Tatyana Marisol Ali (born January 24, 1979) is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. She starred as Tyana Jones on the TV One original series Love That Girl!, and played a recurring role as Roxanne on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2007 to 2013.
In 2023 she stars in Giving Hope: The Ni’Cola Mitchell Story on Lifetime.
Early life
Ali was born on January 24, 1979[1] in North Bellmore, New York.[2] She is of mixed African and Indian descent or Dougla, born to an Indo-Trinidadian father and an Afro-Panamanian mother.[3]
Career
In 1985, 6-year-old Ali began her acting career as a regular performer on the PBS children's educational program Sesame Street. Her tenure included an appearance with jazz great Herbie Hancock, who demonstrated his Fairlight CMI synthesizer using a sample of Ali's voice. She also appeared in two episodes of Star Search, one of which featured her performance of a cover of Marvin Gaye's and Tammi Terrell's hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
She made her breakthrough in 1991 when she was cast as Ashley Banks on the NBC television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a role she played throughout the series' entire run, from 1990 to 1996.
Ali's vocal talent was featured on several episodes of Fresh Prince in later seasons, prompting the show's star Will Smith to ask her if she would seriously consider pursuing a musical career. She ultimately decided, for the time being, to continue to concentrate on her acting career. In the series' final season, however, Ali performed several songs, and she began to be cleaned for her musical debut, the culmination of which was her debut album Kiss The Sky in 1998. It was certified gold in early 1999, only months after its release, and spawned the Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins-produced hit single "Daydreamin'", released July 21, 1998, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also appeared on the UK Singles Chart. The album spawned two further UK hits, "Boy You Knock Me Out" featuring Will Smith—which peaked at No. 3 and is her biggest hit to date—and "Everytime", which was her third top-20 hit in the UK, peaking at No. 20. She made an appearance on Smith's album Willennium on the track "Who Am I" with MC Lyte. She performed the title song "Sunny Valentine" along with Terrence Quaites for the indie film Rockin' Meera in 2005. In early 2008, she performed on the song "Yes We Can", a will.i.am project supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. She also appeared in the subsequent music video, which garnered coverage on the "What the Buzz" segment of ABC's World News Now. In January 2014, Ali released an EP titled Hello, whose first single was "Wait For It", which she performed on The Arsenio Hall Show on February 4, 2014.
Apart from her musical career, Ali continued to land roles in films such as The Brothers, Glory Road, and Nora's Hair Salon (and its sequel), among others. From 2009 to 2010 she produced and starred in the BET web series Buppies. She was on recurring status on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Roxanne from 2007 to 2013. Ali starred in the TV One original series Love That Girl! as Tyana (whose name was derived from Ali's given name). In 2013, she co-starred as Maya in the BET comedy Second Generation Wayans, alongside Craig Wayans and Damien Dante Wayans.
In 2011, Ali received the Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Heritage Organization in Los Angeles.[4][5]
In July 2016, Ali sued Warner Bros. claiming that the company stole her idea for the show The Real after she pitched the concept in December 2012.[6] The case was dismissed in February 2017.[7]
Personal life
She dated actor Jonathan Brandis from 1995 to 1998.[8]
Ali graduated from Marymount High School in 1997.[9] Ali attended Harvard University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and Government in 2002.[10] On a celebrity edition of the game show The Chase, which aired February 3, 2015, Ali stated that her major was political science.
She traveled the United States as a spokesperson for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, and headed voter registration drives at college campuses.[11][12]
In March 2016, Ali revealed that she was engaged to Dr. Vaughn Rasberry, assistant professor of English at Stanford University, whom she had met on eHarmony,[13] and they announced that they were expecting their first child.[14] She and Rasberry married on July 17, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.[15][16] The couple has two sons.[17][18]
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Eddie Murphy Raw Eddie's Sister
1988 Crocodile Dundee II Park Girl
Wow, You're a Cartoonist! Child Cartoonist Video short
1989 Wally and the Valentines Jamaica Valentine TV movie
1996 Kidz in the Wood Rita TV movie
Fall Into Darkness Sharon McKay TV movie
1997 Kiss the Girls Janell Cross
Fakin' da Funk Karyn
1998 The Clown at Midnight Monica
1999 Jawbreaker Brenda
2000 Brother Latifa
2001 The Brothers Cherie Smith
2003 National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze Claire
2004 Nora's Hair Salon Lilleana
2005 Domino One Laeticia Richards
Back in the Day Alicia Packer
2006 Glory Road Tina Malichi
A Warm Place Clair Andrews Short
2007 The List Cynthia
2008 Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above Lilleana
Hotel California Jessie
2009 Mother and Child Maria
2010 Pete Smalls Is Dead Cocktail Waitress
Privileged Talia Video
2011 Geo n Rat Det. Erica Anderson Short
23rd Psalm: Redemption Stacey Wayne
2012 Dysfunctional Friends Alex
Home Again Marva Johnson
2013 24 Hour Love Simply
The Last Letter Jillian
Dear Secret Santa Jennifer TV movie
A Very Larry Christmas Nicole
2014 The Divorce Victoria
The Black Bachelor Short
Locker 13 Lucy
Comeback Dad Nima
Hello Short
2015 Save for Now Woman Short
November Rule Leah
Fatal Flip Roslyn TV movie
Supermodel Lauren
Teachers Ms. Faith Mayfield Short
2016 Second Sight Clara TV movie
Samaria Audrey Short
It Snows All the Time Technologist
2017 Nanny's Nightmare Monica Thorne TV movie
Graham: A Dog's Story Stella Short
Wrapped Up in Christmas Heather Nash
2018 Doe Rachel
Christmas Everlasting Lucy TV movie
Jingle Belle Belle Williams TV movie
2019 College Dating App Professor Savoy TV movie
Christmas Hotel Erin TV movie
2020 The Reason Macey
2021 A Picture Perfect Holiday Gaby TV movie
2022 Vanished: Searching for My Sister Jada / Kayla TV movie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1984–97 Sesame Street Tatyana Recurring Role
1987 Star Search Contestant Season 5
1989 A Man Called Hawk Michelle Episode: "Life After Death"
The Cosby Show Girl Episode: "Shall We Dance?"
1990–96 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Ashley Banks Main cast
1992 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Herself Episode: "The Nefarious Nobel Napper"
1993 Getting By Nicole Alexander / Vanessa 2 episodes
1994 Are You Afraid of the Dark? Laura Turner / Connie Turner Episode: "The Tale of the Quicksilver"
TV's Funniest Families Herself/host Special
1995 In the House Ashley Banks Episode: "Dog Catchers"
1996 Living Single Stephanie James Episode: "Whatever Happened to Baby Sister?"
1997 413 Hope St. Kai Episode: "Heartbeat"
2002 Fastlane Shelly Episode: "Girls Own Juice"
2003 Half & Half Olivia Episode: "The Big Condom-nation Episode"
2007 Boulevard of Broken Dreams Herself Episode: "Jonathan Brandis"
On the Lot Herself Episode: "First Sight"
2007–13 The Young and the Restless Roxanne Recurring cast
2009–10 Buppies Quinci Main cast
2010–12 Love That Girl! Tyana Jones Main cast: season 1–3
2012 The Eric Andre Show Herself Episode: "Tatyana Ali"
2013 Second Generation Wayans Maya Main cast
2015 Key & Peele Heresa Episode: "Hollywood Sequel Doctor"
2016 Zoe Ever After Ashley King 2 episodes
2017 American Koko N'Shay Episode: "The Stig"
2018 Hollywood Darlings Tatyana Episode: "Big White Lies"
The Bobby Brown Story Sarah Flint Episode: "Part One"
2018–22 Fancy Nancy Mrs. James (voice) Main cast
2022 RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Chakra 7 Season 2, Runner-up
2023 Bel-Air Mrs. Hughes Season 2
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[19] US
R&B
[20] UK
[21] UK
R&B
[22]
Kiss the Sky
Released: August 25, 1998
Formats: CD, cassette
Label: Work Group
106 47 41 6
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Extended plays
List of extended plays, with selected chart positions
Title Album details
Hello[23]
Released: January 21, 2014
Formats: CD, digital download
Label: Self-released
Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[24] US
R&B
[25] BEL
[26] FRA
[27] IRL
[28] NL
[29] NZ
[30] UK
[21] UK
R&B
[31]
"Daydreamin'" 1998 6 5 — — — — 3 6 3
RIAA: Gold[32]
RMNZ: Gold[33]
Kiss the Sky
"Boy You Knock Me Out"
(featuring Will Smith) — 68 56 32 19 77 12 3 1
RMNZ: Gold[33]
BPI: Silver[34]
"Everytime" 1999 — 73 — — — — — 20 4
"Wait for It"[35] 2014 — — — — — — — — — Hello
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Other appearances
Title Year Other Artist(s) Album
"Love The Way You Love Me" 1999 — More!
"Precious Wings" The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland[36]
"Who Am I" Will Smith and MC Lyte Willennium
"Getting Closer" Kel Spencer Wild Wild West
"Candy Girl" 2007 Kanary Diamonds Puro Fuego[37]
"Wanna Groove" 2009 Inverse So Far[38]
"Move It, Shake It" Just Matter and Nieve Love N' Dancing[39]
"Bathtub Gin" The Cherokee Rhythm Section
"Joy to the World" 2013 — Dear Secret Santa[40]
"Kiss the Sky" 2015 The Legacy of R&B Slow Jamz
"He Loves Me" 2016 The Legacy of Nu Soul
"Ghost Town" 2017 Music to Inspire[41]
"U Can Call (Jossy Remix)" 2022 2pac Youtube Release[42]
Awards and nominations
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Caribbean Heritage Organization
2011: Recipient, Living Legacy Award[4][5]
NAACP Image Awards
1996: Won, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1997: Nominated, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
2010: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
2011: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl!
2011: Won, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
2012: Won, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
2012: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl!
2013: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl![43]
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
1996: Nominated, Favorite Television Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Young Artist Awards
1991: Won, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air[citation needed]
1992: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1993: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1994: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1995: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – Name Your AdventureThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his wealthy uncle and aunt in Bel-Air, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his upper-class relatives.
Known as Smith's star vehicle into television, and later his film career, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a top hit for NBC, running for 148 episodes over six seasons.[1][2] A reunion special/retrospective reuniting the original cast debuted on HBO Max in November 2020.[3][4] A more dramatic reimagining of the series, titled Bel-Air and based on the fan film of the same name, was given a two-season order for Peacock, and released on February 13, 2022.[5]
Summary
The theme song and opening sequence set the premise of the show. Will Smith is a street-smart African-American teenager, "born and raised" in West Philadelphia. While playing street basketball, Will accidentally hits a group of gang members with the ball, causing a confrontation that frightens his mother, who sends him to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in the opulent neighborhood of Bel Air, Los Angeles.
Will's working class background ends up clashing in various humorous ways with the upper class world of the Banks family – Will's stern uncle Phil and tough but fair aunt Vivian and their children, Will's cousins: spoiled Hilary, pompous Carlton, impressionable Ashley and baby Nicky (introduced in season 3), as well as their sarcastic butler Geoffrey.
Cast and characters
= Main cast (credited)
= Recurring cast (4+)
Main
Actor Character
1 2 3 4 5 6
Will Smith William “Will” Smith Main
James Avery Philip Banks Main
Janet Hubert Vivian Banks Main
Daphne Maxwell Reid Main
Alfonso Ribeiro Carlton Banks Main
Karyn Parsons Hilary Violet Banks Main
Tatyana M. Ali Ashley Banks Main
Joseph Marcell Geoffrey Butler Main
Ross Bagley[a] Nicholas Andrew “Nicky” Banks Recurring Main
Various actors portrayed Nicky Banks throughout Seasons 3 and 4.
Recurring
Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6
DJ Jazzy Jeff Jazz Recurring
Vernee Watson-Johnson[a] Viola "Vy" Smith Recurring
Michael Weiner Kellogg "Cornflake" Lieberbaum Recurring
Lisa Fuller Toni Recurring
Virginia Capers Hattie Banks Recurring Recurring
Jenifer Lewis Helen Smith Recurring Recurring
Charlayne Woodard Janice Smith Recurring
Perry Moore Tyriq "Ty" Johnson Recurring
Brian Stokes Mitchell Trevor Collins-Newsworthy Recurring
Tyra Banks Jacqueline "Jackie" Ames Recurring
Nia Long[b] Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes Recurring
Jim Meskimen[c] Werner Recurring
A different unidentified actress portrayed Will's mother in the opening title sequence.
Nia Long had a one-off role as Will's talkative prom date Claudia in 2-08 before playing Lisa in Season 5.
Jim Meskimen had a one-off role as Professor Jeremy Mansfield in 4–03 before returning as Werner in Season 6.
Celebrity guest stars
The show is notable for having a heavy celebrity guest presence, with more than forty celebrities guest starring throughout the series. Seasons 1 and 6 had the highest celebrity participation, with over 10 celebrity guest stars each.[6]
Celebrity Season–Episode Notes Ref(s)
Richard Roundtree 1–03 Dr. Mumford, father of Will's love interest. Also played Rev. Sims in 6–18. [6][7]
Don Cheadle 1–05 Ice Tray, Will's best friend from Philadelphia. [6]
Bo Jackson 1–09 Themselves. [6]
Heavy D
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Quincy Jones
Al B. Sure
Kadeem Hardison
Naomi Campbell 1–10 Helen, Geoffrey's date. [8]
Isiah Thomas 1–11 Himself. [6]
Evander Holyfield 1–15 Himself. [6]
Vivica A. Fox 1–19 Janet, Jazz's sister and Will's date. [6]
Jasmine Guy 1–21 Kayla Samuels, Will's girlfriend. [6]
Tevin Campbell 1–24 Little T, Teen idol. [6]
Queen Latifah 1–25 Marissa Redman, Hilary's Boss. Also played "Dee Dee" in 2–8. [6][9]
Tisha Campbell 2–1 Kathleen, Will's girlfriend in the episode. [10]
Malcolm-Jamal Warner 2–9 Eric, Hilary's love interest. [11]
Zsa Zsa Gabor 2–10 Sonya Lamor, Uncle Phil's celebrity client. [6]
Bell Biv DeVoe 2–11 Themselves. [6]
Brandon Quintin 2–12 Ramon, Ashley's friend. He returns as Bryan in 4–18. [12][13]
Allen Payne 2–15 Marcus, Will's basketball rival. [6]
Milton Berle 2–18 Max Jakey, Will's hospital roommate. [6]
Bernie Kopell Reprising his role as Dr. Adam Bricker from The Love Boat in Will's nightmare. [6]
John Beradino Reprising his role as Dr. Steve Harding from General Hospital in Will's nightmare. [14]
Bob Eubanks 2–19 Himself, as the host of a game show. [15]
Raven-Symoné 2–21 Claudia, the daughter of Robert, who is Vy's boyfriend in the episode. [16]
Lark Voorhies 3–05 Cindy, Carlton's ex-girlfriend
Sherman Hemsley 3–06, 3–07, 3–10 Judge Robertson, Uncle Phil's rival. Also George Jefferson in 5–17 and 6–24. [6][17][18]
Oprah Winfrey 3–9 Herself. [6]
Vanessa Williams 3–11 Danny Mitchell, Will's idol. [6]
Phil LaMarr 3–15 Edward, Uncle Phil's personal assistant. [19]
Naya Rivera 3–16 Cindy, Hilary's imagined ideal baby sister. [20]
Kim Fields 3–17 Monique, Will's girlfriend. [6]
Tom Jones 3–18 Himself. [6]
Riddick Bowe 3–21 A bully that confronts Carlton, but fights Will instead. [6]
DL Hughley 3–22 Keith Campbell, Will's comedian friend from Philly. [6]
Hugh Hefner 4–09 Himself. [6]
Robin Quivers 4–12 Judith, one of the ghosts playing cards. [6]
Boyz II Men 4–13 Themselves. [6]
Sullivan Walker Reverend Boyd.
Branford Marsalis 4–14 Himself. Also plays "Duane" a repair man in 4–18. [6][21]
Stacey Dash 4–17 Michelle Michaels, a famous singer/celebrity. [6]
Robert Guillaume 4–19 Pete Fletcher, Will's boss. [6]
Cree Summer 4–21 Lisa Adams, Will's girlfriend. [6]
John Witherspoon Augustus Adams, father of Lisa. [22]
Pam Grier 4–22 Janice Robertson, a former love interest of Uncle Phil. [23]
Ben Vereen 4–24 Lou Smith, Will's father. [6]
Donald Trump 4–25 Themselves. [6]
Marla Maples
Dick Clark 4–26 Himself. Returned in 6–20 to co-host bloopers of the show with Will Smith. [6]
Leeza Gibbons 5–03 Herself. [24]
Brad Garrett 5–05 John "Fingers" O'Neill. [25]
Kareem Abdul Jabbar 5–06 Himself. [6]
Don Cornelius 5–08 Himself. [6]
Ken Griffey Jr. 5–09 Himself. [6]
Pat Morita Mr. Yoshi, a Martial Arts master who Will comes to learn self-defense from. [26]
Jay Leno 5–10 Himself. Also in 6–5 again playing Himself. [27][28]
John Ridley Himself.
Susan Powter 5–11 Herself. [29]
Isabel Sanford 5–17 Louise Jefferson, couple's therapy member. Returns in 6–24. [17][30]
Isaac Hayes 5–18 The Minister, who happens to be an Isaac Hayes impersonator, assigned to officiate Will's express wedding. [6]
Max Maven 5–21 The Great Mentos, a magician & mentalist that hypnotizes Will. [31]
Charlie Robinson 5–22 Ernest, Uncle Phil's friend and fraternity brother. [32]
Robin Givens 5–23 Denise, Will's love interest. [6]
Chris Rock 6–02 Maurice, a famous actor. Also plays Maurice's sister in the same episode. [6]
B. B. King 6–04 Pappy, the bar's blues player. [6]
Jaleel White 6–07 Derek, Ashley's boyfriend. [6]
Wayne Newton 6–08 Fred, the Casino Manager. [33]
Galyn Görg 6–12 Helena, Nicky's boxing instructor. [34]
Fredia Gibbs One of the women who was throwing Will around the gym in his nightmare.
Daniel Riordan Stan, Carlton's personal trainer.
Regis Philbin 6–21 Himself. [6]
Arthel Neville Herself. [35]
William Shatner 6–22 Himself. [36]
Conrad Bain 6–24 Phillip Drummond, open house attendee. [37]
Gary Coleman Arnold Jackson-Drummond, open house attendee. [37]
Marla Gibbs Florence Johnston, open house attendee. [37]
Episodes
Main article: List of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes
Season Episodes Originally aired Rank Rating
First aired Last aired
1
25 September 10, 1990 May 6, 1991 41[38] 12.9[38]
2
24 September 9, 1991 May 4, 1992 18[39] 14.5[39]
3
24 September 14, 1992 May 10, 1993 16 14.6[A]
4
26 September 20, 1993 May 23, 1994 21 13.7[B]
5
25 September 19, 1994 May 15, 1995 55[40] 10.4[40]
6
24 September 18, 1995 May 20, 1996 55[41] 9.6[41]
Development
The cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, seasons 1–3. From top left: Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro. From bottom left: Tatyana M. Ali, James Avery, Will Smith.
In 1990, music manager Benny Medina, along with his business partner, real estate mogul Jeff Pollack, decided to market a TV story based on Medina's life. Medina had grown up poor in East Los Angeles but his life changed when he befriended a rich white teenager, whose family lived in Beverly Hills and allowed Medina to live with them. Medina decided to use this part of his life as the main focus of the show. However, given that by then a black character living with a white family was a concept that had been done multiple times on TV, Medina decided to change the rich white family to a rich black family. "That way we could explore black-on-black prejudice as well as black class differences", Medina said in an interview for Ebony magazine.[42]
Medina pitched the idea to Quincy Jones, who had just signed a TV deal with Time-Warner. Jones was impressed by the idea and arranged a meeting with NBC chief Brandon Tartikoff. Will Smith was well known at the time as one-half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, which had put him on the mainstream radar, but he had come into debt after failing to pay taxes. At the suggestion of his then-girlfriend, Smith went to a taping of The Arsenio Hall Show where he met Medina by chance. Medina pitched the idea to Smith, but Smith was reluctant, having never acted before. Medina invited Smith to meet Jones at a party that Jones was throwing at his house in December 1989. There, Jones handed Smith a script for a failed Morris Day pilot that he had produced and challenged Smith to audition for Tartikoff on the spot. Smith did so, and the first contract for the show was drawn up that night in a limo outside. Three months later, the pilot was shot.[43]
Andy Borowitz and his wife, Susan, are credited as the series' creators. Andy Borowitz, who was on a contract with NBC, was selected by Tartikoff to write the pilot. He based Will's cousins on Quincy Jones's daughters, and named Carlton after his friend Carlton Cuse. In 2015, he remarked that "it was written and taped in about three weeks, start to finish, and somehow it worked. It was just an explosion of really good luck."[44]
The pilot episode began taping on May 1, 1990.[45] Season 1 first aired in September 1990, and ended in May 1991. The series finale was taped on Thursday, March 21, 1996,[46][47] and aired on Monday, May 20, 1996.
The theme song "Yo Home to Bel Air" was written and performed by Smith under his stage name, The Fresh Prince. The music was composed by Quincy Jones, who is credited with Smith at the end of each episode. The music often used to bridge scenes together during the show is based on a similar chord structure.
Crossovers and other appearances
During the fall 1991–1992 season, NBC gained two hit television shows to anchor their Monday night lineup (Blossom aired immediately after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). To gain popularity between the two shows, Will Smith appeared in the Blossom episode "I'm with the Band" as himself under his rap stage name, The Fresh Prince. That same season, Karyn Parsons appeared in the Blossom episode "Wake Up Little Suzy" as Hilary Banks. Parsons also appeared in the Patti LaBelle sitcom Out All Night as Hilary.
James Avery had a short cameo as "the father from Fresh Prince" on Family Matters, at the end of the episode "Scenes from a Mall". He appears during the credits in a blooper scene where he surprises Reginald VelJohnson on set.[48]
In the House and Fresh Prince were both executive-produced by Winifred Hervey, David Salzman and Quincy Jones. During the second season's first episode, Alfonso Ribeiro and Tatyana Ali appeared as their Fresh Prince characters (Carlton and Ashley Banks) in the crossover episode "Dog Catchers". Later that season, James Avery (Phillip Banks) appeared as a mediator in the episode "Love on a One-Way Street".
Following Fresh Prince's conclusion, Ribeiro joined the principal cast of In the House from its third season as Dr. Maxwell Stanton. In the Season 4 episode "My Pest Friend's Wedding", Avery and Daphne Maxwell Reid (the second Vivian Banks) guest starred as Stanton's parents. Joseph Marcell, Geoffrey Butler on Fresh Prince, appeared as an officiating minister in the same episode.
Syndication
The series was produced by NBC Productions in association with the Stuffed Dog Company and Quincy Jones Entertainment (later Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment in 1993). After the show was released to syndication in 1994, the series' distribution rights were picked up by Warner Bros. Television Distribution who continue to hold them to this day, while NBCUniversal owns the series copyright via NBC Productions' successor-in-interest, Universal Television.[49][50][51][52]
Currently, reruns of the series are still aired around the world on ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks' MTV2, BET and VH1, having previously been aired on its MTV, Nick at Nite, TeenNick, CMT, and Centric channels. Other past carriers include WGN America, TBS, TNT, Walt Disney Television's Disney XD, ABC Family and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks' Paramount Network.
The series attained huge popularity in the United Kingdom, where it aired on BBC Two between 1991 and 1996, with reruns airing on the network between 1996 and 2004; it was shown alongside The Simpsons and was later repeated on Trouble, Bravo, Channel One, Living, Sky Living Loves, Viva, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Comedy Central Extra and 5Star. In the United Kingdom, all seasons became available on BBC iPlayer from 1 January 2021, and also currently airs on Sky Comedy and Sky Showcase.
It also aired on Omni Television, YTV, Yes TV and CBC in Canada.
In Italy, the series aired under the name Willy, il principe di Bel-Air (Willy, the Prince of Bel-Air) on Italia 1 from September 20, 1993 until December 3, 1996.
The series became available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu on May 27, 2020. It streams in Canada on Crave. It began to stream on Paramount+ on March 29.
Home media
Warner Home Video has released the complete series, seasons 1 to 6, on DVD in Region 1.[53] Seasons 1 to 4 have been released in Regions 2 and 4. Seasons 5 to 6 have been released in Region 2 in Germany, and in the complete series boxset in the United Kingdom.
DVD name Ep # Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete First Season 25 February 8, 2005[30] February 21, 2005[54] April 13, 2005[18]
The Complete Second Season 24 October 11, 2005[55] November 21, 2005[56] March 1, 2006[57]
The Complete Third Season 24 February 14, 2006[58] June 26, 2006[59] August 9, 2006[60]
The Complete Fourth Season 26 August 8, 2006[61] January 22, 2007[62] December 6, 2006[63]
The Complete Fifth Season 25 May 11, 2010[64] June 18, 2010 2018
The Complete Sixth & Final Season 24 April 19, 2011 May 6, 2011 2018
The Complete Series 148 April 12, 2011 — —
Awards and nominations
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Awards Outcome Recipient(s) Year
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards:
Top TV Won Quincy Jones
Will Smith
DJ Jazzy Jeff 1994
Emmy Awards:
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series Nominated Art Busch 1996
Golden Globe Awards:
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical Nominated Will Smith 1994
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical Nominated[65] Will Smith 1993
NAACP Image Awards:
Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated 1997
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Won Alfonso Ribeiro 1996
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated Will Smith 1997
Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress Won Tatyana M. Ali 1997
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Janet Hubert-Whitten 1991
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Nia Long 1996
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Daphne Maxwell Reid 1996
Kids' Choice Awards:
Favorite Television Actor Nominated Will Smith 1996
Favorite Television Show Nominated 1996
Favorite TV Actress Nominated Tatyana M. Ali 1996
NCLR Bravo Awards:
Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role Nominated Alfonso Ribeiro 1996
TP de Oro:
Best Foreign Series (Mejor Serie Extranjera) Nominated 1996
Best Foreign Series (Mejor Serie Extranjera) Won 1994
Teen Choice Awards:
Choice TV Show: Throwback Nominated 2017
Choice TV Show: Throwback Nominated 2018
Choice TV Show: Throwback Nominated 2019
TV Land Awards:
Best Broadcast Butler Nominated Joseph Marcell 2004
Favorite "Fish Out of Water" Nominated Will Smith 2004
Young Artist Awards:
Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten – Television Won Ross Bagley 1996
Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten in a TV Series Won Ross Bagley 1995
Best Youth Comedienne Nominated Tatyana M. Ali 1994
Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series Nominated Larenz Tate 1993
Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series Nominated Tevin Campbell 1992
Best New Family Television Comedy Series Won 1991
YoungStar Award:
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series Won Tatyana M. Ali 1997
Cultural impact and legacy
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's success is considered to be a watershed moment for hip-hop and black television,[66][67] with many publications referring to it as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.[68][69] Professor Andrew Horton stated: "Smith's genre of comedy, popularized on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, translated well into commercial box-office appeal. The Fresh Prince watered down and capitalized upon the then growing popularity of hip-hop and almost anticipated its dominance on the American scene".[70]
Author Willie Tolliver noted: "What The Fresh Prince did accomplish was to put Smith and his character Will into an environment of affluence and possibility, thus changing the terms of his own Black identity. This social and cultural mobility is central to Smith's racial significance, and this will become evident again and again; he moves the image of the Black male into unaccustomed spaces just as Smith himself was in the process of conquering Hollywood."[71]
Reboot series
Main article: Bel-Air (TV series)
On August 13, 2015, it was reported that a reboot of the show was in development by Overbrook Entertainment, with Will Smith serving as a producer.[72][73] In August 2016, during a promotional interview with the E! television network for his then upcoming film Suicide Squad, Smith denied that a reboot was in development, saying that it would happen "...pretty close to when Hell freezes over".[74]
In 2019, a mock trailer titled Bel-Air was uploaded on YouTube, written and directed by Morgan Cooper, for a darker, more dramatic re-imagining of the sitcom.[75][76] Will Smith subsequently heavily praised the fan film, commenting that "Morgan did a ridiculous trailer for Bel-Air. Brilliant idea, the dramatic version of The Fresh Prince for the next generation", expressing interest in expanding the idea beyond the short film into a full Bel-Air reboot series.[77][78]
In August 2020, it was announced that Will Smith and Morgan Cooper would be developing a reboot of the series based on Cooper's Bel-Air. The series had reportedly been in the works for over a year since Cooper posted his Bel-Air trailer on YouTube, with Netflix, Peacock and HBO Max all currently bidding for the series.[79] On September 8, 2020, Peacock gave Bel-Air a two-season order, with the series produced by and copyrighted to Universal Television.[80][81] In September 2021, the full cast was announced with newcomer Jabari Banks cast as Will Smith, Adrian Holmes as Philip Banks, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey, Jordan L. Jones as Jazz and Simone Joy Jones as Lisa.[82] The series premiered in February 2022.[83]
Reunion
Much of the cast virtually reunited over a video call in an episode of Smith's Snapchat reality series Will From Home that premiered in April 2020.[84] A reunion of the surviving original cast, The Fresh Prince Reunion, aired on HBO Max in November 2020. Among other reminisces, Janet Hubert appeared, also appearing around this time in a joint radio interview with Smith where the two reconcile.[85][86] More information and context were offered regarding the situation between Smith and Hubert and her exit when the two met for their conversation. Hubert discussed the turmoil in her personal life, her abusive marriage and that she had not actually been fired by the show. She was offered what she described as a "bad deal" to return for the fourth season and she turned it down. Smith talked about how grappling with his rapidly increasing fame at such a young age led him to make decisions during that time that he now regrets and wishes he had made differently.[87] The reunion show also features a tribute to James Avery, who died in 2013, that was shown to the surviving cast. The tribute brought the entire cast to tears.[88]