Tatyana Ali Joins Season 2 of Bel-Air Cast In Recurring Role

The new season of the reimagined The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, simply titled, Bel-Air will hit the airwaves in February. A familiar face from the original series, which aired between 1990 and 1996, will be joining the cast in a recurring role.

According to Entertainment Tonight, with the release of the trailer for the upcoming season of Bel-Air, the original Ashley Banks, Tatyana Ali will be seen in season 2. The original Ashley will be seen as a mentor of sorts to the latest Ashley, played by Akira Akbar. Ali will play the role of an English Literature teacher at Bel-Air Middle School, Mrs. Hughes. She takes an interest in Ashley, seeing someone who has promise. She tries to help her by lending her some books from her personal collection.

Carla Banks Waddles, who is the showrunner and executive producer of Bel-Air, gives a brief synopsis of the second season which will premiere on February 23. In a written statement, she says, “In season 2, the show will continue to find ways to push the envelope and feel refreshing and unique while also honoring the heart of the legacy series… We love that the Banks family is aspirational, but more important, they’re accessible and grounded. This entire cast brings so much of themselves to this show —talent and enthusiasm, but also a real respect, genuine love and thoughtfulness for these characters and their relationships. I love talking with them and hearing how they see and experience these characters. It all leads to a very collaborative and rich storytelling process that feels authentic.”

Ali is just the latest original cast member to make an appearance on the show.

In the first season, Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played the role of Aunt Viv (She replaced Janet Hubert, who was the original Aunt Viv), and Vernee Watson-Johnson, who, as Aunt Viv’s sister, played the role of Will Smith’s mother Viola “Vy” Smith, appeared in the ninth episode. The two women played the roles of Helen and Janice, who are members of the Art Council Board of Trustees.

Last spring, Deadline reported that the series achieved the crown as the network’s most-streamed original series.

Tatyana Ali Joins Season 2 of Bel-Air Cast In Recurring Role