Top 10 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Stars: Where Are They Now?
#10: Tyra Banks
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“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was Tyra Banks’ first credited acting role. She played Jackie Ames, one of Will’s ex-girlfriends, for seven episodes. It wasn’t long before she started Ty Ty Baby Productions, which was renamed to Bankable Productions, and created both “The Tyra Banks Show” and the iconic “America’s Next Top Model.” Following the mega success of those shows, she took over from Nick Cannon as host of “America’s Got Talent” in 2017 and she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue two years later - her third time on the front of the magazine! So, yeah, she’s still got it. Who knew the seemingly random actress playing Jackie would go on to become one of the biggest names in entertainment?
#9: Vernee Watson-Johnson
Before her role as Will Smith’s mother Vy, Vernee Watson-Johnson saw success on various television shows, including “Welcome Back, Kotter.” She has remained one of the biggest character actors on television, briefly appearing in a wide variety of popular programs, including “The Big Bang Theory,” “House,” and “Two and a Half Men.” Her most substantial role since “Fresh Prince” is that of Stella Henry on “General Hospital,” a role she has inhabited since 2017. This meaty role has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards, one for Outstanding Guest Performer and another for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She is also set to star in the sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola,” which will premiere on CBS sometime in the fall of 2019.
#8: Daphne Maxwell Reid
Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role of Vivian Banks from Janet Hubert, and unfortunately, it proved to be the peak of her acting career. (xref) Much like Ross Bagley, who played Nicky Banks, Daphne Maxwell Reid has remained mostly quiet since her time on “Fresh Prince,” having received only intermittent acting credits throughout the years. From 2003 to 2006 she appeared in six episodes of “Eve,” and she starred as Zillah Stewart in a UMC original called “Jacqueline and Jilly” between 2018 and 2019. She also owned and operated a film studio in Virginia called New Millennium Studios, although she and her husband sold the studio to a property management company in 2015 for almost $1.5 million.
#7: DJ Jazzy Jeff
Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Jeffrey Allen Townes and Will Smith were a Grammy-winning hip hop duo called DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and their career spanned from 1985 to 1994. And while his partner strayed from music to focus mostly on acting, Jeff is releasing fresh music to this day. Since he began solo work in 1998, he has released a wide variety of albums and mixtapes, with M3 being released in 2018. He has also produced countless pieces of music and has worked with the likes of The Black Eyed Peas and Mac Miller. Luckily, he and Will remain close, and the two have even performed together on “The Graham Norton Show” and at various music festivals, including the MTV Summerblast Festival in Croatia in the 2010s.
#6: Joseph Marcell
Joseph Marcell was, and is, a notable Shakespearean actor. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company before his time on “Fresh Prince,” and while the show garnered him more attention, his heart was always on the stage. He serves on the board of the prestigious Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a playhouse in London modeled after the old Globe Theatre. He also continues to act in various Shakespearian productions. The 2010s saw him portray Gonzalo, Titus Andronicus, and perform in Globe productions of “King Lear” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” It’s a far cry from sitcom work, that’s for sure!
#5: Karyn Parsons
Like Ross Bagley and Daphne Maxwell Reid, Karyn Parsons hasn’t acted that much since the conclusion of “Fresh Prince.” She played Hilary Banks for all six seasons, and she hoped to continue her acting success with the show “Lush Life,” which she helped create, write, and produce. Unfortunately, the series was quickly cancelled and forgotten. She also starred in an ABC sitcom called “The Job,” which aired for two seasons from 2001 to 2002. That was Karyn’s last major acting role, although 2019 has her filming a television series called “Fly,” which will tell the story of the first all African American female flight crew.
#4: Janet Hubert
Janet Hubert is perhaps the most controversial actor of “The Fresh Prince” cast. She was fired from the show part-way through the series, and it’s reported that she and Will Smith did not get along on set. In the proceeding years, she has not been shy about voicing her displeasure with the show and its cast, and she even slammed a recent “Fresh Prince” reunion, saying, “I have no interest in seeing any of these people.” She has remained active in both film and television, and in 2013, she voiced Denise Clinton in the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto V.” As of 2018, Janet is starring in “General Hospital,” where she plays Yvonne Godfrey.
#3: Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Ali started in showbiz at a young age, appearing on “Sesame Street” and “Star Search” as a child. She continued her success with “The Fresh Prince,” where she played Ashley Banks for all six seasons of the show. She has remained active in both film and television, although she hasn’t quite attained the same level of mainstream success that she used to have. Tatyana has also continued to pursue music throughout the years, though her only full-length studio album to date was 1998’s “Kiss the Sky.” Her most substantial role was that of Roxanne in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” who she played for 53 episodes between 2007 and 2013. In 2018, she started work on “Fancy Nancy,” a Disney Junior cartoon based on the children’s books of the same name.
#2: Alfonso Ribeiro
Talk about a career comeback! Alfonso Ribeiro sort of disappeared for a while there, and it wasn’t until his appearance on “Dancing with the Stars” that he enjoyed a career resurgence. He has now replaced Tom Bergeron as host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” and his famous Carlton dance can be seen in the video game “Fortnite.” In fact, this proved so controversial that Alfonso sued “Fortnite” creator Epic Games for their use of the dance. Unfortunately, he could not claim a copyright on the dance, and the case was dropped. Alfonso has also found work behind the camera, as he has directed numerous episodes of various television shows, including “All of Us,” “Are We There Yet?,” and “K.C. Undercover.”
#1: Will Smith
Top 10 Funniest Will Smith Moments on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
After “Fresh Prince”, it seemed like Will Smith’s career knew no bounds. In fact, Forbes deemed him the most “bankable” star in the world. Despite being one of the biggest movie stars of the 2000s, Will disappeared from the limelight sometime around 2008. Though he appeared in “Hancock” that year and popped up here and there in the following years, he certainly wasn’t the megastar that he once was. That all changed with 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” and he has now found himself solidly back on the A-list by starring as the Genie in 2019’s “Aladdin.” Up next, he’ll be starring in “Bad Boys for Life”, set to be released in 2020.
