Entertainment
Where Is the Cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Now? All About Their Lives Nearly 30 Years After the Show Ended
It’s been over three decades since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered.
The NBC sitcom aired its first episode in 1990 and ran for six seasons before wrapping in 1996. It launched the career of star Will Smith — who played the fictionalized version of himself as a street-smart teen sent to live with his wealthy relatives — and rooted itself as one of the decade’s most iconic shows.
Since the show ended, its stars have taken on a range of projects both on and off-screen. Smith became one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, while his castmates — including Tatyana Ali, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons and Joseph Marcell — have continued to act and make appearances at fan events.
But the beloved sitcom family has also experienced heartbreak. James Avery, who played the strict but kind-hearted Uncle Phil, died of complications from heart surgery in 2013. Twelve years later, Floyd Roger Myers Jr. — who played a young Smith in a season 3 episode — died of a heart attack in October 2025. He was 42 years old.
So where is the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now? Here’s everything to know about what happened to the Banks family since the sitcom aired its last episode.
Will Smith as Will Smith
The Fresh Prince himself followed up his television debut with a wildly successful film career. The year the show ended, Smith starred in the 1996 film Independence Day, continuing a streak of leading roles.
In 1997, he married actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and they welcomed two children throughout their decades-long marriage before separating in 2016. Jaden Smith was born in 1998, and Willow Smith was born in 2000. The actor is also the father of Trey Smith, born in 1992.
Other notable films of Smith’s include King Richard (2021), Aladdin (2019), I Am Legend (2007), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Hitch (2005), Ali (2001), Wild, Wild West (1999) and Men in Black (1997).
Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks
Ribeiro never missed a beat as Will’s cousin, Carlton Banks. Who could forget “the Carlton,” the iconic dance move named after Ribeiro’s tight-laced character? After starring on the show for its six-season run, Ribeiro starred on In the House from 1995 to 1999 alongside LL Cool J.
In 2014, Ribeiro proved that “the Carlton” wasn’t the only dance move he could do, competing on Dancing with the Stars with partner Witney Carson and taking home the Mirrorball trophy. In 2015, Ribeiro became the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, and continues to put his hosting skills to work on shows like Catch 21, Spell-Mageddon and Dance 360. The actor returned to DWTS as its co-host in 2022.
He’s been married to Angela Unkrich since 2012, and they share four children: Sienna (whom he welcomed in a previous relationship), Alfonso “AJ” Lincoln, Anders Reyn and Ava Sue.
James Avery as Phillip Banks
Avery played the patriarch of the Banks family, Uncle Phil. After the series ended in 1996, Avery went on to do voice acting on shows such as Pepper Ann and The Legend of Tarzan, among others. He also acted in shows like The Division, That ’70s Show and The Closer.
In December 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 after complications from open-heart surgery, per ABC News. He was survived by his wife, Barbara Avery, whom he was married to for 26 years, as well as his stepson, Kevin Waters.
Janet Hubert as Vivian Banks
Janet Hubert played Aunt Vivian (and gifted fans with a signature dance of the same name) for the show’s first three seasons. She claimed that Smith was responsible for her early departure, even skipping cast reunions because of the alleged bad blood.
In 2020, the two stars finally resolved their differences.
“He was in a place, and I was in a place, we were both in a bad place. When you’re both in a bad place and there’s no communication, you have to talk,” Hubert told PEOPLE in November 2021. “So it’s been wonderful, it’s been lovely to have him back in my sphere.”
Following her departure from the show, Hubert enjoyed a run on One Life to Life and has made appearances on Gilmore Girls, Friends, NYPD Blue and more. Most recently, she made her debut on General Hospital in 2018. In 2025, she was cast in the fourth season of Peacock’s reboot Bel-Air as a guest character.
She has one child, a boy named Elijah Isaac, whom she welcomed during her marriage to James Whitten, per USA Today. The actress has since remarried to husband Larry Kraft.
Daphne Reid as Vivian Banks
Daphne Reid took over the role of Aunt Viv after Hubert left at the end of season 3. Following her time on The Fresh Prince, Reid acted in shows like Eve and Jacqueline and Jillu.
More recently, Reid appeared in the 2019 Harriet Tubman biopic, Harriet, as Miz Lucy. She’s also an accomplished photographer and released a photography book called Doors in 2012.
The actress has been married to Sister, Sister alum Tim Reid since 1982, per WRIC, and has one child, along with two stepchildren.
Tatyana Ali as Ashley Banks
The youngest Banks child, we got to watch Ali grow up throughout the series. After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended, she graduated from Harvard in 2002.
Ali continued acting, landing roles in films such as The Brothers and Glory Road. Recently, she has starred in a string of Hallmark movies including Christmas Hotel, Christmas Everlasting and Wrapped Up In Christmas. She also acted in series like Buppies, Love That Girl! and on The Young and the Restless. Ali also enjoyed a music career, releasing Kiss the Sky in 1998 and appearing on Smith’s album, Willennium.
She shares two children — Alejandro Vaughn Rasberry and Edward “Aszi” Rasberry — with her husband, Dr. Vaughn Rasberry.
Karyn Parsons as Hilary Banks
Following her time playing the eldest Banks (and the most spoiled) child, Parsons acted in shows like Lush Life and The Job, and in films like The Ladies Man and 13 Moons. She took a prolonged break from acting after 2002, but returned to the screen in 2020’s Sweet Thing.
Parsons also founded the non-profit Sweet Blackberry and became a published author with her novel How High the Moon. She shares two children with director Alexander Rockwell, per the Calgary Herald.
Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey the Butler
Marcell played Geoffrey, the Banks’ butler with a dry sense of humor and a sassiness that just wouldn’t quit. Marcell has continued acting, enjoying runs on shows like The Bold and the Beautiful, EastEnders and a return to the stage. In 2012, Marcell played Leonato in the Globe Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.
He is married with two children.
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