Will Smith reveals Jabari Banks will play him in Fresh Prince reboot

By: Natasha Archary

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot has officially been given the green light and the star of the show confirmed. Will Smith surprised Jabari Banks with the announcement that he has been selected to replace him in the US sitcom.

The role catapulted Will to stardom in the 90s and the actor had been teasing his followers about a reboot since the reunion he held with fellow cast members on the original show.

Jabari Banks’ life is about to be “flipped upside down” as he takes on the role of the fictionalised version of Will Smith’s life.

As the opening tune suggests, Will was sent to live with his wealthy Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv in Bel-Air. After a couple of fights in his West Philly neighbourhood, his mom decided she’d had enough and sent him packing.

That’s when his life gets flipped around and the show centres around his engagements with his cousins Hilary, Carlton and Ashley. The original sitcom had a 6 season run with 148 episodes and ended in 1996.

Now 25 years later the sitcom is getting a fresh reboot with full support by Will Smith.

So who is Jabari Banks?

The youngster resides in West Philadelphia, which is fitting. He graduated from the University of the Arts last year and is an accomplished singer-songwriter, rapper and basketball player.

This will be his first acting gig but with Will’s guidance and thumbs up, it seems like he’s destined for great things.