Season three shows us summer in Bel-Air for the first time in the show’s run. And your showrunner, Carla Banks-Waddles, says the series has entered its “sexy era.” What does that mean, exactly?
[Laughs] I think you know what “sexy era” means. Come on! There’s a lot of shirts off. It’s a hot summer, naturally. We’re a hot cast, naturally. There’s a lot of sexy scenes and there’s a lot of love triangles going on as well. The love in this season is going to be very strong . . . Fast, furious, hot, sexy, love, hate, connection — those are some of the words I would use for this season. And death. Spoiler!
One of the big developments for Will this year is the reappearance of his father. What does Marlon Wayans bring to this character, and is there hope for a true reconciliation between Will and Lou?
His energy is just infectious. He comes on [set], everyone’s laughing immediately — but he also brings such a grounded performance to Lou that I think surprised a lot of people . . . There is definitely hope, and I think we’ll see how that manifests in the later episodes.
You’re in your mid-20s. Is it a challenge at all to play a teenager?
I just turned 26 and the character of Will is 17. So, I’m not that far removed — but I am at the same time. It’s been interesting trying to run back in my mind how I felt during that time. I’m definitely a grown man now, and when I look back at my 17-year-old self, I’m like, “Wow, I was a baby.” The main thing for me is I want to do right by myself for that time; if I was portraying my 17-year-old self, I would want to portray him in a way that is authentic, but also in a way that supports him . . . Everything that I wanted to be at 17, I am with Will in this show [laughs].
The series is its own thing now, yet echoes of the past still exist; the original Geoffrey, Joseph Marcell, guest-stars this year. Why is that important?
I think it’s important to balance. Whereas we want to forge our own path with this show, we have to pay homage as well — whether that be in a mannerism that I perform or somebody else performs, or whether that be a cameo. I think it’s important to reach back, especially for the O.G. fans. Moments like that excite them. So, we try to keep them there with us, while also forging our own path . . . And people are going to be very surprised with how Joseph Marcell’s role plays into the show. Likewise, Tatyana Ali played [her former character] Ashley’s teacher [last season], and the mirroring is beautiful. The writers do an amazing job.
How involved is Will Smith at this stage, in his role as exec producer?
It’s amazing because he definitely allows us to take these characters and run with them. He trusts me to fill these shoes in a way that is respectful to the original, but also making a legacy of my own. We don’t necessarily talk about character too much, it’s just more about life and professionalism and career, which . . . I’m so grateful to be talking with him.
What’s been your absolute most memorable fan encounter?
I remember I was eating out with my family, and this woman walks up to me: “Can my son take a picture with you?” He ran up, and he had a box top fade. She was like, “He got his hair cut just like you, because he loves the show.” The way that we touch the world, and the scope of the fans of this show, is so beautiful.
Bel-Air airs Monday, September 30 on Showcase
MEMORABLE ROLES:
For one of the first times in the history of “Last Word,” we’ve got nothin’ for this particular section, as Jabari Banks was a total newcomer when he booked the role of a lifetime back in 2021. Fresh out of Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, he was cast to play the lead in this dramatic reboot of hit ’90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — receiving the news via a call from the O.G. Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith.
CURRENT GIG:
The now-airing third season of Bel-Air finds displaced West Philly teen Will finally feeling at home in his aunt, uncle and cousins’ swanky L.A. world, eager to take advantage of the myriad opportunities at his fingertips. But with new opportunities come new pitfalls — as well as faces from the past who reopen old wounds.