Bel-Air Just Set Up The Perfect Will Smith Cameo

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Bel-Air episode 6!

While Jabari Banks now portrays Bel-Air’s Will Smith, the series has set up the perfect opportunity for the real Will Smith to cameo in a different role. The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air followed Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, moving from West Philadelphia to the grand mansions of Bel-Air with his wealthy family. Smith’s six-season role on Fresh Prince helped launch his Oscar-nominated film career, with the actor finally returning to the show that gave him his start by serving as an executive producer–and possibly cameo actor–on Peacock’s Bel-Air.

So far, Bel-Air hasn’t confirmed whether the series will feature any cameos from the original Fresh Prince actors. Since cameos are typically better suited for sitcoms like the original show, it may not happen until the reboot has better established itself as its own entity. While the late James Avery won’t be able to cameo, there are still opportunities for original Fresh Prince actors like Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Janet Hubert, Joseph Marcell, Tatyana Ali, and, of course, Will Smith to appear in small roles.

Fans of Fresh Prince recall one of the show’s most iconic and praised episodes of the sitcom as when Will’s father finally returned after abandoning him as a child. The episode truly showed the dramatic acting chops of Will Smith in Fresh Prince and is one of the only emotionally complex storylines that could perfectly translate into Bel-Air’s serious reboot. Bel-Air season 1 has already mentioned Will’s father abandoning him several times, hinting that he may appear before too long. That said, the actor to portray Will’s dad would need to bring high emotional stakes as well, and who better to do so than the real Will Smith? If Will Smith ended up playing Lou Smith for a cameo episode, it would be a perfect demonstration of the original actor passing on the emotional torch of Will Smith’s character to Jabari Banks.

Since Will Smith is an executive producer of Bel-Air, he has the power to appear on the series in some capacity, but since his presence on-screen would be a significant moment for viewers and the history of the show, it would have to be an impactful role. Fresh Prince‘s Will Smith appearing on Bel-Air may take viewers out of the moment when he’s initially introduced, but the circumstances of his cameo could outweigh this issue. Smith playing Will’s father would be the perfect way to show how far his dramatic acting has improved since the sitcom, especially if he’s playing an antagonist that arguably caused the most pain to his original character.

Jabari Banks taking on the real Will Smith in one of the character’s most emotionally-charged storylines would truly prove that the young actor can hold his own as Bel-Air’s Will Smith. Considering Will Smith had a role in picking Jabari Banks to play Will, the original actor has remarkable faith in bringing out new, more complex angles of the character. Bel-Air’s version of Will Smith has already mentioned the pain of his father abandoning him at four years old a few times, especially in his Bel-Air episode 6 conversation with Lisa, suggesting a reunion with his father isn’t too far away in the series. With the real Will Smith now being at the age to portray the character’s father, Bel-Air already has the perfect opportunity to bring on the influential actor.

New episodes of Bel-Air release Thursdays on Peacock.

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Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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