman was a NERD trying not to get bullied He also recalled how they reunited YEARS later when he was working as a WAITER and Will came into his restaurant as a successful celebrity, revealing they haven’t seen each other since despite BOTH becoming Hollywood stars “He really was the most popular kid in high school. He was a local rapper with Jazzy Jeff, and all the cool kids went to see them. I didn’t go, I wasn’t a cool kid.”— Killa (@KillaKreww) November 3, 2026 Colman Domingo and Will Smith’s High School Connection Reveals a Surprising Hollywood Trend ...read more read less