"Bel-Air" — The New Dramatic Re-Telling Of "Fresh Prince" — Is Here, So Here's The New Vs. Original Cast
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In case you haven't heard, Bel-Air just started on Peacock and it's a dramatic reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
It's based on that absolutely amazing 2019 fan-made trailer by Morgan Cooper, who is serving as an executive producer on Bel-Air alongside Will Smith.
Set in modern day, this new series reimagines the beloved Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a drama series. Just like the sitcom, Bel-Air follows Will as he journeys from the streets of West Philadelphia to the mansions of Bel-Air. Soon, Will learns about the power of second chances as he navigates these two very different worlds.
So, to celebrate Bel-Air, I decided to roundup what the cast of this new drama series looks like vs. the original cast:
1.Jabari Banks as Will on Bel-Air
Playing Will in Bel-Air is Jabari's first onscreen role. He booked the part while still living in West Philadelphia, where he was born and raised. "My life is literally flipped, turned upside down. Two weeks [before production], I was sleeping on my friend's couch. And now I'm filming Bel-Air," Jabari explained. Jabari found out he got the role of Will when he was surprised with the news by Will Smith.
Will Smith as Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Jabari and Will:
Jabari in real life:
And Will in real life:
Of course, after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will went on to have a very notable movie career with films like Men In Black, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, Hitch, and more. Recently, Will was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Picture for his work both on and off screen in King Richard. These two nominations mark Will's third and fourth Oscar nominations, and the first time we was nominated in 15 years.
2.Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks on Bel-Air:
Prior to starring as Uncle Phil on Bel-Air, Adrian appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. He's probably best known for his work in 19-2, but has also appeared in The Cabin in the Woods, Elysium, Arrow, True Justice, Smallville, and more. Speaking about taking on a version of James Avery's iconic role, Adrian said, "I’m just kind of creating my own. For me, it’s a tribute to him, a way of saying thank you to him and what he did for us."
James Avery as Philip Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Adrian and James:
Adrian in real life:
And James in real life:
Sadly, James died in 2013 at the age of 68. When the cast came together for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion in 2020, Will Smith paid tribute to the great actor while talking about filming the memorable episode where Will asks why his own father doesn't want him. Will recalled, "I fall into his arms at the end of the scene, he's holding me and he’s holding me. He whispered into my ear, 'Now that's acting.' It’s like people don't even know when they're shaping you and forming you and crafting you. He knew."
3.Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks on Bel-Air:
Before starring as Aunt Viv on Bel-Air, Cassandra appeared in shows and movies like The Last O.G., For Life, The Enemy Within, Luke Cage, Spike Lee's The Inside Man, and more. Speaking about her connection to Aunt Viv, Cassandra wrote on Instagram, "I grew up thinking I was beautiful because In part I saw myself in her! She made us feel like it was our birth right to take up space and to be excellent! What a gift she gave to us!"
Janet Hubert as Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Cassandra, Janet, and Daphne:
Cassandra in real life:
Janet in real life:
Janet notably departed The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air following Season 3 after she was offered a "bad deal." In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion on HBO Max, Janet spoke for the first time about her departure from the show and how "Hollywood disowned" her because of the rumors that she was difficult to work with. She said, "But you know those words, calling a Black woman difficult in Hollywood, is the kiss of death." Recently, Janet starred in Love Life Season 2 opposite William Jackson Harper.
And Daphne in real life:
Daphne stepped into the role of Aunt Viv starting in Season 4 until the show wrapped. She hadn't met Janet Hubert until the duo were introduced during The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 30th anniversary reunion in 2020. Recently, Daphne has appeared in Jacqueline and Jilly, Harriet, and more.
4.Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks on Bel-Air:
Bel-Air marks Olly's first major acting role. Prior to this he appeared in several short films and an episode of All American in 2019. He's also a singer and music producer. Speaking about stepping into the role of Carlton, Olly said, "I'm following the legacy of Alfonso Ribeiro and the incredible character that he created, but also, I found the freedom to explore a different aspect of Carlton. So I'm not chasing a performance, I'm not chasing any of those moments. We might as well be playing two different characters that share the same name."
Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Olly and Alfonso:
Olly in real life:
And Alfonso in real life:
Since Fresh Prince ended in 1996, Alfonso has gone on to appear in numerous TV shows and has even directed episodes of All of Us, Shake It Up, Young & Hungry, K.C. Undercover, and more. He won Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars and has been hosting America's Funniest Home Videos since 2015.
5.Coco Jones as Hilary Banks on Bel-Air:
Before starring as Hilary on Bel-Air, Coco is best known for her work on the Disney Channel. She starred in Let It Shine and was runner-up during Season 3 of Radio Disney's The Next Big Thing singing competition. In 2020, she starred in Netflix's Vampires vs. the Bronx too. Talking about playing Hilary, Coco said she had to get rid of the "preconceived notions" she had about the character, saying, "[Morgan Cooper and I] had several conversations about the goal of Hilary being relatability. The last thing that we [wanted] was for people, or especially women and women of color, to not see themselves in her, in her struggles and in her journeys. I would describe her as the boss babe."
Karyn Parsons as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Coco and Karyn:
Coco in real life:
And Karyn in real life:
After wrapping Fresh Prince in 1996, Karyn went on to star in numerous TV shows and movies like Melrose Place, The Job, The Ladies Man, Mixing Nia, and more. Recently, she's published two books for children, which are inspired by her mother's childhood in the Jim Crow South and a picture-book biography about Bessie Coleman.
6.Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks on Bel-Air:
Prior to starring as Ashely on Bel-Air, Akira is best known for playing young Monica Rambeau in Marvel's Captain Marvel. She's also appeared as young Beth on This Is Us and in several episodes of Good Trouble. Talking about playing Ashley, Akira said, "I just want to be able to portray her in a way that people don't think that she's totally different…I didn't want to study Ashley episode by episode, because I didn't want to be totally like her, but I also wanted to have my own spin on her."
Tatyana M. Ali as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Akira and Tatyana:
Akira in real life:
And Tatyana in real life:
After getting her start on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and appearing throughout the show's run, Tatyana had a music career while she continued to act. She starred in films like Glory Road and Nora's Hair Salon, and she recurred on The Young and the Restless as Roxanne from 2007 to 2013. More recently, she's appeared in episodes of Key & Peele and she voices a character on Fancy Nancy.
7.Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey on Bel-Air:
Before starring as Geoffrey on Bel-Air, Jimmy is a well-known British theater and film actor. On the stage he's appeared in Prayer Room alongside Riz Ahmed, a production of The Cut opposite Sir Ian McKellen, and Look Back in Anger. On TV, he's best known for his work in The Crouches, Rev., Holby Blue, Arrow, and recently he appeared as Ollie in Ted Lasso Season 1. Talking about working on Bel-Air, Jimmy said, "It's exciting to do a retelling of it because we're all able to own these iconic characters that we know and have grown up with. We're able to sort of go deeper."
Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey Butler on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Jimmy and Joseph:
Jimmy in real life:
And Joseph in real life:
After starring as Geoffrey on Fresh Prince for six seasons, Joseph went on to appear in numerous TV shows. He became a series regular on The Bold and the Beautiful as well as EastEnders. Most recently, he appeared in two episodes of Netflix's Ratched and the series Mammoth.
8.Jordan L. Jones as Jazz on Bel-Air:
Before starring as Jazz on Bel-Air, Jordan is best known for his recurring role on Netflix's Disjointed alongside Kathy Bates. He's also appeared on Rel, Snowfall, Shameless, and NCIS: Los Angeles. Also, fun fact, Taraji P. Henson is his godmother. Talking about playing this version of Jazz, Jordan said, "I wanted to bring my own thing to the show. That’s comedy, drama, just the impact [DJ Jazzy Jeff] brought was my goal. All I want to bring is my best self to the show."
DJ Jazzy Jeff as Jazz on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Jordan and DJ Jazzy Jeff:
Jordan in real life:
And DJ Jazzy Jeff in real life:
After appearing throughout six season of Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff continued his career as a mega DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He's released a ton of albums and has been featured on numerous albums from other artists. In 2017, he even performed alongside Will Smith at a music festival in Croatia.
9.Simone Joy Jones as Lisa on Bel-Air:
Before nabbing a starring role on Bel-Air as Lisa, Simone is best known for her two episode arc on Netflix's The Chair. She also appeared in the Broadway show Miracle Worker when she was only 10 years old, and she recently released her debut album Divine Mistakes. When her casting was announced, Simone posted on Instagram, saying, "Y'all. Honored to be apart of the Bel-Air series. Such an iconic moment for the culture and beyond grateful is an understatement."
Nia Long as Lisa Wilkes on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
Here's a side-by-side of Simone and Nia:
Simone in real life:
And finally, Nia in real life:
After starring in Season 5 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Nia went on to appear in numerous massive TV shows like Judging Amy, Third Watch, Big Shots, The Cleveland Show, House of Lies, Empire, NCIS: Los Angeles, and black AF. In terms of films, she's best known for her work in Boyz n the Hood, The Best Man franchise, and Big Momma's House franchise.
You can watch Bel-Air anytime on Peacock.
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