Jimmy Akingbola Says He Initially Chose Not to Audition for His Role in Peacock's "Bel-Air"

Akingbola shared that, coincidentally, in the 1990's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played a huge part in his feeling represented while he was growing up in the U.K. along with shows like House Party and A Different World and films like Coming to America and Soul Food. "I remember the first time I saw Juice with Tupac Shakur," he said. "Being a young Black man in the U.K., those [shows] all really spoke to me. It wasn't just about representation, it was also about the aspiration to be you and be the best version of yourself and make something of your life. That really spoke to me coming up in a working-class family."

Prior to booking Bel-Air, Akingbola was starring opposite Idris Elba in the Sky One comedy In the Long Run which, like many productions, faced some delays in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. "I was already in London filming and I was due to come back and get into the swing of things," he recalled. "Then I got a self-tape [for Bel-Air] and I actually turned it down at first. The age they were looking for was mid-to-late fifties and I thought, 'I’m not that old yet!'" he laughed. "But my agents said it was a typo and the creative team really wanted to see me, so I sent the tape and I just felt it instantly. I thought, 'I really know this character.'

"I watched the trailer that [co-creator] Morgan Cooper had done and felt I could really do something with this," he continued, referring to a trailer that was written and directed by Cooper that showed a more dramatic retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It quickly went viral and even earned praise from original series star Will Smith. It was later in September 2020 that Peacock won a bidding war and picked up the series for two seasons.

Akingbola revealed that once booked, he and Cooper had many conversations about how Geoffrey would be different from his original depiction, arguably the most different out of everyone else in the cast. "Morgan and I spoke about Geoffrey a lot, and we didn't want to display anything of the old version. We felt that the 'Black help' in 2023 was a no-go. But also, I was keen not to create a stereotype and wanted to create a character that was authentic. Anyone that was from London could think, 'I know someone like that who is both streetwise and book smart.' But he has all the elements from the original; he's charming, he loves the children, he's respectful. What I love about this version of Geoffrey is that he's equal to Uncle Phil. They're brothers. That's why that scene where Phil tells him, 'You work for me' was so heartbreaking."

Just like the series took on a new genre, Akingbola found himself having to channel his dramatic theater roots since the bulk of his recent work in television was in comedy. "From doing In the Long Run and Kate & Koji, both of which are comedies, I was used to lots of dialogue and being in every scene, every day. On Bel-Air, I learned that less is definitely more. I had less dialogue but it makes you work even harder to go into a scene where you only have a few lines but you have some crucial beats that you need to hit. Its very challenging. But I’ve enjoyed that challenge and the response from the audience has been amazing."

Asked what advice he would give his thirteen-year-old self, Akingbola replied, "You’re enough. Continue to dare to dream, but dream bigger. With my documentary Handle With Care, I made a film about my journey as a kid coming out of foster care and now being here in Hollywood. I must have had the conversation with myself because I'm living my dream and I'm just getting started."

Bel-Air andHandle With Care are available on Peacock.

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