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Bel-Air Showrunner on Landing "Fresh Prince" Will Smith for Finale

Bel-Air showrunner Carla Banks Waddles discusses getting EP and original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Will Smith to appear in the finale.

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Article Summary

  • Bel-Air showrunner Carla Banks Waddles reveals how Will Smith was secured for the series finale cameo.
  • Will Smith appears opposite Jabari Banks, giving heartfelt advice in the final episode of Bel-Air.
  • Original Fresh Prince cast members have appeared throughout Bel-Air in new roles and guest spots.
  • The finale marks the end of the dramatic reimagining, with Smith’s role kept secret until the end.

Bel-Air is one of the most unique reimaginings on television, offering a more serious take on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the beloved 1990s sitcom from Andy and Susan Borowitz, based on star Will Smith's life, which ran on NBC from 1990 to 1996. The "Fresh Prince" is Smith's alias when he started as a rapper before committing full-time to acting. With the Morgan Cooper, Malcom Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson-created dramatic series wrapping up after four seasons on December 8th on Peacock, two seasons shorter than the original sitcom counterpart, surviving cast members from the sitcom have appeared on the Peacock series, with the biggest surprise saved for the finale, appearing opposite star Jabari Banks in Smith himself. Writer, showrunner, and executive producer Carla Banks Waddles spoke to Deadline about landing the Oscar winner, who also served as an executive producer.

Bel-Air Showrunner on Landing OG Fresh Prince Will Smith for Finale
Jabari Banks and Will Smith in "Bel-Air." Image courtesy of Peacock

Bel-Air Showrunner on How She Secured Series' Biggest Surprise for Finale

"When we pitched the season out early from the writers' room, he was a part of it. We were like, 'This is the season. We want him in the finale, and we know he wants to do the show. We've always wanted him on the show, and now's the time, because there's no more show after this.' But we didn't know if it would happen because of his schedule and everything," Banks Waddles told Deadline. Smith's scene has him appearing with Banks as he gives him introspective advice about his own life to his younger self. "We found out about two weeks before that he's going to be able to get back to the States and do it," she adds. "As you can imagine, he's got an uber-busy schedule. We had days when we had given up hope, and others where we were like, could it be? I'm just glad that it worked out."

Other Fresh Prince cast members who appeared in Bel-Air as different characters include Daphne Maxwell Reid, Vernee Watson-Johnson, Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell, Tyra Banks, Jackie Ames, and Janet Hubert. Those who didn't appear are Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. For more, you can check out the complete interview.

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Tom ChangAbout Tom Chang

I’ve been following pop culture for over 30 years with eclectic interests in gaming, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and TV reading Starlog, Mad & Fangoria. As a writer for over 15 years, Star Wars was my first franchise love.
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