Most of the time, TV show reboots and revivals don’t work out for the best. It is hard to capture the magic of the original series. But Bel-Air is one show that defied those odds and delivered a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The series kept quite a few of the show’s beats that formed its foundation but often gave them a darker and more heart-wrenching twist. Still Will Smith came into the Banks’ lives, made them better, and grew into a better version of himself. The show featured quite a few cameos from original cast members like Janet Hubert (the OG Aunt Viv) and Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks) over its four season run. But, in the series finale of Bel-Air, Will Smith made a cameo to reach out to his younger self in a sweet and surreal scene.
As we all know, Smith started his acting career in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as the show’s main character Will. A few years ago, creator Morgan Cooper released a video of a dramatic reimagining of the series, which Smith saw and really liked. Pretty soon, the show was a go at Peacock for two seasons, and it got two more. In the Bel-Air finale, Will Smith (Jabari Banks) is standing on a cliff looking at the city of Los Angeles with Jazz and Carlton. Unlike the Will from the original series, this Will is moving back to Philly to attend college. As he stands there, Will Smith the actor appears beside him.
They have a conversation about the young man’s fears of going home and forgetting the man that he’s become. The older man tells him that he will make many mistakes but he will learn and grow. He promises that they will be okay, which strongly suggests that this older man is actually a manifestation of the future Will. Or he’s at least some part of Will’s inner voice and conscience. The man certainly isn’t real because Carlton reappears and Will Smith (the actor) is gone, and Bel-Air comes to an end shortly afterwards.
Writer, showrunner, and executive producer Carla Banks Waddles said that the Will Smith cameo almost didn’t happen. Smith is a busy man, after all. But they found out about two weeks before filming that Will Smith the actor would be able to share a scene with Will Smith the character. It really feels like such a full circle moment. And, for those who never watched Bel-Air, you can binge the show in its entirety on Peacock.