Will Smith’s successor in Fresh Prince reboot on having ‘big shoes’ to fill
Jabari Banks said he was ready for the challenge of taking on the character made famous in the classic 1990s sitcom.
The young actor playing Will Smith’s role in the reboot of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air has admitted he has “some big shoes” to fill but is ready for the challenge.
Newcomer Jabari Banks, who recently graduated from drama school, will play the role of Will – the character that catapulted Smith to stardom after the show became a hit in the 1990s.
The Philadelphia-based actor said it felt “incredible to be playing this character”.
He added: “I’m definitely filling some big shoes but I’m ready to take on the challenge.
“I’m ready to be there for the kids who felt like me, who didn’t really have that outlet, and who come from places like me.
“I’m ready to represent and I’m ready to open up doors for them in the same way Will has opened the doors for me.”
Banks was revealed as Smith’s successor in August when the production posted a recording of a video call between him and the Hollywood star online.
Speaking about his influence, Banks said: “It’s because of his motivational words, the way that he carries himself and goes about his life, and his dedication to his craft.
“It’s something that I really admire and I’ve definitely applied that to my life. All of his work has been culturally relevant and poignant.”
Executive producer, Rasheed Newson, said the search for an actor to fill the main role had been the most difficult part of the project.
He said: “I think that casting this role was the most stressful thing that either (fellow executive producer TJ Brady) or I have ever done in showbusiness.
“You just can’t get it wrong and you’ve got to find somebody that everybody agrees is the one – all the way up to the real Will Smith.”
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air starred Smith as a fictionalised version of himself, a streetwise teenager who is sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel-Air mansion after getting into a fight in his hometown of Philadelphia.
It ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996.
Bel-Air, from NBC streaming service Peacock, airs on Sky and Now from February 14.
