Will Smith reveals his successor in ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’

Will Smith has unveiled his successor as The Prince of Bel-Air.

The Hollywood star stunned newcomer Jabari Banks on Tuesday was revealed via a video call that he was to take on Will’s role in the upcoming reboot of the hit US TV sitcom.

“It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, to be on with you, and from the deepest parts of my heart I want to say congratulations to you,” he told Banks.
“You have the role of Will on Bel-Air.”

“I’m ready, I’m so ready,” replied the actor, “This is a dream come true,” he added.

Banks said his father had suggested he try out for the part after reading an article about it adding that the show had a huge impact on his life.

The reboot, which will appear on NBC streaming service Peacock, was inspired by a 2019 viral fan video by Morgan Cooper. who re-imagined the comedy as a a modern-day drama.
The hit NBC show ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996 starring Smith as a fictionalised version of himself.

The renowned actor has received several Golden Globe nominations for the lead role, setting him on his way to major success as both an actor and a rapper.

His subsequent portrayal of the late boxing champion Muhammed Ali saw him nominated for an Oscar in 2002, a feat he would achieve a second time five years later for The Pursuit of Happyness.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which catapulted Smith, now 52, to stardom in the early 1990s, returned to the BBC in December, after 16 years, reaching a new audience via the BBC’s iPlayer.

S.S/BBC