Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990 to 1996, has joined the cast of the Peacock reboot “Bel-Air.”
In the series’ upcoming second season, Ali will recur as Mrs. Hughes, the middle school English teacher who sees something special in Ashley (played by Akira Akbar in this version), often giving her books from her personal collection. See a first look at Ali as Mrs. Hughes in a new trailer for “Bel-Air” Season 2 below.
“Bel-Air” is a dramatic reimagining of the original comedy series that follows Will’s (Jabari Banks) complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.
Season 2 picks up with Will at a crossroads as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season. Will and Carlton’s (Olly Sholotan) brotherhood starts to evolve as they grow closer, but still challenge each other about their differences. Hilary (Coco Jones) evolves as she rises in her influencer world, and that spills over into her relationship with Jazz (Jordan L. Jones). Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Phil (Adrian Holmes) balance marriage and family while trying to forge their own career paths and reconnect to the things that are important to them.
Based on a viral trailer created by Morgan Cooper, “Bel-Air” is executive produced by Cooper, Anthony Sparks, Malcolm Spellman, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, Andy & Susan Borowitz and Carla Banks Waddles, as well as TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, who served as showrunners on Season 1. Waddles showruns Season 2. The series hails from Universal Television.