ACTOR OLLY SHOLOTAN CATCHES US UP ON SEASON 3 OF THE HIT SERIES, BEL AIR
/Season 3 of the hit series Bel Air is filled with surprises, guest appearances and some lighter moments for star Olly Sholotan.
In the series Bel- Air actor/musician Olly Sholotan stars as Carlton Banks, the lacrosse-playing middle child of Viv and Phil and Will's cousin. The series follows Will Smith's complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. It dives deep into racial tension, culture shock, and the elitist world of the black bourgeoisie.
Developed by Morgan Cooper, Malcolm Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson, it is a reimagined version of the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and is based on Cooper's short fan film of the same name.
It stars Jabari Banks, Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones. The series premiered on on February 13, 2022.The second season was released on February 23, 2023. In March 2023, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on August 15, 2024 in the U.S. and on Aug 19th in Canada.
There's a few huge bombshells, like the return of Will's dad Lou (played by Marlon Wayans), the comeback of Fresh Prince icon Joseph Marcell (who played the original Geoffrey in the ‘90s series), the reveal of Carlton's new, complicated romantic interest, and the seeming deterioration of both Hilary and Jazz’s relationship and Viv and Phil's marriage. Will they all make it through?
“Carlton has a theme of this season: 'You can't heal what you don't reveal,' which is something he's learning to go through on his own in rehab, in his addiction journey, and in his return that I think everybody will feel the impact of,” showrunner Carla Banks Waddles toldm Teen Vogue exclusively. “Will may be wanting to avoid some tough conversations and hard things with his dad, but it's still very much there. Pushing him to heal and go through the fire and have those tough conversations with Lou this season is to see the evolution of what they could become.”
I had the opportunity to catch up with Olly Sholotan via ZOOM to discuss Season 3, how playing Carlton has changed his life and if we will ever see him on Dancing With the Stars.
Bel-Air Season 3, can currently be seen in Canada on Showcase & STACKTV.