Disney Alum Coco Jones Opens up About Her Emotional Journey to Landing ‘Bel-Air’ Role

Coco Jones is back like she never left. The former Disney staple is playing Hilary Banks in the dramatized re-imagined reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  The Peacock series, Bel-Air, has been receiving rave reviews from viewers. Jones is a standout on the show and fans are excited to see her in this capacity. She rose to fame on Disney’s Next Big Thing, and starred in Disney Channel’s Let It Shine. After a smaller role in the comedy series Good Luck Charlie, she went off the scene. In recent years, Jones has been vocal about being overlooked by Disney and Hollywood, citing her big talent and being a Black girl who they had trouble marketing. He views Bel-Air as a good part of her testimony. 

“I really hope that the new people who come to find me through Bel-Air really look at my journey and take from my journey that what’s meant for you is for you and the worst thing you can do for any passion you have is give up on it,” she told Shadow and Act in a recent interview. “I’ve been here a long time and it’s been a long road, and I hope that people can see me and see my highs and lows and know that the lows don’t mean you’re never going to get to a high again…it just means you have to keep going. That’s really what I hope is to inspire somebody else who’s pursuing something that at times really difficult.”

Outside of Bel-Air, Jones is booked and busy. She’s releasing new music, and she appeared in the Netflix film Vampires vs. The Bronx. But as Banks, she is optimistic about what the character is doing for her career and glad viewers are receptive so far.

“I really hope they fall in love with the relatability that Hilary has, because I’m really being myself,” she said. “I’m really myself. I’m really determined. I’m really confident. And Hilary is all those things as well. So I hope they fall in love with that.”