Bel-Air: Why Is He Still Called Will Smith If It's Not Will Smith?
Considering actor Will Smith isn’t starring in the series, the Bel-Air reboot begs the question of why the main character is still named Will Smith. While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wasn’t based on Will Smith’s life, with the only real connections being his West Philadelphia background, the 1990s sitcom made the protagonist a fictionalized version of himself with the same name. Similar to how Seinfeld made its protagonist a semi-fictionalized version of Jerry Seinfeld, Fresh Prince created a largely fictional life and story for Will Smith’s character compared to his real life, which made it curious as to why they kept his real name in the first place.
Peacock’s Bel-Air is a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince’s 1990s sitcom, with the reboot beginning with Will’s fight in Philadelphia that sends him to Bel-Air. Every major character in Bel-Air shares the name of their 1990s counterparts but is portrayed by a new actor, including Jabari Banks playing Will Smith, Adrian Holmes as Uncle Phil, and Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks. While the names and general storyline stay the same, Bel-Air’s serious reboot changes the personalities and characterizations of the original figures, making it feel like a new show entirely.
Related: Can The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Work Without Will Smith?
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s protagonist Will Smith was portrayed by Will Smith, but this is not the case for Peacock’s original series. While the reboot could have easily kept the name Will but changed the protagonist’s surname, Bel-Air keeps the name Will Smith. Since the names of every other returning Fresh Prince character remains the same, Bel-Air keeping Will Smith’s name is mostly a point of continuity. It may become confusing for
Read more on screenrant.com
