Tyra Banks is set to appear as a guest star in the fourth and final season of Peacock’s drama Bel-Air. The casting marks a poignant return for Banks, who first appeared in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air series more than three decades ago.
In Bel-Air, she will portray “a former college classmate with a big personality who Viv (Cassandra Freeman) is reluctantly reunited with,” according to casting announcements.
Banks’ original role in the Fresh Prince was Jackie Ames, Will’s ex-girlfriend from Philadelphia. She appeared in several episodes of the sitcom during the early 1990s.
Storylines, Nostalgia and Legacy
Bel-Air is a dramatic reimagining of the classic sitcom, with darker tones and modern conflicts. Season 4 will see Will (Jabari Banks) balancing high school pressures against family expectations.
Carlton (Olly Sholotan) will face the consequences of past decisions. Viv (Cassandra Freeman) will attempt a reinvention of self, navigating motherhood and identity. Hilary (Coco Jones) embarks on self-discovery; Ashley (Akira Akbar) enters high school with rebellion on her mind.
The season will also test loyalties between Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola). The narrative is designed to intersect with Fresh Prince history by reintroducing original-series actors in new roles.
Tyra Banks is now the fifth Fresh Prince alum to join Bel-Air’s cast, following Daphne Maxwell Reid, Vernee Watson-Johnson, Joseph Marcell and Tatyana Ali.
Showrunner Carla Banks Waddles leads this final season. Morgan Cooper is executive producer and will direct the final two episodes.
The final season of Bel-Air debuts Nov. 24 on Peacock.