How Bel-Air’s Jabari Banks Is Fighting for Authentic Stories

This is a story all about how Jabari Banks plans to usher in a new era of storytelling. 

Starting with Peacock’s Bel-Air and how the reboot explores race and class. “We are opening up these conversations,” Banks, who plays Will on the dramatic retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, explained on E! News’ Ones to Watch: Celebrating Black Voices. “It’s something that the original didn’t really have the opportunity to do, being in a sitcom format. And you know, it’s a reflection of our world, and sometimes it gets ugly.”

This means avoiding the urge to “sugarcoat” stories, he added: “We want the truth now.”

That’s not to say Bel-Air doesn’t have its lighthearted and funny moments, too. There are even callbacks to the original show and several Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the series.

For Banks, the connection between Bel-Air and his own life is almost meta. 

“There’s so many similarities and parallels between my life and Will the character’s life, coming from Philly to L.A.,” he began.