Yahoo News Bel-Air's Jimmy Akingbola opens up on how his Geoffrey differs from original
Bel-Air, the modern interpretation of classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, begins today (February 14) on Sky.
This new version takes the premise of the original version, that a young man is sent to live in Bel-Air with relatives in a fancy mansion after getting into a fight back in West Philadelphia. Unlike the original, this is less of a comedy and more of a drama, telling stories about multiple issues from a Black perspective.
Related: Is Fresh Prince reboot Bel-Air worth watching?
One of the funniest characters was Geoffrey, the butler with an endless supply of sassy comments and eye-rolls, brilliantly portrayed by Joseph Marcell.
Now Geoffrey is being played by Jimmy Akingbola (who once played Marcell's son in an episode of Death in Paradise), and the character's penchant for a dry quip has had to be re-tooled to fit the new show's format.
"[My Geoffrey's] got a different kind of swagger," Akingbola told Sky News. "He's street smart and book smart, he's a chameleon, he's a shapeshifter, so he knows what it's like on the streets and he knows what it's like in high society mansions or the corporate rooms."
Related: How to watch Bel-Air in the UK and US
The actor also revealed that the OG Geoffrey gave him his blessing once he found out about the casting, stating that Marcell said: "Jimmy, congratulations, all of us are so happy for you guys. Run with it. It's going to be a hit. We think you're all amazing."
It was a "moving moment", Akingbola added, stating that the blessing of people like Marcell and Will Smith removed the pressure from the new cast.
Bel-Air is available to watch on Peacock in the US with new episodes releasing weekly on Sundays. In the UK it's available on Peacock on Sky and NOW, with new episodes releasing weekly on Mondays.
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