The last thing that we was for people, or especially women and women of color, to not see themselves in her, in her struggles and in her journeys. “We had several conversations about the goal of Hilary being relatability. “She reminded me more of myself and what I bring to the table, my headstrong, self-assured, confident personality,” the 24-year-old admits. “I was surprised because I had all these preconceived notions of what I thought Hilary was supposed to be based on how she was portrayed in the show and how she looked… in the back of my head, I was like, I don't know if it's me.”īut after conversations with creator Cooper about the new vision for the character, Jones came around to the idea of making Hilary her own. “I was surprised and grateful,” says Jones, known for her work on Disney’s Let It Shine and Netflix’s Vampires vs. Even so, Hilary’s broadened unrelenting confidence is an update to the character that Coco Jones relates to on a personal level. Yet, her vision of how to achieve these dreams drastically diverges from her parents’ traditional plans, which starts to create cracks in their relationship. The modern version of Hilary is a bonafide multi-hyphenate with big dreams of becoming a chef. The ditsy, spoiled fashion icon who became one of the most notable contributions to pop culture’s bougie Black girl archetype is now a go-getter girl boss and content creator in 2022. Likewise, the character of Hilary Banks is turned on her head. We have Freeway as my coach, we got D4M$loan in there, Eazy the Block Captain, it’s gonna be great - the pilot episode is called ‘Dreams and Nightmares.’ That is a moment, you know what I mean,” a nod to Meek Mill’s debut album and underdog anthem. “To see how authentic the show is, is going to be super great for, especially people from Philly,” Banks says. The creative team tapped into Banks’ West Philly cultural fluency to keep the script and the show’s depiction of the historic city as realistic and contemporary as possible. Through fresh tonal, wardrobe, and story decisions, Bel-Air ultimately aspires to be a genuine and authentic celebration of Black culture, and of the city of Philadelphia. And he was like, ‘Man, you personified my dad really well.’ I heard they watched the pilot back twice.” You did a great job.’ I got the chance to talk to Jaden, too. “He called me after he watched the pilot. “ is really setting us up to succeed,” Banks says. Will Smith is also an executive producer on the series, though Banks says he’s stepped back for the most part, giving the new cast and crew an enormous amount of trust. Little did they know, their reimagined Fresh Prince was waiting in the wings of West Philadelphia, the story’s place of origin. Brady and Rasheed Newson said in a statement that the greatest challenge of developing the new series was actually finding a young actor to step into the role of Will Smith. Taking on the Goliath task of re-envisioning this seminal sitcom is daunting enough. The original series was revolutionary for the ways in which it painstakingly and strategically illustrated the colorful spectrum of Black life, but there were innate limits due to the sitcom’s compact structure, as well as the time period. Remarkably, a dramatic, modern reimagination creates more narrative, visual, and aesthetic possibilities there’s more opportunity for darker-skinned representation there’s more space to celebrate the connection of a Black family and the immensity of the Black experience and there’s more time and flexibility to continue the conversations around Blackness that were begun in Fresh Prince, and further challenge different perspectives within the Black community. The second Will walks through the doors of the Banks family mansion, no one’s life will ever be the same. A sudden Bel-Air transplant, Will is given a life-changing second chance, one that forces him to reexamine his relationships, his worldview, and his own identity. The unflinching reality of Will’s single-parent, lower-income upbringing couldn’t be more different from that of his posh cousins. Will’s relatives, the Banks family, are solid members of the Black elite: wealthy, influential, and refined. In an effort to keep him out of danger and away from potential retaliation, Will’s mother interrupts his junior year of high school and sends him to live with her estranged sister’s family in California. The new series traces the aftermath of an almost deadly altercation between promising basketball star Will and a notorious figure of his West Philly neighborhood. Akira Akbar wears a Salvatore Ferragamo dress and Mejuri earrings. Olly Sholotan wears an Homme Plissé Issey Miyake jacket, Paul Smith pullover, and Homme Plissé Issey Miyake shorts. (Left to right) Coco Jones wears a Tory Burch dress and Mejuri earrings.
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