Showrunner of Bel-Air opens up about Joseph Marcell’s surprise appearance and Will Smith’s potential role

Bel-Air showrunner Carla Banks Waddles recently talked about season 3 of the reimagined Will Smith sitcom from the 90s. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, August 23, she mentioned what it took to fly Joseph Marcell from London to Los Angeles for a cameo appearance. She also shed light on Will Smith possibly joining the cast.

Waddles shared that some of the OG Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast members were "great and responsive" when they were asked to cameo in the reboot. However, they wanted to stay "very conscious" about bringing somebody who would feel organic to the current storyline. As for Marcell's latest cameo as Roman in Bel-Air season 3 episode 6, she said:

"When you see his [Marcell] character this season, he was perfect for the storyline that we had in mind."

However, getting the 75-year-old actor on board wasn't a piece of cake as Waddles stated. For the uninitiated, Joseph Marcell resides in London, and at the time of the Bel-Air shoot, the actor was working in a play "five days a week with no understudy."

With the logistics, Waddles said that they could only fit him for a day of filming. Talking about how they made the tight schedule work for the crew and Marcell, she said:

"It was a small window of opportunity to get him here, so I'm very proud of [executing] that."

As for more Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast members making a cameo in the reboot, Waddles expressed that she is hopeful that they can fit Will Smith into the reboot's storyline.

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Bel-Air showrunner says that she would love to find a role for Will Smith in season four

Carla Banks Waddles is particularly keen on finding a role for Will Smith to join the cast at some point. When asked about the possibility of his cameo, she told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday:

"I'd love, in a world of a season four, to find a role for him. I think the fans would love it. We would love it. The cast would love it."

That said, there are no fixed plans on how that would work for the reboot, but Waddles mentioned that they initially planned to have the actor in the reboot since the first season. She said that they discussed with the Bad Boys actor about playing Lou (Will’s father), but they thought that it "felt a little too meta." In the end, they nixed the idea, and the production eventually cast Marlon Wayans for the role.

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With Joseph Marcell's successful cameo in season 3 as Roman, fans anticipate that more members from the OG cast will appear in the reboot.

Bel-Air season 3 is currently streaming on Peacock, with new episodes released every Thursday. The reboot brings Will Smith (played by Jabari Banks) from West Philadelphia. He is sent to Los Angeles to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle (Vivian and Philip Banks). Will starts working at a country club and establishes his own lifestyle brand called Blackccess.