‘Bel-Air’ cast reflects on series, building its own legacy and identity entering final season

Olly Sholotan first realized that “Bel-Air” had stepped out the shadows of the beloved ‘90s sitcom starring Will Smith when a young boy approached him at a flea market after the show’s first season.

“He looked up at me and said ‘You are the first Black boy I’ve ever seen cry on TV,” recalled Sholotan, who plays Carlton Banks on the dramatized reboot of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” At a time when some questioned whether the reimagined series could stand apart from its sitcom roots, Sholotan said the encounter made him realize viewers were embracing the drama, allowing it to carve out its own identity.

“In that moment, I realized what the old idea of Carlton was,” he said. “This was something different.”

Such moments helped cement “Bel-Air” as one of Peacock’s most visible homegrown titles, expanding the possibilities for Black-led prestige television as the streamer worked to define