List of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air characters

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The following is a list of characters from the NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Contents 1 The Banks family and friends 1.1 Will Smith 1.2 Carlton Banks 1.3 Phillip Banks 1.4 Hilary Banks 1.5 Vivian Banks 1.6 Ashley Banks 1.7 Nicholas "Nicky" Banks 1.8 Geoffrey Barbara Butler 1.9 Jazz 2 Recurring characters 2.1 Vy Smith-Wilkes 2.2 Lisa Wilkes 2.3 Jackie Ames 2.4 Hattie Banks 2.5 Joe Banks 2.6 Kellogg Lieberbaum 2.7 Tyriq Johnson 2.8 Trevor Collins/Newsworthy 2.9 Helen Smith 2.10 Janice Smith 2.11 Judge Carl Robertson 3 Other Characters 3.1 Lou Smith 4 Other guest stars 5 References

[edit] The Banks family and friends

[edit] Will Smith

• Nickname by Geoffrey: "Master William"
• Nickname by Jazz: "Prince"

William "Will" Smith (played by Will Smith) was born on July 3, 1973 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When Will was five, he was abandoned by his father, and was raised in poverty by his mother Viola. At 17, he engaged in a physical confrontation at a basketball court with a local bully named Omar. Because of this and other dangers of living in a ghetto, Will's mother placed her son in the care of his aunt Vivian and uncle Philip Banks in an affluent suburb in Bel Air, California.

Following Will's arrival in Bel-Air, he is greatly distant from the Banks family and is considered an outsider by many people in his Bel-Air neighborhood. He often disagrees with his cousin Carlton, whom he sees as not quite "black" because he doesn't talk in the whole "Yo Yo Yo" fashion like other blacks should do from his perspective. Despite their differences, Will grows extremely close to the Banks family, even turning down his mother when she offers to let him move back in with her again in Philly.

Will is often depicted as being immature, full of himself and hedonistic. He is a frequent womanizer who shows more interest in his own personal pleasures than his academic studies, although at times he has shown surprising moments of intelligence and academic success. However, Will is a good-hearted boy who never means any malice and whose more negative actions are caused by his immaturity and lack of foresight rather than unkindness. Although he often makes fun of the Banks, especially Carlton, he cares for them deeply and always tries to make up for what he does wrong. Out of the Banks family, he is closest to Ashley, who admires Will and is more understanding to his different lifestyle than the rest of them.

While Will sometimes thinks that Phil is being overprotective of Ashley, he himself can be. When Ashley asks him about sex, Will became terrified and said she needed a license. In the same episode, he and Carlton covered for Ashley when Phil and Vivian questioned the pamphlets that Will and Carlton got to educate themselves on how to get Ashley not to have sex, but ended up admitting they were for Ashley.

His father, Lou, who had abandoned him at childhood, returns in one episode. His dad promises to take him on the road with him, but later drops Will, which makes him upset. It was by then he realized Philip was the closest to a father he ever had.

During one of Will's visits back to his old neighborhood, he confronts the old park bully, Omar (depicted spinning Will over his head in the opening credits, which Will broke the fourth wall to explain), to restore his damaged reputation. When Will challenges him, he is startled when a reformed Omar refuses to fight. Omar misses Will, and through him Will gradually realizes that his reputation is not important, and returns to Bel-Air after being pulled back from Philadelphia by NBC Executives (who broke the fourth wall by replacing the bel-air in the show's logo with Philedelphia ).

At the conclusion of the show's run, the Banks family decided to settle in New York, while Will remained in Los Angeles to finish his last year of college. Will eventually has become considered a close member of the Banks family.

[edit] Carlton Banks

• Nicknames by Will: "C" "Carlton" (also "Stumpy," squidget, or basically any name pertaining to Carlton's small stature)
• Nickname by Geoffrey:"Master Carlton"

Carlton Banks (played by Alfonso Ribeiro), born August 4, 1974, is Vivian and Philip's son and Will's pedantic cousin.

Carlton is a quintessential preppy. While highly intelligent, he is commonly annoying and arrogant. Like many of his ilk, Carlton aspires to attend an Ivy League college. In earlier seasons, he states he aims to get into Yale University, but later fixes a determined focus on Princeton University, his father Philip's alma mater.

Carlton is a firmly conservative Republican and this often puts him at odds with Will. Although Carlton and Will often exchange insults,Carlton obviously cares about Will, referring to him as "the brother I've always wanted". At first it appears there is an antagonistic relationship between Will and Carlton, but in later seasons Will significantly warms to Carlton, ultimately accepting Carlton and the other cousins as the siblings he never had. On one occasion, Carlton is considerate enough to cover for Will when he is admitted to the hospital after having taken speed tablets from inside Will's locker, but allows his parents to think that Will saved him. He attributes this to "still being high at the time" when asked by Will why he covered for him. This spurs Will to admit responsibility to Uncle Phil; although Carlton did ingest speed, Will bore responsibility as he had accepted the pills from a schoolfriend, storing them in his locker, then absentmindedly said to Carlton he had a bottle of Vitamin E in his locker.

His role model is talk show host Bryant Gumbel and his favorite singer is Tom Jones. His favorite actor is William Shatner, whom he annoys by making lame Star Trek references. Carlton also idolizes Macaulay Culkin, whom he once dressed up as for Halloween. He is also a big fan of The Jeffersons and Beverly Hills 90210, the latter of which he is confident enough to admit to others, unlike Will, who scoffs at it in front of friends but confesses to Carlton he is a secret "90210" fan as well.

Carlton is similar to Family Ties character Alex P. Keaton in many respects: he dresses in a preppy style, has conservative political leanings, is obsessed with college and his future career, is fairly short, and does not enjoy the popular music of most people his age.

Carlton is often called upon to do a comic, usually improvised dance routine to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual." In earlier seasons, he makes frequent references to his virginity, and also plans to attend Princeton University. In later seasons, these arcs are both resolved:Carlston does indeed lose his virginity, but is not initially admitted to Princeton; instead he first attends the University of Los Angeles, where he briefly manages ULA's student store, the Peacock Stop.

Carlton also seems to have a gambling problem, and loses all of his money in any situation where gambling is involved and constantly imagines the gambling tables and slot machines talking to him, but seems fully aware that he is subject to compulsive gambling, and this limits his exposure to gaming. He usually declares that gambling is "evil" right before he goes all in and loses his and others' money. One exception to this was where he participated in a casino night, but that was done for charitable reasons and not for real money. Will took a bullet for Carlton when they were being robbed after using an ATM machine. Later in the episode, Carlton acquires a firearm, as the event heightens his awareness of the need for self-defense, but later disposes of the handgun upon Will's insistence.

One running gag in the show is Carlton continuously being slapped across the head by various characters, usually in response to comments that are ridiculously self-centered (in the second half of the show, for example, he would often make humorous comments about gaining his father's inheritance) or due to portraying ignorance of lives other than his own. Often Will would ask to hold what Carlton is holding and once receiving it he would slap Carlton across the head with the object (e.g. a folder containing Will's testament written by Carlton, in "Ill Will"). Carlton's height is frequently made fun of, especially by Will, who, in an episode, said he is the average height for a woman.

He is sometimes portrayed as being extremely naive. An example is when, in the episode Mistaken Identity, he and Will are arrested due to the racist police officers believing that they stole the Mercedes-Benz they are driving, which belongs to Philip's law firm partner, who requested Will and Carlton transport the vehicle to Palm Springs as a favor. At the end, Carlton insists that the policemen were only doing their job. However, he seems to wonder if they were wrong, as when he asks his father if he (Phil) were a policeman if he would pull over someone who was driving too slow, for which Phil answers: "I asked myself the same thing the first time I was stoped"; after that, Carlton seems in deep thought over the situation. Although he was portrayed early on as a snobby rich kid, Carlton evolved after having his view challenged when arrested for "stealing a car" and when Will is shot, Carlton is angered that the shooter will probably not face justice for harming Will.

In the sixth and last season, Carlton finally gains transfer admission to Princeton University (an unlikely situation, since Princeton does not accept transfer students^[1]) and leaves for the east coast in the series finale.

[edit] Phillip Banks

• Nickname by Will: "Uncle Phil"
• Nickname by Parents: "Zeke"
• Nickname by Carlton: "Big Guy" or "Dad"

Philip Banks, J.D. (played by James Avery) was born on January 30, 1945 in South Carolina. Philip was raised on a farm in Yamacraw, North Carolina, where he was referred to by his parents, Hattie and Joe Banks, as "Zeke" (a nickname for "Ezekiel", which may seem to be one of his names, although there's no mention of it in the series nor any official source that proves it). At age 16, he moved to Baltimore.

In the 1960s, he became an activist for the civil rights movement. He was present at the riots in Selma in 1965 and Watts Riots, and, in the pilot episode, he also mentions he heard Malcolm X speak. In 1963, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Princeton University, after which he went to Harvard Law School. In 1975, Philip was put on the board of the NAACP and was later awarded the Urban Spirit Award for his work in promoting civil rights. At first glance, Will had come to Bel Air with an attitude that because he came from West Philadelphia that he was hardened against anything and was dismissive of Phil and his family as too soft, until he is sternly rebuked by Phil, who reveals his past in seeing the turmoil that happened before Will was born and that it has been his hard work that has earned him a manor in Bel Air. Philip was also shown to have admired Ronald Reagan, namely because during the series run Reagan had retired from the presidency and moved into the same neighborhood as Philip's. Reagan was said to have declined party invitations until he appears at a traditional Christmas party of the Banks; ironically shown to be a friend of Hilary's.

At the beginning of the series, Philip is a lawyer with the firm of Firth, Wynn and Meyer (which Will humorously compares to Earth, Wind & Fire). In the third season, he is appointed to the judiciary; he becomes a judge after his ex-mentor, Judge Carl Robertson, who beat Philip by a landslide in the elections, dies suddenly, and the mayor appoints Philip to the position. Philip later considers making a deeper foray into politics, but decides against it when his wife disapproves.

After meeting and dating his future wife Vivian, he proposed to her while on live television during an episode of Soul Train. He claims to have been a lifelong fan of classical music, though Vivian rebuffs: "When we met, you were into James Brown!", which Philip rebuts by stating there is no law that says people cannot be fans of both.

Philip is a somewhat strict and gruff man, but he does have a softer side, and is an upstanding citizen. Nonetheless, his anger can get him into trouble at times, especially when he feels his image is being besmirched. Additionally, Philip can be financially greedy; he pays his butler Geoffrey a salary so low that Geoffrey quits after Philip gives him a mediocre additional annual raise, and only returns when Philip apologizes for taking him for granted and agrees to increase his salary, benefits and to hire more help during formal functions. In the series finale, when Geoffrey retires, Phil rewards him with both a large cash bonus and an expensive first class plane ticket to London, England. Similarly, while he always spoils Hilary, Philip refuses to increase the allowances of his children, although in later seasons he begins to tire of spending his hard-earned money on spoiling Hilary and becomes more gruff with Hilary to pay her own way in the world.

However, despite being a miser, Philip is a very caring and loving husband and father. He makes sure that he does what is best for all his children, including Will, for whom, despite being only related to him by marriage (and whom he sometimes grumbles about Will being a goof-off), he very much cares as his own son. Throughout the series, Philip has been there for his children in their time of need, which rubs off on Will as Will ultimately accepts Philip's children as the siblings he never had and sees that Philip is a genuine father-figure (as opposed to his true father). If anything, he will go out of his way to make sure his children make something of themselves. He will also fight fiercely to protect his family: When Will and Carlton were arrested for "stealing a car", when they were driving it for his law firm partner, Philip threatened to tie the police station up in "so much litigation that [their] grandchildren are going to need lawyers". He is overprotective of Ashley and has trouble with her aging, arguably as the youngest daughter he sees her as his "little girl".

A common occasion for humor on the show is Philip's portly shape and big appetite. Will commonly makes cracks about his girth, as does Geoffrey at times. Unfortunately, Philip's appetite has given him trouble and a heart attack.

Philip also reveals himself to be an amazingly adept pool player, showing his skill by out-hustling the pool shark who hustled Will at the pool hall. He has a personal cue stick, which he calls "Lucille", possibly after B.B. King's guitar, Lucille Ball, or Minnesota Fats' nickname for his pool cue.

"Oh my god, turkey… with pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes… butter drenched dressing… tiny onions… swimming in a sea of cream sauce… Sigh."

[edit] Hilary Banks

• Nickname by Will: "Hil"
• Nickname by Geoffrey: "Miss Hilary"

Hilary Violet Banks (played by Karyn Parsons), born October 8, 1968, is Will's attractive, but dull-witted, eldest cousin, known for her notable lack of intelligence, her pretentious attitude, for being spoiled, and her dependence on Geoffrey.

In earlier seasons, Hilary's snobbishness is emphasized, as well as her shallow trendy environmental activism. During this time, she often claimed to hobnob with celebrities and loved being mistaken by people for Whitney Houston. Later on, Hilary is written as a self-centered airhead; she looks down on Will's upbringing and is obsessed with shopping and money. However, despite her apparent shallow personality, she has a strong sense of integrity and shows obvious affection to her family members. Will gets along with her better than with Carlton. Hilary is portrayed as a stereotypical valley girl and speaks with some strong valspeak habits, in spite of her disdain for the San Fernando Valley (as evidenced from when she said, "And hell is like, the Valley.").

During the series, Hilary attends and drops out of UCLA, after which she begins a long streak of luck that eventually lands her a nationally-televised daytime talk show titled Hilary. It starts when she becomes a weather reporter at a local TV station, where she meets and falls in love with a television anchor Trevor Collins (portrayed by Brian Stokes Mitchell). However, Trevor dies in a bungee jumping accident while proposing marriage, part of an ill-conceived live televised event. At the conclusion of the series, Hilary's talk show moves to New York City, as does most of the rest of the Banks family.

Hilary's hair styles have changed as the series progressed; early in the series it was brown and bushy, it then became longer and curly with blonde highlights, but later it was black, straight, and shoulder-length.

[edit] Vivian Banks

• Nickname by Will: "Aunt Viv"

Vivian Banks (née Smith - maybe. as smith could be WIll's father's name not his mother's), born on October 21, 1951, was portrayed by Janet Hubert-Whitten from Seasons 1-3 and Daphne Maxwell Reid from Seasons 4-6. She has been a professor of Black History and Literature (Ph.D.) at UCLA since 1971, and in one early episode takes a temporary job as a teacher for a unit in Black History at Bel-Air Academy, the upscale preparatory high school attended by Will and Carlton. She has three sisters: Helen, Janice, and Will's mother Vy.

Vivian's personality and role in the show changes over the run of the series. During the Janet Hubert-Whitten years, she is a no-nonsense, vocally-talented, forthright, and career-minded woman who plays a part in the show equal to her husband Philip.

After Reid took the part in 1993 and baby Nicky was added to the cast, she was re-cast as a homemaker who showed reluctance toward ambitious career moves, such as Philip's political aspirations. The Reid-played Vivian spoke and appeared less than Janet (despite them both being on the show for an equal time) and was less fiery than Whitten was. She also supported her children in whatever they wanted, even if it was wrong. An example of this highly-permissive behavior is allowing air-headed Hilary to pose naked in a magazine, get abruptly married and have a seance, while it seems that Janet Hubert-Whitten's Vivian would have disapproved such attitudes; however, in the episode It's a Wonderful Lie, she's at Philip's side when he severely reprimands Ashley for having gone to a house party without permission.

The change between the two is the object of two humorous quotes from Jazz. One of them is in the fourth season premiere, when he remarks: "You know, Mrs. Banks, ever since you had that baby, there's something different about you"; after this, Will stares uneasily into the camera. The other is in an episode when he sees the suddenly grown Nicky and asks: "So, who's playing the mother this year?". Many people considered the change to be the "jumping the shark" moment of the show^[2].

[edit] Ashley Banks

• Nickname by Will: "Ash"
• Nickname by Geoffrey: "Miss Ashley"
• Nickname by Vivian and Philip: "Ashley Honey"

Ashley Banks (played by Tatyana M. Ali) is Will's younger cousin, born April 29, 1979. Ashley was Vivian's baby, and always loved being with her mommy. Phillip was always trying to control Ashley's life so she didn't become anything like regular teenage girls. Will's devil-may-care approach to life is an exciting alternative, which makes her generally more sympathetic and understanding towards him than other members of the Banks family; with that being, Ashley looked up to Will as a big brother and spent much time following him in her younger days.

Possibly because of Will's influence towards Ashley, she often acts rebelliously as she gets older, for which her father becomes very angry at Will. One of these moments is in the episode Father Knows Best, which shows that she had dropped out of her private school to go into a public school and was planning to hide this from her parents as long as possible. She also spends less time with Will and sometimes gets upset with him when he becomes overprotective like Philip.

Ashley matures much in the series; she is a one-hit wonder with her brief singing career^[3] and strives to become a fashion model.

In the series finale, Ashley decides to attend a performing arts school in New York City. As Hilary is moving to New York with her talk show, the two sisters decide to live together; they become extremely excited about the whole idea, much to the annoyance of Phillip, who doesn't want to lose his daughters.

In the episode where her brother Nicky is born, Ashley mentions she knew how to drive since she was 12 years old.

[edit] Nicholas "Nicky" Banks

• Nickname by Will: "little man "

Nicholas Andrew Michael Shawn Nathan Wanya Banks (Played by Ross Bagley from Season 5 onward) is born to Philip and Vivian on February 22, 1993, towards the end of the third season. Except by one episode, when Carlton calls him by his first name, every member of the family calls him by his nickname, Nicky.

The character was primarily used as a plot device, often adding motivation for other characters, comic relief, or an emotional punch to the show's storyline. In the fifth season, Nicky grows from a newborn infant to a preschooler, which is common in television series and soap operas. In the first episode to feature this change, Jazz expresses amazement while Will just stares uneasily into the camera.

His last four middle names are the names of the Boyz II Men members; he was middle-named this way after they performed at his christening.

[edit] Geoffrey Barbara Butler

• Nickname by Will: "G"

Geoffrey Barbara Butler (played by Joseph Marcell), born in England in August 1947, serves as the Banks family's cynical butler.

In addition to four years at the University of Oxford and a long career working for British aristocrats, Geoffrey was an Olympic runner several years before being hired by the Banks family, but fled his home country in shame after cheating in a race and being slapped by Queen Elizabeth II. In the 1970s, he was a butler for the band Led Zeppelin. In the early 80s, Geoffrey was sparring butler for Chuck Norris. In the episode Nice Lady, he reveals having practiced Greco-Roman wrestling in his youth.

Geoffrey's character changes over the series: in early episodes, he is very dutiful and gentlemanly, whereas he becomes very cynical in later episodes. Joseph Marcell explains that he began by playing Geoffrey as stereotypically English but then felt that the American audience was not accustomed to seeing Black Englishmen.^[4]

Geoffrey always refers to Will as "Master William" (except once in the last episode at Will's request) and the other Banks children as "Master Carlton", "Miss Hilary" and "Miss Ashley". Known for his sarcasm, he is the voice of caustic humor on the show, often commenting on Philip's weight, his own low pay, his lack of a social or romantic life, the overall laziness of the family, or Will's goofiness. However, Geoffrey did seem to impress women by having the confidence to be himself, such as when he was set up on a blind date with a Black Englishwoman (played by Naomi Campbell).

In early episodes, he has an interest in classical music and is often hinted at as leading a vibrant private life. Ironically, although a stickler for tradition, he incorrectly tells Will it is proper to refer to a butler by his first name, although this is possibly because his surname and job title are the same.^[5] He considers himself to be part of the English working-class, despite speaking the Queen's English and, in one episode, being wary of a relationship with a rich woman.

He becomes the godfather of Nicky Banks in the fourth season, because Vivian has tired of all the bickering amongst her sisters and noted that no one has been more devoted to her youngest son than has Geoffrey. Midway into the sixth season, Geoffrey discovers he has a son he never knew about, named Frederick, born to an ex-wife. During the same episode, it is also revealed that his middle name is "Barbara", which he explains is a "family name". In the series finale, Geoffrey leaves to be with his son in London; however, in a fourth season episode, a sequence set in 1998 (two years after the ending of the series) portrays him as still being the Banks family's butler.

There are two running gags centered around Geoffrey. One is that he is often compared to or confused with Benson, from the series with the same name. The other, which is more common is that whenever the doorbell rings, everyone continues with what they were previously doing, or look to Geoffrey, prompting Geoffrey to say "oh, please, will you let me get it this time?" or some variation, in a sarcastic tone.

He is very similar to Niles, from The Nanny, as they're both British butlers, both went to Oxford, and both have the same sarcastic personality.

Geoffrey is the first character that appears on screen in the pilot episode The Fresh Prince Project. He is seen going to answer the door to Will, who mistakes him for Philip.

[edit] Jazz

• Nickname by Will: "Jazz, man" (also "J")

Jazz was portrayed by Will Smith's musical partner Jeffrey A. Townes, popularly known as D.J. Jazzy Jeff. Jazz was born on May 20, 1971 and is Will's ill-mannered and dim-witted best friend who lives in the inner-city community of Compton, California. He was born stupid and has had a long crush on Hilary, and almost every time his advances are rejected. Jazz eventually marries a prison inmate named Jewel who had appeared on COPS. In an episode titled "Mother's Day", Jewel reveals that she and Jazz are expecting a baby, though no other mention of their child is ever made again. He divorces her shortly afterward, realizing he knows nothing about her and that her real name isn't even Jewel (it is Hortense). Jazz is almost completely tactless, and succeeds in insulting or irritating Philip almost every time they are together. He knows how to play the drums very well, and once gave Ashley a lesson. Jazz wears sunglasses in nearly every episode he is seen. In an early episode of season one, Jazz wears regular glasses for the entire episode instead of his trademark sunglasses. In another episode later in the series, Hilary asks her boyfriend to take off his glasses. Thinking she was speaking to him, Jazz charmingly removes his glasses, revealing his face.

In a recurring gag throughout the series, Philip usually ends up literally throwing or, as it was referred to the first time, dropkicking Jazz out of the house, though sometimes Hilary, Geoffrey, Vivian, and even Will (the only character other than Philip to do it more than once) throw him out. Whenever Jazz is thrown out of the house, he is usually wearing the same clothes; it was decided to use the same clip of Jazz being thrown out the front door as often as possible rather than returning to the exterior location each time (the reuse of the clip is evidenced by the sudden noise of a sprinkler whenever Jazz is thrown out). Will was once on the receiving end of this punishment after making egregious changes to Philip's political campaign tape in "A Night at the Oprah", and in a similar joke was thrown out of a nightclub while trying to dance with Geoffrey's blind date in "Kiss My Butler". During the Halloween episode "Hex and the Single Guy", Jazz got revenge by throwing Philip out instead, as the main plot to the story was that misfortune plagued the Banks family following a so-called "hex" from a con psychic communicator. This was later shown to be in a dream Will was having, though when he woke up, the dream appeared to be a premonition, and it was implied that the whole ordeal may truly happen indeed. There was also an instance where Jazz was standing outside of the house, taunting Philip because he was already standing outside; as a result, Philip throws him inside the house. In another episode, Jazz was thrown out in the backyard along with a cardboard cutout of Bill Cosby that he was lugging around. There was also a scene at Jazz's apartment in episode "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," where Jazz throws Will out of his apartment. In this same episode, it is briefly mentioned by Geoffrey that Philip did also throw Will out of the house onto the front lawn when he was leaving the house, but was never shown. There was a time when Vivian threw Jazz out through the back door for saying that he would bring a stripper to Will's birthday party. At the beginning of the episode 'Cased Up,' a nighttime version of the shot is used, with crickets as a sound effect.

Jazz's last appearance was in the first part of the series finale, where it was Uncle Phil's 50^th birthday. He gave Philip his grandmother's teeth as a gift - because Jazz thought Philip was getting old. Thus, Philip was once again angry and threw Jazz out of the house (it is actually mentioned that Philip broke his previous record in tossing him). This was Jazz's final appearance.

After the house had been sold and Will had found an apartment, Philip was the only person to mention Jazz when asking when he was coming by to help Will pack, to which Will responded, "As soon as you leave." Philip was not surprised, but he did want to wish Jazz luck in the future.

[edit] Recurring characters

[edit] Vy Smith-Wilkes

Viola "Vy" Smith-Wilkes, portrayed by Vernee Watson-Johnson, is Vivian's oldest sister and Will's loving mother. However, she is quite rude and violent to many around her. It was her idea that Will should go to Bel-Air to get a good education and avoid a life of violence in their West Philadelphia neighborhood. It was due to this she was a bit racist when Janice decides to marry Frank, a white man. Through by their next encounter she is more acceptable. Vy eventually marries Lisa Wilkes' father after Will and Lisa call off their second wedding attempt. Her maiden name and married name were previously the same, as Will's father was named Lou Smith.

[edit] Lisa Wilkes

Beulah "Lisa" Wilkes , portrayed by Nia Long, was introduced in the fifth season episode, "Will's Misery," as the girlfriend who tames Will into forsaking his womanizing ways. She also played Claudia in the episode "She Ain't Heavy", where she played the role of a stupid date Will took to the dance when Dee Dee (Queen Latifah) didn't answer his calls.

The two fall deeply in love and are engaged to be married, going so far as the ceremonies twice, but never actually tie the knot. The first time, they elope to Las Vegas and try a Shaft-themed wedding, but walk out on the ceremony after being interrupted so many times and realizing they weren't ready. The second time they try to get married, Will starts feeling some doubts, especially when he notices that, like Jazz, he also knows very little about Lisa, culminating in him asking if Lisa is her real first name, upon which she reveals it's actually Beulah. Will manages to overcome these doubts but Lisa reveals that she is also having doubts and the two decide not to marry. She is never seen again.

Lisa's father was memorably played by veteran actor John Amos.The night before the wedding Lisa and Will send Vy and Lisa's father to a restaurant to get to know each other and they are caught sleeping together. When Lisa and Will cut their second wedding short, he and Will's mother decide not to let the ceremony go to waste; they get married right then and there, Lisa and Will become step-brother and step-sister.

[edit] Jackie Ames

Jacqueline "Jackie" Ames was portrayed by Tyra Banks (credited as "Tyra") in a few episodes of the fourth season.

At first, Carlton believed that Jackie was "the girl of his dreams" after she told off some people who were making fun of his peacock costume (Carlton participated in football games as ULA's mascot, the peacock). Later that night, at a party, Will discovers that this girl Carlton was talking about was Jackie, a girl he had known but did not keep in touch with back in Philly. She is initially upset that he didn't call or anything, but she gets over it.

As manager of The Peacock Stop, Jackie is the object of Will's affection and frequent come-ons, but continually spurns his advances, deeming him too immature. The two were old childhood friends from Philadelphia, but she feels Will hasn't grown up since those days. There are certain innuendos indicating she still has feelings for Will. Jackie seems to warm more to Carlton, arguably because she sees him as more mature and stable than Will, although she is not as keen on dancing to Bobby Vinton as is Carlton. However Jackie moves on from Will for good when Will challenges a jock to a drinking game while at a stag party. After being rebuffed by both Will and the football player when she tries to stop them, she has Carlton drive her home and is never heard from again.

[edit] Hattie Banks

• Nicknames by Will: "Granny" or "DJ Granny"

Hattie Banks, played by Virginia Capers,^[6] is Philip's mother, having appeared in six episodes over the series' run. She forms a close affinity with Will (to the point where he sees her as his grandmother) and even falls for some of his pranks, much to Philip's irritation.

[edit] Joe Banks

• Nickname by Will: "Grandpa"

Joe Banks, played by Gilbert Lewis, was Philip's father, having appeared in only one episode, "Not With My Pig, You Don't". His death sometime later (offscreen) left Phillip and Hattie feeling lost.

[edit] Kellogg Lieberbaum

• Nickname by Will: "Cornflake"

Kellogg Lieberbaum (played by Michael Weiner) was a classmate and friend of Will and Carlton at Bel-Air Academy. Most of his appearances were in the first season, but he makes two appearances in the second season as well. As a pun on Kellogg's Corn Flakes, he is nicknamed "Cornflake" by Will. Much of the humor of his character comes from the dissonance of an unassuming Jewish preppie using such phrases as "She is one fly sister" and "Power to the people - say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud!"

[edit] Tyriq Johnson

• Nickname by Will: "Ty"

Tyriq Johnson, portrayed by Perry Moore, is one of Will's close friends in Bel-Air, who appears frequently in seasons 1 through 3, but ceases to appear on the show after Will and Carlton begin their studies at ULA. He is described in the second season episode "Eyes on the Prize" (wherein he and Jazz compete against Will and Carlton on a televised game show) as "Bel-Air's oldest tenth grader," a lover of frozen pizza, and a fan of Laverne and Shirley reruns. His father's name is also revealed as "Winky" in this episode.

[edit] Trevor Collins/Newsworthy

Trevor (portrayed by Brian Stokes Mitchell) was Hilary's news anchor fiancé back in 1992 and co-worker at the television station at which they both worked. Trevor often gave himself compliments. Also, he always left the air and the Banks' mansion by saying, "Goodnight and Godspeed." He was originally referred to as "Trevor Collins", but later episodes established his surname as "Newsworthy."^{[citation needed]} He eventually proposes to Hilary, but she insists that he officially proposes on live television later that day. Trevor then proposes to her on television while bungee jumping, and dies during the stunt when something goes wrong with the jump and he hits the ground. Hilary mourns his death by bringing back what she presumes to be Trevor's ashes in an urn, but later learns that Trevor was not cremated, and that she grabbed a stranger's urn. His death continues to haunt Hilary for the next few episodes and his memory, unlike almost everything else (including Trevor's very name), usually leaves her mind.

[edit] Helen Smith

Helen Smith, portrayed by Jenifer Lewis, is Vivian's loud-mouthed older sister. She has frequent marriage difficulties with her husband Lester, whom she finally divorces, leaving him with custody over their son Bobby.

[edit] Janice Smith

• Nickname by Will: "Aunt J"

Janice Smith, played by Charlayne Woodard, is the youngest of the Smith sisters, flighty according to Vivian, and married to a white man named Frank (portrayed by Diedrich Bader in Season 2, Robert Torti in one episode in Season 3), a marriage older sister Vy initially objects to. She also appears in the series with a baby son.

[edit] Judge Carl Robertson

Judge Carl Robertson was played by Sherman Hemsley. This man was a cunning lawyer and a one-time mentor to Phil. Judge Robertson visits a few times during the show, and is known for being eccentric and mischievous. He also appears to have become greatly absent-minded, but makes up for this with his boundless charisma.

Philip begins to question the competence of his mentor and runs against him in the race for court judge and loses, largely due to Robertson's outrageous smear campaign against Phil. However, at the victory party where he is confronted by Will, Judge Robertson suffers a fatal heart attack, although it appeared that he suddenly died at the "voice" of Will who inadvertently told him to drop dead. The incident leaves Will guilt-ridden, but at the funeral it is shown that quite a few people who knew the judge are quite happy to see him gone. They revealed that he was quite promiscuous and wrongly convicted those he prosecuted, and most of them attended just to make sure he was dead. The state then appoints Phillip to take Judge Robertson's seat.

Though this character dies in the third season, his other character George Jefferson from The Jeffersons makes a few guest appearances in the series. He has appeared in Season 5, where he is with his wife at counseling with Will and Lisa. He appears in the very last episode of Season 6.

[edit] Other Characters

[edit] Lou Smith

Lou Smith (played by Ben Vereen) was a one-time character, appearing only in the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse." He is Will's biological father, and a trucker. Lou abandoned his family when Will was 5-years-old, and explains his motives for leaving by saying he "felt trapped."

Lou drops in unannounced at the Peacock café where Will and Carlton work. Will invites Lou to the Banks' residence, but when he arrives, he is unwelcome; Vivian and Phillip want nothing to do with him, especially Phillip, who roars at Lou "how dare you show your face in my house". Will and his father go to a carnival where Lou explains to him he wasn't ready to be a father. When they return to the house, Lou announces that Will is joining him for the summer on a nationwide trip in Lou's truck. Philip objects to this because he believes Lou will let Will down again. After Lou leaves the mansion to go to the pool house, Will and Philip get into a heated argument that ended with Will berating Phil as he isn't his biological father. Philip is hurt and begins wondering if he is a good father to his other kids. He apologizes to Will the next day and wishes him good luck.

After a while, the family is still waiting for Lou to return. Lou eventually shows up, claiming them he has found a "big" new job that will not afford enough space for Will. Provoked, Philip challenges Lou, first by offering to buy Will a plane ticket to Augusta, Maine so Will can meet up with Lou, then by bluntly reminding him of his responsibility to Will, and explains that being there for his family is what a man does. However, Lou refuses to listen. Will then walks in before Lou can duck out, again. Lou tells Will that he can't take him along because of his job, and promises to call him "next week". Lou leaves and Will, feeling hurt and betrayed, rants angrily against his father before breaking down in tears. Having seen his father abandoning him a second time, Will accepts the fact that Uncle Phil is the closest to a father he's ever had.

During the beginning of the episode, Will had trouble referring to Lou as his father. However, in the amusement park, he finally felt close enough to his dad so that he could call him dad. When he comes to leave with his dad, he calls out, "Daddy-o!". However, when Lou tells Will he has to leave, Will replies with, "You too, Lou". In that one moment, all affection Will had regained towards his father was gone. Will was now reserved and formal once again, and had silently made the decision to never speak to Lou anymore.

The episode fades out with Will's sobbing as the only sounds being heard. The camera fades in on a statuette of an apparent father figure embracing his son in his lap, displaying the symbolism of a father always being there for his son. This gift had been purchased by Will, intending it for his father.

Although Lou never reappeared after this, Will was so hurt by the incident that he developed a deep resentment towards his father whenever he was mentioned. In a later episode, during a heated argument with Carlton, Carlton insulted Will by comparing him to his father. Angered, he calmly but clearly stated, "I am nothing like my father!" In an earlier episode before Lou's appearance, when Phil suffers a heart attack and Carlton is in denial, Will confronts Carlton to go visit Phil in the hospital. Will wins the argument using reverse psychology by reminding Carlton he has a father who is always there for his children when Wills asks Carlton "Do you know where my father is"? When Carlton answers in the negative, Will rebuts "Well, neither do I!"

It is unknown if Lou ever called Will again.

[edit] Other guest stars

• Michael Clarke Duncan
• Marc Thompson
• John Amos
• Vivica A. Fox
• Cree Summer
• Phil LaMarr
• Pat Morita
• Kadeem Hardison
• Queen Latifah
• Jasmine Guy
• Bo Jackson
• Quincy Jones
• Heavy D
• Tony Longo
• Chris Rock
• D.L. Hughley
• John Witherspoon
• Don Cheadle
• Vanessa Williams
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner
• Milton Berle
• Evander Holyfield
• Tom Lister, Jr.
• Jaleel White
• Tisha Campbell
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Boyz II Men
• Ben Vereen
• Kim Fields
• Tyra Banks
• Raven-Symoné
• Zachery Ty Bryan
• Robin Givens
• Brad Garrett
• Isiah Thomas
• Nia Long
• Jenifer Lewis
• Donald Trump
• Dick Clark
• Susan Powter
• Regis Philbin
• Robert Guillaume
• Sherman Hemsley
• Isabel Sanford
• Tevin Campbell
• Oprah Winfrey
• Lark Voorhies
• Isaac Hayes
• William Shatner
• Anna Maria Horsford
• Tom Jones
• Joan Van Ark
• B. B. King
• Zsa Zsa Gabor
• Genesis P-Orridge
• Ken Griffey Jr.
• Hugh Hefner
• Naomi Campbell
• Wayne Newton
• Richard Dean Anderson
• Bob Eubanks
• Jay Leno
• Stacey Dash
• Al B. Sure!
• Gary Coleman
• Tim Russ
• Allen Payne
• Kathy Griffin

[edit] References