Tati Amare, the co-host of “Live In The D,” has been binge-watching for weeks and can’t wait for the next episode. The new “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is now streaming on Peacock, and it’s a fresh spin on the classic starring Will Smith.
Cassandra Freeman and Coco Jones, who play Vivian and Hilary Banks respectively, joined Tati to talk about the “Fresh Prince” spinoff, “Bel-Air.”
Jones said that she felt pressured to play Hilary because she had fallen in love with the character, and when she auditioned, she imagined that they were seeking a certain trait that the original Hilary had. She said she was playing it up based on her preconceived notions since she didn’t want to mess up a classic. She also said working with the director, Morgan Cooper, is all about pouring their own hearts and souls into this project and, hopefully, creating their own classic.
“I think there is pressure, but there is also good pressure to continue to be creative, open, and to put your best efforts into characters,” Jones said. “The right people will fall in love with it.”
For those who haven’t begun watching the series yet, Freeman said the greatest difference is that it’s no longer set in the 1990s and is instead set in 2022. She says it is a drama rather than a comedy. She said when something big occurs on the show, it is not summed up with a joke, but rather with deep introspection. She said the show features many artistic elements, and she is a lover of African-American art, so she is excited for the audience to fall even more in love with it.
Watching the first show and then this show, according to Freeman, is like getting a diary entry into the deep back stories.
“With Vivian, you really didn’t get to know her very much, and in this you get to have a nice deep dive, and I think it is true for all of these characters, so now you really get to know these people,” Freeman said.
Freeman said what she likes about Vivian’s storyline is that we all have these preconceived notions about where we should be at 20, 30, or 40, but that’s not the case. She said that as long as we are breathing, we may reset and restart. Moreover, she said that Vivian finds her sexy, her artistry, and a new way to be a partner to her husband.
Jones describes working with Will Smith and his firm, Westbrook, as supportive and hands-on. She said that the audience would be able to sense this while watching the show. Will Smith, she adds, is so iconic, inspiring, and the heartbeat of the “Fresh Prince,” and it still beats through their show in a great and perfect way.
“They walked so we could run, and hopefully we can make our own classic,” Jones said.
To watch the full interview, watch the video above.