Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson are heading back to Bel-Air. Reid, who played Aunt Viv, and Watson-Johnson, who portrayed Will Smith’s mother Viola “Vy” Smith on the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will guest star as new characters on Peacock’s dramatic Bel-Air reboot. Reid and Watson-Johnson are set to appear as Art Council Board of Trustee members Helen and Janice, respectively, on the March 24 episode of the Peacock Original drama TV series.
See the first look at Reid and Watson-Johnson’s Bel-Air return below.
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The reboot series, which premiered with three episodes on Super Bowl Sunday in February, featured rapper/radio host Big Boy in a guest-starring role in “Keep Ya Head Up.”
Based on Morgan Cooper’s viral fan film and executive produced by Will Smith and Quincy Jones, Bel-Air stars Jabari Banks as West Philadelphia teen Will Smith, who is sent to live with his Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) in Bel-Air by mother Vy (April Parker Jones). In this more dramatic take on the ’90s sitcom that aired for six seasons on NBC, the cast of characters includes Will’s cousins — snobby Carlton (Olly Sholotan), social media influencer Hilary (Coco Jones), and young Ashley (Akira Akbar) — house manager Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola), and taxi driver Jazz (Jordan L. Jones).
Set in modern-day America, Peacock’s Bel-Air imagines the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through a new, dramatic take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.
Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson guest star in Bel-Air episode 109, streaming Friday, March 24 on Peacock. New episodes of Bel-Air premiere on Thursdays.
