TLDR: Jabari Banks had never acted on screen before landing the lead role of Will in Bel-Air, a part he learned he’d won directly from Will Smith over video call. Most coverage of his casting repeated a detail about his background that isn’t quite true, though the real story is arguably more interesting anyway.
Jabari Banks had never taken on a screen acting role before being cast as Will in Bel-Air, making the entire production his television debut.
He built his skills instead as what one of his college instructors called “a jack of all trades”: a singer, songwriter, rapper, and basketball player, the same combination of talents widely associated with the character he’d go on to play.
His Real Background Isn’t Quite What Most Coverage Claimed
Much of the press around Banks’s casting described him as being from West Philadelphia “just like the character,” a detail that made for an appealingly neat parallel to Will Smith’s own real hometown.
Local Philadelphia reporting found that framing wasn’t quite accurate: Banks was actually raised in Atlanta and attended high school at Riverside Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
What is true is that Banks has real family in Philadelphia and built his formal training there, graduating from the city’s University of the Arts with a bachelor’s degree in musical theater in 2020.
His acting program director there, Justin Luján, described him plainly: “He sings, he dances, he acts, he raps, and he plays basketball, which is what got him this role. And in that way, he’s like Will Smith.”
He Found Out He Got the Part on Camera, Wearing an Ironic T-Shirt
Banks learned about the open role after his father sent him a news article about it, and he auditioned with his father’s help.
Two months later, Smith personally delivered the news over a video call, wearing his own genuine excitement plainly: “From the deepest parts of my heart, I want to say congratulations to you. You have the role of Will.”
Banks, caught on camera wearing a T-shirt reading the ironically misspelled “HARVERD,” responded that he was “so ready” and “ready to bite down.”
He later revealed he’d once convinced a group of high school friends to dress up as the entire Fresh Prince cast alongside him, years before he’d ever imagine actually playing the lead role himself.
Will Smith Became a Real Mentor, Not Just a Predecessor
Banks has said Smith’s support went well beyond the casting announcement itself. “Will was very supportive early on. He said he wanted to be to me what Quincy Jones was to him,” Banks said, describing conversations about the entertainment industry and his career that extended far past discussing the character itself.
He Built a Real Music Career Alongside Acting
Banks signed with Epic Records in December 2023, releasing his debut single, “Something Else,” that same month under the stage name Jabari, marking a genuine parallel music career running alongside his acting work on the show.
Saying Goodbye to the Role Was Genuinely Emotional
After three years playing the role, Banks described his final day filming Bel-Air as an overwhelming experience. “There were a lot of tears and reminiscing,” he said. “It’s like graduating high school.
When it’s time to say goodbye, it sucks.” You can read more about the show’s real origin story in our full guide to Bel-Air.
Jabari Banks, Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jabari Banks really from West Philadelphia like his character?
Not quite. Despite widely repeated reporting to that effect, local Philadelphia coverage found he was actually raised in Atlanta and attended high school in Maryland, though he does have real family ties to Philadelphia and trained there at the University of the Arts.
How did Jabari Banks find out he got the role in Bel-Air?
Will Smith personally told him over a video call, telling Banks, “You have the role of Will,” a moment that was later shared publicly.
Does Jabari Banks have a music career?
Yes, he signed with Epic Records in December 2023 and released his debut single, “Something Else,” that same month under the stage name Jabari.
Had Jabari Banks acted before Bel-Air?
No, the role of Will marked his television and acting debut, following training in musical theater at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
