Jabari Banks, who stars as Will Smith in “Bel Air,” graduated from drama school in spring 2020. It was, to put it mildly, a precarious time for a recent grad in the performing arts, and the University of the Arts alum spent his first year post-college “couch surfing and auditioning.” His patience paid off. The actor booked his first role this past summer, as the lead in the much-anticipated “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot.
“If you want something, if you ask for it, God or the universe is gonna send it your way,” Banks says from Los Angeles. “It just depends who you are when your time comes; if you’re ready. And so I made a big point to get ready and to stay ready for my time.”
The series, which will premiere on Peacock on Super Bowl Sunday after the game, stems from a bit of internet satire.
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“Bel-Air” creator and director Morgan Cooper reimagined the series set in modern day through a short film he released on YouTube in 2019. The video, which was structured as a show trailer, went viral and caught the eye of Smith and other producers. Banks’ father alerted the actor to news of the reboot this past summer, and Banks’ agent sent him sides for the role of Will a few weeks later, kicking off several rounds of auditions. “People have told me my whole life I resemble Will and his energy,” Banks says. “I was, like, ‘OK, let’s do it. Let’s get it.’”
Smith was the one to deliver the good news to Banks, over Zoom, in August. It’s easy to spot the synergy between the two actors. Both grew up in Philly and speak with an exuberant cadence that makes people want to listen. (And, similarly, “The Fresh Prince” was Smith’s first onscreen role.) Banks credits the original series for “showing people who look like me and where I’m from on screen. And doing their thing and laughing and loving and crying and feeling all the emotions,” he says. “Expanding the conversation on what Black looks like on camera.”
“Bel-Air” started filming shortly after Banks was cast, and wrapped in late fall. Unlike the original series, which was a multicam sitcom, “Bel-Air” is a highly stylized drama, chaptered across one-hour episodes. But all of the familiar characters are back: Uncle Phil (making a bid for public office) and Aunt Vivian, preppy cousins Carlton, Ashley and Hilary — who’s set on becoming a social media chef — and loyal butler Geoffrey. There are more recent pop culture markers — Will’s Jordan 4 Retro Lightning sneakers, for example — for fans to celebrate as well.
“I was so excited to be a part of the project and to reintroduce these iconic, groundbreaking characters to everyone again,” Banks says. “‘Fresh Prince’ literally raised me. My family had the six season box set, and that would be on all the time,” he adds. “It’s been such a defining factor for me as an artist and as a human. Will Smith has been my biggest inspiration. My family has Will Smith Christmas sweaters — you know what I’m saying?”
Banks’ portrayal already has one major nod of approval: Smith himself. The show’s executive producer called Banks over Christmas break to deliver his feedback. “Jayden [Will Smith’s son] pops up and he’s, like, ‘Yo, we just watched the pilot, that was crazy. You embody my dad so well.’ And then Will’s there and he’s, like, ‘Yo, the pilot is f–king beautiful. It was amazing.’ The whole Smith family supports us and they’re backing us. That is the ultimate big up.”
While both Banks’ and Cooper’s football teams are out of the running (the Cowboys and Chiefs, respectively), this Sunday will still mark a major moment for both men — and all viewers steeped in ’90s TV culture.
“I’m excited for the world to see this family in a brand new light,” Banks says. “That nostalgia, plus the new fresh take that we’re bringing to [the show], is going to leave people feeling really good.”