Will Smith Gave ‘Bel Air’ Star His ‘Seal of Approval’ in Special Fashion

Bel-Air, the dramatized reimagined reboot of the popular 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is getting a lot of attention. Despite some fans’ skepticism of the show, reviews have been positive of the Peacock series. Will Smith, who starred in the original as the lead character, is an executive producer on the show. Adrian Holmes stars as Uncle Phil, originally played by James Avery, and says Smith has been more supportive than she could have ever imagined.

“He signed his book, actually, for me,” Holmes said during a recent interview on E! News’ Daily Pop. “And he wrote, ‘To Adrian, I love how you’re filling those shoes, Will.’ I was just like, ‘Wow.’ That was the greatest seal of approval right there, and validation from him.”

They saw each other at the premiere of the show and Smith once again gave him major props. Holmes said Smith told him, “You’re killing it, brother.” 

It’s the type of support from such a major star like Smith. “It’s a dream, you know?” Holmes continued. “You grow up in this business, and you just want to work and get to a place where you can level up on a platform where you can really affect and inspire and create change, and I think that’s what this show is going to do.”

Holmes says the new show is “a perfect balance of both sides of the coin,” adding that the world needs more “positive Black stories, which we need more of. We need to focus and expedite more stories that show us affluent, thriving, successful people,” Adrian said. “And our show is Black excellence personified.”

The reboot is a dramatic take on Will’s transition from the streets of West Philadelphia to the prestige community of Bel Air. The show also stars Coco Jones, Jabari Banks, Akira Akbar, Cassandra Freeman, and Olly Sholotan. The concept from the show was birthed from a short film/parody trailer by Morgan Cooper that went viral and even caught Smith’s attention.