It's a "Fresh Prince" reunion and it's happening on "Bel-Air"!
Two original stars of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" — Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson — are reuniting on Peacock's reboot of the series on March 24, the streaming service announced Monday.
Reid, who famously replaced Janet Hubert as Aunt Viv in season four of the original series, will team up with Watson-Johnson, who played the fictional Will Smith’s mom Viola “Vy” Smith, to play new characters named Helen and Janice, who are members of the Art Council Board of Trustee.
Darker and more dramatic than the original “Fresh Prince,” which aired from 1990 to 1996 on NBC and starred Hollywood legend Will Smith, “Bel-Air” follows fictional teenager Will Smith, this time played by newcomer Jabari Banks, as he struggles with changes after moving from gritty West Philadelphia to his wealthy aunt and uncle’s mansion in ritzy Bel-Air.
Though he faces everything from snobby classmates to racism, Will, who had been in trouble with the law back home in Philly, also knows the move has given him a second chance.
Banks told The Hollywood Reporter last month that he felt he and the reboot were giving the character of Will Smith an update of sorts.
“I definitely feel like I’m taking the Will character and forming my own experiences around it in this new light and this new era," he said.
"It’s going to be a little different, and that’s exciting for everybody to watch. We think we know who Will is, and I’m super excited to be able to expand on that and to leave my footprint."
Peacock is part of TODAY’s parent company, NBCUniversal.