Actor stars as Carlton in ‘Bel-Air’ reboot of ‘Fresh Prince’

(NewsNation Now) — The “Fresh Prince” reboot “Bel-Air” premieres Sunday on Peacock. Olly Sholotan, the new Carlton Banks, joined “Morning in America” to share his excitement about the reinvention of the classic sitcom.

“I saw the script and what they’ve done with this version of Carlton and I was like, I can do that,” he said.

The series will be an in-depth take on the original sitcom, in which a West Philadelphia teen moves in with his wealthy aunt and uncle to escape troubles back in his old neighborhood.

Sholotan said the characters are more complex this time around.

“In the original show, a lot of Carlton’s struggles are played for laughs. A lot of his issues surround coming to terms with his Blackness and his identity as a Black American. But in this version, we really take it seriously. There’s an element of mental health and the discussion around that,” he said.

The actor, 23, said he grew up watching reruns of the show and is excited to be a part of the new cast. He said he has yet to connect with the real Carlton, Alfonso Ribeiro, but said he hopes they “have lunch soon.”

The reimagined series was birthed out a 2019 fan-made short by Morgan Cooper, “Bel-Air” creator, writer and director. The drama series is executive produced by Will Smith.