Will Smith Makes Surprise Cameo on “Bel-Air” Series Finale 29 Years After“ Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ”Ended
- - Will Smith Makes Surprise Cameo on “Bel-Air” Series Finale 29 Years After“ Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ”Ended
Julia MooreDecember 10, 2025 at 4:11 AM
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Peacock
From Left: Jabari Banks and Will Smith in the 'Bel-Air' series finale -
Will Smith appeared in the series finale of Bel-Air as an unnamed person offering advice and comfort to Jabari Banks' character
Bel-Air, which first premiered in 2022, is a modern-day retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air executive produced by Smith
The reboot's creator said that having Smith, 57, appear in the finale was "unforgettable" and the "perfect way to cap off" the show
Will Smith will always be synonymous with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — and in the series finale of Bel-Air, he returned to the iconic franchise.
The Peacock reboot series reimagined the beloved '90s sitcom, with Jabari Banks playing Will in a modern-day retelling of the character's cross-country move with his family.
In the season 4 finale, which debut on Monday, Dec. 8 and also marked the series' conclusion, Smith, 57, made his first and only appearance in the show, which he executive produced.
He appeared alongside Will at the end of the finale as an unnamed character who was referred to solely as "OG," but who offered advice to the young man who was nervous about returning to Philadelphia for college after settling into his life in California.
Bel-Air creator Morgan Cooper told Entertainment Weekly that it was "unforgettable" seeing Smith and Banks, 27, together on set to film the final scene. "To see Jabari and Will together just felt like a full circle moment. It was seven years in the making for that moment to happen," he said.
Peacock
From Left: Jabari Banks and Will Smith in the 'Bel-Air' series finale
"It took me back to 2019 when I first met Will Smith, and we were down in Miami developing the show," Cooper said. "To be standing there behind [the] monitor, calling action for my hero... it was just such a blessing and I'm so proud of the quality of work that they delivered."
He told TVLine that bringing the two Wills together was the "perfect way to cap off this seven-year journey of bringing Bel-Air to life."
"I'm so proud of Jabari, because to stand and act with Will Smith, you know, he's the most iconic actor of our time. Jabari approached that scene with so much heart and so much fearlessness," Cooper said. "Those are big shoes to fill, and every step of the way, he has risen to the occasion. I couldn't be more proud of him."
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Having the iconic actor make an appearance in the finale was always part of the plan, showrunner Carla Banks Waddles told Deadline. "When we pitched the season out early from the writers’ room, [Smith] was a part of it," she said.
She added, "We were like, 'This is the season. We want him in the finale, and we know he wants to do the show. We’ve always wanted him on the show, and now’s the time, because there’s no more show after this.' "
Peacock
From Left: Jabari Banks and Will Smith in the 'Bel-Air' series finale
The actual logistics of getting him on set to make the moment happen was a different beast altogether. In fact, they wrote two different endings to the show just in case Smith wasn't able to swing it.
"We found out about two weeks before that he’s going to be able to get back to the States and do it," Waddles revealed. "As you can imagine, he’s got an uber-busy schedule. We had days when we had given up hope, and others where we were like, could it be? I’m just glad that it worked out."
In a statement shared by Peacock, Banks said what it meant to share the screen with Smith — especially with this being the final conclusion for the series. "His cameo in Bel-Air feels like a truly poetic return, and I'm beyond excited for fans — not only of our show, Bel-Air, but of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — to experience it and feel that full-circle moment for themselves," he said.
All four seasons of Bel-Air are now streaming on Peacock.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
