It’s officially been 20 years since the classic Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has gone off the air so we thought we’d do a check up and see where the actors are these days.
Fresh Prince will likely be one of those shows that will likely never go off the air due to its enduring popularity. I mean every knows the Carlton Dance, right? You can still catch Will Smith and the gang on TBS every day!
Will Smith
Big Willie Style got his start in the entertainment biz in the mid-80s with light hearted rap song like “Parents Just Don’t Understand”.
Before Smith signed on to do the show in 1990 he was in a bit of financial trouble when he underpaid taxes for two years and the IRS was garnishing his wages.
Those problems soon went away as the show became a breakout hit. As we all know, Smith wound up having a string of successes with movies like Bad Boys, Independence Day, Men In Black, and many more.
He remains one of the most bankable and popular stars in Hollywood. Just do us a favor Will and don’t make any more movies like After Earth..uggggh.
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James Avery (Uncle Phil)
James Avery was a Vietnam vet and well-traveled character actor with over 174 acting credits before taking on his iconic role as Uncle Phil.
One role of particular note he had was as the voice of the villain Schredder in the animated 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. The much beloved patriarch of the Banks family sadly passed away at 68 in 2013.
Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks)
Perhaps the most memorable character on the show not named Will Smith, the Carlton Dance still lives on in our hearts and minds to this day.
Alfonso started out dancing in at 8 years old with roles in the 80s sitcom Silver Spoons the led to him being cast in Fresh Prince.
Ribeiro still works as an actor in guest starring roles and recently appeared in Dancing With the Stars last year as a favorite to win. Although his past popularity has eluded him somewhat, his career remains steady and he resides with wife Robin in Los Angeles.
Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks)
Hilary was never the brightest bulb on the tree but she looked good! Karyn Parsons portrayed the California girl perfectly as foil to her uptight brother Carlton.
After playing Hilary Banks on the show, Parsons acted until 2002 in the short-lived TV series The Job. In 2003, she married director Alexandre Rockwell, and together, they have two children.
Joseph Marcell (Jeffrey the Butler)
Keeping the Banks family is line was stiff upper-lipped butler Jeffrey portrayed by real life Brit Joseph Marcell.
Joseph has been featured in a number of British Television projects since Fresh Prince ended and is an accomplished stage actor. Avery is still a working actor in his native England and continues to appear in TV shows and film.
Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks)
Tatyana definitely won in the cuteness award in the show by portraying little Ashley. Prior to Fresh Prince she appeared on Sesame Street and Star Search.
Ali followed up her stint on the show with an R&B album that was went gold in 1999. She grew up to be one of the most consistent working actresses after Fresh Prince ended. Ali has starred in 35 movies and 9 TV shows, the most well-known of which are Kiss the Girls and Jawbreaker.
