Bel-Air’s First Fresh Prince Cameos Legitimize The Reboot

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Bel-Air season 1, episode 9.

Bel-Air’s cameos of the second Aunt Viv and original Viola Smith are the perfect way for the iconic sitcom to pass the torch over to a new generation in reimagining Fresh Prince’s important story. While it’s easy to point out that Bel-Air’s versions of Fresh Prince’s characters are drastically different, there are inevitable comparisons to the original figures, especially since they have such a significant role in pop culture. Bel-Air’s reboot takes a new spin on Fresh Prince’s iconic personas, but not without continually paying tribute to those who came before.

The first Fresh Prince cameos in 2022’s Bel-Air occurred in season 1, episode 9, “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” when Aunt Viv arrives at her interview for the art fellowship. The returning actors are Vernee Watson-Johnson, who played Will’s mom Viola “Vy” Smith, and Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played Vivian Banks from seasons 4 through 6 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The two women cameo while Bel-Air’s new Aunt Viv interviews for a prestigious art fellowship, with the iconic Fresh Prince actors revealing that they already decided to accept her before she came in for the meeting.

As far as appearances from original Fresh Prince actors go, Vy and the second Aunt Viv are two of the least expected to cameo first in the reboot. While Bel-Air has already set up a possible Will Smith cameo or appearances from the original Banks kids who appeared prominently in all six Fresh Prince seasons, the reboot surprisingly brings back a recurring (albeit significant) character and the recast Aunt Viv. Nonetheless, these actors’ cameos are exactly what Bel-Air‘s reboot needs in order to proverbially pass the torch on handling these characters, as their presence legitimizes the new series as its own important and profoundly different entity.

The very first moment that the original Vy and second Aunt Viv appear on Bel-Air, they greet the new Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) by cheekily commenting on her surprise at seeing them. When the original Vy asks, “you didn’t expect us?,” she may as well have been talking directly to the audience at home. While this is a fun joke for Fresh Prince fans, their unexpected presence is also significant within Bel-Air’s episode as a more calming presence for Aunt Viv, who expects a room full of white men interviewing her. Being presented with the original Fresh Prince actors is already a comfort to fans at home, which makes it even more special in that they are integrated into the reboot as a way to make the new Aunt Viv feel more confident in herself.

Vernee Watson-Johnson and Daphne Maxwell Reid’s Bel-Air cameos are the best choices to first bring the series full circle, as their appearances elicit the perfect dose of nostalgia without distracting from the new characters and story. As a drama, the fun of a cameo in Peacock’s Bel-Air needs to serve a purpose beyond humor or fan service, which would become more difficult if the very first Fresh Prince cameo was by, say, Will Smith or Alfonso Ribeiro. Fresh Prince’s Vy and Aunt Viv cameos are also set up to be more significant than just a one-off appearance, as their positions at Aunt Viv’s art fellowship open the door to future opportunities for their inclusion in her Bel-Air story.

New episodes of Bel-Air stream 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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