‘Bel-Air’ Creator Morgan Cooper On Will Smith Appearing In The Series: ‘You Never Know’
Get ready for more of the Banks family as the return of Bel-Air is here. To refresh your mind, we last saw Will Smith (Jabari Banks) leave the Banks' house after a massive blowout with Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and his biological father (played by Marlon Wayans). After leaving the house and receiving money from Carlon (Olly Sholotan), the final scene shows him and his best friend Jazz (Jordan L. Jones) looking at the Hollywood sign.
Season two is set to get even spicier, and BET.com was able to chat with the cast about the upcoming season, relationship changes in season two, and if Will Smith will make an appearance soon.
BET.com: How will your characters fall in place with the Banks family this season?
Simone Joy Jones: Such a great question! As the relationship dynamics change and boundaries are established, fans will see how the Banks family continues to support [Lisa] in whatever she’s going through. This season, the connections deepen and may become a bit more professional. It’s always a great time with Lisa and the Banks family.
Jordan L. Jones: With Will and Hilary part of the Banks family, Jazz’s relationship with Hilary will be explored. You begin to meet the people closest to them, like friends, family, and parents. You may see some Uncle Phil and Jazz action, too.
BET.com: How do you both feel Ashley’s character has developed from the original series to the reboot, and what’s one trait of Ashley you both love the most?
Tatyana Ali: I love Akira Akbar’s portrayal of Ashley Banks. One of the things they maintained is her being the centered sibling among her brother and sister. I love the changes they made with her character that she’s experimenting with her sexuality and discovering it – a wonderful change to the surface. Akbar is an outstanding actress to portray her. It’s a great show, and Bel-Air is its own show.
BET.com: Your relationship with Jazz is heating up; the next big step for the couple is defining the relationship. What’s the best piece of advice you would give to Jazz and Hilary before going public?
Coco Jones: Honestly, my advice would be for Hilary because where she’s certain in her career, she’s uncertain in her heart. I would tell her to get some therapy before opening your heart because you want to come to the table as a full happy person – she needs to get on the same terms as she is with her professional life in her personal life before she gets into it with Jazz.
BET.com: Aunt Viv was redefining her purpose. How will audiences see her purpose flesh out in season two?
Cassandra Freeman: If season one was about her claiming her artistry, season two is going to be about creating her vision and embracing it. It will also be about how to get the support you need from your husband and kids as much as you give to them. With Hilary, she puts her own career aside to pump her mom up because Aunt Viv is in the background taking care of everyone else – it can be uncomfortable being the spotlight.
BET.com: Will finds himself up to the old tricks he left back in Philadelphia, which may shake a few things up in his personal life as he’s pushing to get scouted as a basketball player. How will this storyline strengthen the family dynamic?
Banks: I think this will bring the family together – to see a piece broken. There are a lot of talks between Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv about a child who is broken. They are trying to rekindle their relationship and get that trust again like in the middle part of season one – I think they will.
BET.com: Is there anything you learned about yourself from playing Will?
Banks: Learning how to process trauma and giving yourself the space to process what happens to you on a daily. A lot of our society is always on go but rarely do we get the time to process our day-to-day. I’ve learned to take time for myself – my mom is like a superwoman and does seven things a day. I aspire to be like that but also have a balance.
BET.com: What was your biggest goal coming into this upcoming season?
Morgan Cooper: Such a great question. For season two, we wanted to raise the bar – Will has been in this world a bit and is learning to navigate. At the end of season one, there’s a big revelation that shifts his view of this world and his relationships, particularly with Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil. We raise the stakes, turn up the heat, and have a season full of love, joy, fireworks, and a roller coaster.
BET.com: Can we ever expect Will Smith to make an appearance at some point in the series?
Cooper: I will say, you never know. You’ll have to tune in and see. Will Smith is amazing and since day one, has been a tremendous partner. We would all love that and we would just have to see what happens.
BET.com: You were promoted to showrunner for Season Two. What was one of the challenges you faced in this new role and have you settled in at this time?
Carla Banks Waddles: Great question! I was a co-executive producer and writer in the first season so it felt seamless stepping into this role creatively. A lot of the conversations in season one were set up for season two. The part that is hard is wearing a lot more hats – I try to spend most of my time in the writers’ room to make the engine keep going but there are other hats now that have to be worn in this position.
Make sure you sit on your throne and watch the second season on Bel-Air, streaming now on Peacock.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Ty Cole is a New York-based entertainment reporter and writer for BET.com who covers pop culture, music, and lifestyle. Follow his latest musings on Twitter @IamTyCole.