‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reunion special took fans on a trip down memory lane that spans 30 years. See the iconic cast, which includes Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro, and more, then and now.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remains one of the quintessential ’90s sitcoms. The comedy series kicked off Will Smith’s incredible career, and he hasn’t forgotten where he started. Will reunited with his co-stars for the HBO Max reunion special, which launched early on Nov. 18.
The series premiered on Sept. 10, 1990, so it’s been a full 30 years since Fresh Prince’s splashy debut. The show ended in 1996, but it remains one of the most beloved shows. The cast has grown up so much over the years, but they’ve always stayed family. See what the cast has been up to and photos of your favorite Fresh Prince stars then and now.
Will Smith
Will Smith rose to fame playing — you guessed it — Will Smith. (Everett/AP Images)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air made Will Smith, 52, a household name. After the show ended in 1996, Will became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He starred in blockbuster films like Independence Day, the Men In Black movies, and the Bad Boys movies. He earned Oscar nominations for his performances in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
He recently played the Genie in the live-action version of Aladdin and returned to the role of Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys for Life. Will is currently filming King Richard, the tennis biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ dad, Richard.
Will was married to Sheree Zampino from 1992 to 1995. They have a son, Trey. The actor married his second wife, Jada Pinkett, in 1997. They have two kids, Jaden and Willow.
Alfonso Ribeiro
Alfonso Ribeiro played Carlton Banks. (Everett/AP Images)
Alfonso Ribeiro’s breakout role was undoubtedly playing the iconic Carlton Banks. The 49-year-old was a main cast member on Fresh Prince throughout the show’s 6 seasons. Alfonso went on to win Dancing With the Stars season 19. He is the current host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, taking over for Tom Bergeron in 2015. Alfonso has appeared on a number of game shows over the years.
The actor was married to Robin Stapler from 2002 until 2006. They have a daughter together. He’s now married to Angela Unkrich, and they have three kids: A.J., Anders, and Ava.
Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Ali starred as Ashley Banks. (Everett/AP Images)
Tatyana Ali’s career kicked off when she began playing Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990. During the show’s run, Tatyana showed off her amazing voice a number of times. She released her debut album, Kiss the Sky, in 1998.
The 41-year-old has appeared in films like Jawbreaker, Glory Road, Nora’s Hair Salon, and more. She recurred as Roxanne on The Young and the Restless from 2007 to 2013. Tatyana has also made a name for herself starring in multiple holiday TV films on Lifetime and Hallmark.
In addition to acting, Tatyana also graduated from Harvard University. She was a spokesperson for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. She married Dr. Vaughn Rasberry in 2016, and they have two sons together.
Karyn Parsons
Karyn Parsons played Hilary Banks. (Everett/AP Images)
Karyn Parsons, 54, starred as Hilary Banks in the hit comedy series. After Fresh Prince, Karyn notably starred in the TV series The Job. She’s also appeared in films like Mixing Nia and The Ladies Man.
The actress is the founder of Sweet Blackberry, a non-profit organization designed to bring lesser-known stories of African American achievement to children everywhere. Karyn published her novel How High the Moon in 2019. Karyn has been married to Alexandre Rockwell since 2003. They have two kids.
Janet Hubert
Janet Hubert was the original Aunt Viv. (Everett/SplashNews)
Janet Hubert, 64, played the original Aunt Vivian for the first 3 seasons. After that, she was replaced by Daphne Maxwell-Reid. Janet and Will had major behind-the-scenes drama which lasted 27 years. During the special, Janet and Will reconciled. Will admitted that he made the set “difficult” for Janet, and she revealed she “lost everything” because of the drama. While it was initially thought Janet was fired from Fresh Prince, she stressed that was never the case. Janet claimed she refused to accept the “bad deal” she was given.
Following her Fresh Prince tenure, Janet notably appeared in a 2002 episode of Friends as Chandler’s boss. She began playing Evangeline’s mother on One Life To Life in 2005 and appeared as Michel’s mother in an episode of Gilmore Girls. Janet was cast as Yvonne on General Hospital in 2018. She earned her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2020 for her performance on the digital series King Ester.
Daphne Maxwell-Reid
Daphne Maxwell-Reid was the second Aunt Viv. (Everett/AP Images)
Daphne Maxwell-Reid, 72, is best known as the second Aunt Viv, taking over the role from Janet after season 3. Since Fresh Prince, Daphne appeared on shows like Sister, Sister, Eve, Crossing Jordan, and more. Her latest TV role was on the UMC series Jacqueline and Jilly in 2019. She also played Miz Lucy in the critically-acclaimed film Harriet.
DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff played Jazz. (Everett/AP Images)
DJ Jazzy Jeff, 55, played the recurring character Jazz over the show’s 6 seasons. After Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff continued to focus on his music career. He released his first solo album, The Magnificent, in 2002. He’s continued to perform with his longtime friend and co-star Will over the years.
DJ Jazzy Jeff has two kids: Cory and Amir. He’s currently married to Lynette C. Jackson.
Joseph Marcell
Joseph Marcell starred as Geoffrey Butler. (Everett/AP Images)
Joseph Marcell, 72, is best known for playing Geoffrey Butler, the Banks’ butler, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the years after Fresh Prince, Joseph appeared in TV series like EastEnders, The Bold and the Beautiful, and more. The British actor recently appeared in two episodes of the Netflix series Ratched and the Netflix film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
Joseph is also an accomplished stage actor. He’s starred in productions of The Tempest, Lady Windermere’s Fan, and more in London.
James Avery
James Avery played Uncle Phil. (Everett/AP Images)
James Avery starred as Philip Banks, Will’s uncle who became a father figure to him. Uncle Phil was James’s best-known role. Following the end of Fresh Prince, James starred in the series Sparks for two seasons. He’s also had notable appearances on That ’70s Show, The Closer, Sherri, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Young and the Restless. His last role was a voice role in Da Jammies, which was released posthumously.
James died on Dec. 31, 2013, at the age of 68. He passed away due to complications from open-heart surgery.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
