Will Smith has unveiled who will be playing the role that made him famous in the upcoming reboot of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
The Hollywood star was catapulted to stardom after landing the central role in The Fresh Prince in 1990, playing a fictionalised version of himself.
On Thursday, he stunned newcomer Jabari Banks by announcing the news of his casting in a Fresh Prince revival while they were on a video call together.
Revealing the news to Jabari that he would be playing the character of Will, the actor said “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, to be on with you, and from the deepest parts of my heart I want to say congratulations to you.
“You have the role of Will on Bel-Air.”
A delighted Jabari replied: “I’m ready, I’m so ready.”
Jabari also revealed his father sent him an article about the audition and suggested he try out before his agent landed him a spot.
“This is a dream come true,” he said.
The Fresh Prince reboot was announced last year and is based on 2019 viral mock trailer Morgan Cooper made, revealing a darker, more dramatic re-imagining of the show.
Producers have said the show will be set in the modern day, and it has already been picked up for two seasons by US streaming service Peacock.
The premise of the original Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air saw Will sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel Air mansion after getting into a fight in his hometown of Philadelphia.
The show ended up running for six seasons from 1990 to 1996.
Last year, the cast came together for a reunion special to celebrate 30 years since the beloved comedy first aired in the US.
It included a tribute to James Avery – aka Will’s uncle Philip Banks – who died in 2013, and a reconciliation between Will and original Aunt Viv actor Janet Hubert, following a long-running feud.
The Hollywood star was catapulted to stardom after landing the central role in The Fresh Prince in 1990, playing a fictionalised version of himself.
On Thursday, he stunned newcomer Jabari Banks by announcing the news of his casting in a Fresh Prince revival while they were on a video call together.
Revealing the news to Jabari that he would be playing the character of Will, the actor said “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, to be on with you, and from the deepest parts of my heart I want to say congratulations to you.
“You have the role of Will on Bel-Air.”
A delighted Jabari replied: “I’m ready, I’m so ready.”
Jabari also revealed his father sent him an article about the audition and suggested he try out before his agent landed him a spot.
“This is a dream come true,” he said.
The Fresh Prince reboot was announced last year and is based on 2019 viral mock trailer Morgan Cooper made, revealing a darker, more dramatic re-imagining of the show.
Producers have said the show will be set in the modern day, and it has already been picked up for two seasons by US streaming service Peacock.
The premise of the original Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air saw Will sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel Air mansion after getting into a fight in his hometown of Philadelphia.
The show ended up running for six seasons from 1990 to 1996.
Last year, the cast came together for a reunion special to celebrate 30 years since the beloved comedy first aired in the US.
It included a tribute to James Avery – aka Will’s uncle Philip Banks – who died in 2013, and a reconciliation between Will and original Aunt Viv actor Janet Hubert, following a long-running feud.
