In truth, Donald Trump has television to thank for his return to prominence. Prior to 'The Apprentice', Donald's status was changing and his income situation wasn't going over so well. The reality show gave him a chance to resurface his image, and in truth, he was skeptical at first given that he viewed reality TV as "trashy."
Thankfully, he reconsidered, and suddenly, not only was his image briefly, somewhat repaired, but he also made quite the coin thanks to the run on the show.
Things weren't as great during the times he appeared on TV and film sets. The response generally seems to be a negative one, so much so that a certain 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' star refused to shake his hand during his cameo on the show.
The story goes the cast member caught some bad vibes from the former President and in addition, she wasn't a fan of his prior history. Let's dig into the details, along with other stars that struggled on-set with Donald.
Trump Is Still Making Money Off the Cameo
That's right, Donald Trump is still making various royalties off brief cameos, some of which he basically forced himself into... For lots of fans, watching the episode might be a task in itself, as Carlton is overjoyed by Donald's presence while Will Smith also looks rather happy. According to Av Club, Donald is still making money off the reruns, according to his financial disclosure statements. He's getting a few royalty payments from studios he worked with in the past.
"He also gets a thousand bucks annually from several different studios for royalties, including Universal (for his appearance in The Little Rascals) and WB Studios for The Fresh Prince," the AV Club stated.
Behind the scenes, things weren't as smooth. So much so that one of the cast members actually refused to not only acknowledge Donald but shake his hand altogether. The story was confirmed by a fellow cast member. It turns out, even back then, some weren't on par with her personal views.
The New Aunt Vivian Was Not A Fan
That's right, the late great Uncle Phil did extend his hand towards Trump but the new aunt Viv was not willing to do the same!
According to the star, she instantly got a bad vibe from Donald. In addition, she had heard bad stories about him, coming out of New York.
"I didn’t like him. I had news from New York. I knew who he was," she said.
Years later, Anne Rodeman was able to confirm the story. She stated that this very much took place and aunt Viv held her own, listening to her gut. "It was so wonderful. I was like, ‘Is she going to?’ Oh, she’s not going to [shake his hand.] And when he leaves, you’re like ready to kick his a**. It was so good."
We're all well aware by now, aunt Viv wasn't the only one to get this get kind of vibe. In truth, it took place a lot for Donald, especially when he showed up on film or TV sets.
For the most part, it seems as though he forced himself into films, only for a brief moment of fame and power. There are a few celebs out there that have confirmed this story, including the likes of Matt Damon, Macaulay Culkin, and Daniel Radcliffe.
Trump Doesn't Make The Best Impressions
If the plan was the use Trump's buildings, chances are, there was a deal in place for him to appear in the film. Matt Damon would confirm this rumor, stating that Donald forced himself into 'Scent of a Woman.'
"The deal was that if you wanted to shoot in one of his buildings, you had to write him in a part," Damon said. "Martin Brest had to write something in Scent of a Woman — and the whole crew was in on it. You have to waste an hour of your day with a [expletive] shot: Donald Trump walks in and Al Pacino’s like, 'Hello, Mr. Trump!' — you had to call him by name — and then he exits."
"You waste a little time so that you can get the permit, and then you can cut the scene out," Damon added. "But I guess in Home Alone 2 they left it in."
Culkin was another actor that expressed deep regret for Donald's 'Home Alone' appearance. In the recent rerun, his part was cut out, much to the pleasure of the child star and the fans.
We can also add 'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe to the list, he called Trump arrogant during their brief engagement behind the scenes. In truth, Trump didn't do himself any favors during his brief time on Hollywood sets.