00:00Where them dimes at?
00:01Hillary!
00:03Woo!
00:04Let's go find you something fit for a friend.
00:07What do you think?
00:09Incredible.
00:10Hi, everyone.
00:12Hello.
00:13How y'all doing?
00:14Doing good.
00:15How are you?
00:15I'm good.
00:16I'm blessed, you know.
00:17Love seeing all the melanin on the screen.
00:19I love this.
00:20Okay.
00:20We love it too.
00:21Yes.
00:23I want to say thank you so much for taking out the time to speak to me.
00:26I had the best time watching the show.
00:29It was, when I tell you, edge of my seat.
00:32It was so good.
00:34Y'all did such a phenomenal job.
00:36Thank you so much.
00:37We really appreciate it.
00:38And thank you for taking the time out as well.
00:39Anytime.
00:40So I first want to start by asking, how did you both receive the news that you were going
00:45to be part of Bel Air?
00:46What was the audition process like for you?
00:48So for me, the audition process was kind of funny because I think I misrepresented what
00:55I thought they wanted for Hillary.
00:57So I kind of played her similar to the OG Hillary.
01:02And then I had this conversation with Morgan that kind of like switched my perspective to
01:07just make her like more like me, just driven, confident, go-getter type girl.
01:12And so I kind of changed the way that I played my character in the audition.
01:15And when I found out I got the part, it was after like a couple of rounds of auditioning
01:21and I was supposed to do a chemistry read.
01:23I didn't end up doing it.
01:24So I was like, okay.
01:25They were like, they're just going to use your most recent self-tape.
01:27And I was like, okay, I had some things I was planning to do a little differently,
01:30but okay, sure, sure.
01:31And then I got a call like maybe like a day or so later and my manager let me know that
01:37I got the part and I was screaming.
01:39Then I called my family and I was just super excited.
01:43So for me, the audition process was honestly like, it was quick, but like kind of not quick,
01:51but I had an audition and you know, it's not in person because of COVID.
01:55So I was like, oh dang.
01:57Okay.
01:58I had an audition.
01:59Then the next day I had a call back and then I was like, oh, I got this for sure.
02:03And then I didn't hear anything for a couple of days.
02:05And I was like, oh dang, I didn't get this for sure.
02:08And then like the next week I got the call that I got the role and I was so excited.
02:13Like my mom, she picked me up from school and then she told me to call my manager
02:16and I thought I was in trouble or something.
02:18I was like, oh my God, what happened?
02:19And then she was like, how do you feel about getting the role of Ashley?
02:23I was like, are you joking with me?
02:25Like, it's a for sure.
02:26I was so excited.
02:27Yeah.
02:28I called up my family and told them.
02:29And Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is obviously like a huge staple in black culture.
02:34So how would you say that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played a huge role for each of you growing up?
02:41I think the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played a role in just representation of a black family,
02:48of love, of different storylines, different shades of beautiful black people.
02:56And I think it also, for me personally, just inspired me like to see people that were looking
03:02like me that also were doing something that I wanted to do.
03:05Like it just further encourages you that it's possible for you as well.
03:09Just watching a black family on screen just is inspiring in general, especially with Ashley.
03:16I feel like a lot of people wanted to dress like her and be like her.
03:19And I know that for my mom, my mom definitely said that she wanted to dress like Ashley and
03:24be like her.
03:25So, you know what I'm saying?
03:27Yeah, I do.
03:27I think that's something that we are also further perpetuating in Bel-Air is like representation
03:33in different styles.
03:36Like you don't have to be one certain type of black girl.
03:39You don't have to be put in any type of box.
03:42Like there's such different storylines and there's such a change of pace that we're creating
03:47with Bel-Air that's like so refreshing and hopefully will encourage more people to be
03:52inspired and to create stories like this one.
03:54Yeah, I feel like that's also what we show is the reality of a rich black family because
04:00there's a lot of expectations that come to it.
04:02But we just show the true meaning of what it's like being a rich black family.
04:07And being family like there's there's good and there's bad, there's beautiful and there's
04:11ugly, but the center of it all is love.
04:12And I feel like that's what the Fresh Prince really translated.
04:15And that's what we're trying to do as well, just in the modern day.
04:18And I love that on Bel-Air, Ashley and Hillary are so different than when we met them
04:24on the original show, like the fact that Ashley came out the gate talking about climate change
04:29was like, whoa, this is not the same Ashley Banks.
04:32And then with Hillary, the fact that she's so passionate about her career and, you know,
04:37the people who follow her and really talking about, you know, the racial injustice of black
04:42women, whether it be in media, entertainment, culinary arts.
04:46Like, I love the fact that, you know, there's so much dimension in these characters.
04:51So when you when you two ladies saw these new attitudes and these new like approaches
04:57to the characters, what were your thoughts?
05:00OK, I mean, I was very appreciative that these stories get to be told because it's so often
05:09that like the issues that we go through are silenced and like made less important.
05:17And, you know, as black people, we just overcome and we don't really get to like express all
05:22the emotions and that be like, OK, at times.
05:25So for me, I'm really excited to have somebody who is going through a similar journey, like
05:30maybe just like Hillary, they're like feeling that they're overly sexualized or feeling like
05:35they're told that they need to like dial back their culture to like fit into a role.
05:40And I've dealt with these things as well, being in the industry and being dark skinned.
05:43But like having that voice to be able to be like, this is actually an important story
05:48like that to me is inspiring just to like further make people feel heard.
05:52And also it's 2022, like life isn't all like beautiful and chocolates and sparkles like
06:00there's real stories and they're ugly sometimes, but like they're relatable.
06:04You feel them, you know, and that's what our goal is to make people feel like we get you
06:09because we are you.
06:10We are all living a similar human experience just in different ways.
06:14And when it comes to, you know, the overall direction of Bel Air, how involved were you
06:20two and the rest of the cast involved in the writing process and the character development
06:24of each of your storylines?
06:26I will say that I feel like there was a lot of openness and that's what makes this show
06:33feel so authentic.
06:35It's hard to play a black character when it's not written by black people or anyone
06:40who knows anything about black history and black culture.
06:43It feels very forced and fake.
06:45But because we have so many people who really walk the walk and talk the talk hands on in
06:50our project, they give us the opportunities to be like, I really wouldn't say that.
06:53Like, I really wouldn't wear my hair like this.
06:55Like, you know, the things that are important to us as black women, like beauty and feeling
07:00confident, feeling like we're lit well and feeling like we look good and like we feel
07:05comfortable, like all these things like we were heard for sure.
07:08And I think everyone just wants the show to be as well done as possible.
07:14And when you like don't when you when people don't have a voice, they don't really get to
07:18portray the characters to the best of their ability.
07:20So I think TJ and Sheed and and of course, Morgan, they give us like the freedom to be
07:27authentic and the freedom to like put our two cents in and not feel like we're stepping
07:30on somebody's toes and not feeling like, hey, you're lucky to be here.
07:33Just say your lines like, no, it's like, help us help you help us help the world.
07:38Like what do you feel like you would really say?
07:40Yeah.
07:40And I feel like we all put a little bit of ourselves into each of our characters.
07:44And that's what really makes our characters them.
07:46And like, yeah, definitely everything that we do, like it feels authentic to us.
07:51It's not nothing's being forced, especially being with the whole family.
07:54We're all we're all pretty close.
07:56Yeah.
07:56So nothing's fake.
07:58I mean, what you see on camera is what you see in real life.
08:01Yeah.
08:01And of course, we're playing roles.
08:02But like who we are and like how we portray these characters, it feels very authentic to
08:08us.
08:08And we all have cultivated these characters and made them our own in like ways that I feel
08:14like as you guys watch, you will just fall in love with it.
08:17Yeah.
08:18And then when it comes to a particular scene where Hillary took it upon herself to use her
08:25platform, her 75,000 followers to talk about what she had experienced with whole cooking,
08:31like what do you think was the significance of demonstrating?
08:35And this is for both of you ladies.
08:36What do you think was the significance of demonstrating the power of social media and the voice of black
08:41women through that scene?
08:43Well, for me, I, I personally relate to that scene so much because I kind of told my journey
08:49of being like a child star in this industry on my social media, just raw and real and very
08:55transparent.
08:55And it was super scary for me because one on one side, I didn't feel like people cared,
09:00like crying, sad black girl.
09:03Like that's just not, that's not an eye catcher.
09:06That's how I felt.
09:07And then on the other side, I felt like, you know, if you talk too much, then you could
09:12possibly be counted out when it's the next opportunity.
09:16You know what I'm saying?
09:16Like sometimes it's intimidating to like have a voice.
09:18It's not a popular opinion.
09:20So for me, when I did take that leap and when I did just tell my truth, the amount of support
09:26that I got was like overwhelming and super inspiring.
09:31It just kept me going.
09:33So I feel like it's important to tell these, these black stories because you never know
09:38like who's really looking and who's really watching and who's really rooting for you.
09:42And then you tell your story and somebody else is uplifted too.
09:46It's all about like passing on that motivation and working hard so that the people that are
09:51looking up to you who want to do the same things, they don't have to work as hard opening
09:54doors and hoping that somebody else can walk in them as well.
09:57I feel like Hillary showing these not so perfect moments is just showing people the reality
10:01of being an influencer because people think that it's all like lavish and perfect and oh
10:07my gosh, I'm living life and stuff.
10:09It's not really like that.
10:10So hopefully people get the idea of how it's really like, and then my last question for
10:16you ladies, without giving too much away, because we're excited to see the rest of the
10:19season.
10:20What else can we expect from Hillary, from Ashley, from Carlton, from Will and from the rest of
10:25the Banks gang?
10:26I will say all of these storylines are really risky in a way.
10:33I mean, it's different from what people have known and loved with the Fresh Prince.
10:39But it's different in a good way, in a way that I think people will be pleasantly surprised.
10:47You can expect drama.
10:51There's a lot of drama, a lot of twists and turns and a lot of interesting predicaments
10:56that we find ourselves in that remind us of the situations we get in in life.
11:01You know, a lot of relatability and definitely a lot of love and a lot of support and growth.
11:09Ladies, thank you so much for taking out the time to speak to me today.
11:12Like I said, I absolutely love Bel Air.
11:15Like, you know, with the reboot, you never know exactly what you're going to get.
11:17But y'all hit the nail on the head with this one.
11:19It was absolutely incredible.
11:21You and the entire cast and crew put your foot in it.
11:24I'm so excited.
11:25And, you know, from my lips to God's ears, this is not the last time we're going to talk
11:28for Essence.
11:29Amen and amen and amen.
11:30Thank you so much.
11:31Have a good day.
11:32Have a good one.
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