‘Bel-Air’ Season 3: Jabari Banks’ Character Development is a ‘Beautiful Thing’
We’re mid-way through the third season of “Bel-Air” which has more drama and plot twists than before, and Jabari Banks dishes on his character development and more.
The third season of “Bel-Air,” the reimagined edition of the 90s classic “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” is half-way through and it’s been nonstop drama, plot twists and pivots. Will and Carlton take over Bel-Air with their fresh ideas?
School may be out but things are just heating up, this season is different from previous seasons due to it being solely set in summer.
We spoke with Jabari Banks about how he gets in the mindset to play Will, his creative freedom, mental health and support from fans this season.
“Bel-Air” continues to touch on relevant yet sensitive topics such as substance abuse, absent parents and navigating difficult changes. Banks explained that he taps into those emotions to play out the scenes by being authentic.
“It’s about being authentic and truthful to the story and taking these issues that we’re really talking about seriously, because these are real problems that people go through,” he said. “I just try to tap into either my own history with any of these issues or somebody that I know and think how I would help them in that situation. And so I think with that I just tap into the authenticity of the moment.”
We watch Will grow into his new life in Bel-Air and it even starts to feel like home for him. The fresh Philly kid that is hyper focused on basketball that walked through the mansion doors season one is not the same person we watch this season.
Banks describes the character development as “a beautiful thing.” This summer Will takes a break from basketball and focuses on entrepreneurship, a route he did not think much of before.
“I would say that Will is definitely getting way more acquainted to the Bel Air lifestyle … he’s still a fish out of water, but he’s okay with that now.” he said. “Will is not playing basketball this summer, and so he’s getting into his entrepreneurship bag which has been a fun role to play as well, because there’s a lot of young entrepreneurs out there. And I hope this season is inspiring to them.”
When it comes to prioritizing his mental health, Banks shared that he likes to be still for a moment and be present. He enjoys getting in touch with other passions as well as reading.
“Whenever I can find moments to reflect, whether it’s journaling or reading, it’s my go to,” he shared with YR Media. “Even as simple as sitting in the steam room, taking those moments to think about okay, what do I have to do today? What did I do yesterday that I could have done better?’.”
Originally when social media heard that “Bel-Air” would be a reboot of the classic, people were upset and felt that a redo was not needed. However due to the relevance and creativity of the show, it is able to show proper homage to the original while being able to stand alone. It does not follow the exact story lines or exact sequence of events allowing the episodes to still be new and fresh every release increasing the demand.
“The fans love the show, and it means the world to me. We wouldn’t be here without all of our fans, so it’s a big ups to them,” said Banks. “We went through a writers strike and actors strike in between season two and three. And so the fact that people stuck with us and waited and they let us know on social media.’”
Tune in to Peacock to catch new episodes. Three episodes dropped on Aug. 22, with two each scheduled for Aug. 29 and Sept. 5.
Ariyana Griffin is a graduate student from Morgan State University. She is a California native and also a graduate of Clark Atlanta University. Follow her on X: @Ariyanaaganee and Instagram: @ari.yana.g.
Edited by Nykeya Woods