1990s Vs. 2020s: Side-By-Side Pics Of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Cast

There's a special place in TV history — and in our hearts — for the '90s sitcom, and chief among them is "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which ran on NBC for six seasons. You know the story: A teenage boy from "West Philadelphia, born and raised" is sent to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in the ultra-wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood. Whether you watched "The Fresh Prince" when it aired (from 1990 to 1996) or discovered it more recently thanks to streaming, it's easy to understand why, all these years later, it's still woven within the cultural zeitgeist. And we certainly haven't forgotten the leading ladies who helped to make the show a success.

Karyn Parsons played spoiled shopaholic Hilary Banks, Tatyana Ali played her younger, oft-rebellious sister Ashley Banks, and we got Aunt Viv times two. Janet Hubert played the matriarch for the first three seasons and Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role for the final three. Though many years have passed since the show wrapped, all of these women are still gorgeous, and often embracing hints of the styles they demonstrated onscreen.

"The Fresh Prince" had everything that makes '90s sitcoms so yummy: lovable characters, hilarious one-liners, and outrageous scenarios that got wrapped up after 22 minutes with a moral message. Another thing that made "The Fresh Prince" so special to so many people? It revolved around an affluent Black family and paid great respect to R&B and hip-hop, and African American culture in general. It's no wonder why checking in with the iconic cast of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" today feels like settling in with a big bowl of nostalgia. So, let's dig in. 

Few nailed the poor little rich girl character quite like Karyn Parsons' portrayal of Hilary Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." With nail polish in one hand and daddy's credit card in the other, Hilary was a true '90s it-girl. The beloved brat's spunky outfits still show up at Halloween parties today. In short: Hilary is one the pop culture style icons you should let influence your wardrobe.

Parsons had nabbed a couple small jobs before, but she properly broke into the acting industry via her role on "The Fresh Prince," which aired a month before her 24th birthday. She told Today in November 2020 that during the first season, before audience feedback came in, she wasn't sure whether viewers would like Hilary. Parsons said, "I think with her, she's, you know, so self-centered and seemingly myopic, but at the same time, she's very focused and determined and has confidence. You know, the confidence we all wish we had. If she wants to do something, she knows she can do it."

Since "The Fresh Prince" wrapped, Parsons has continued to work, even doing some voice acting. In February 2026, Parsons walked the red carpet at the Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, ahead of the screening of "The Projectionist," the film she stars in alongside Michael Buscemi. She's still letting her enviable curls run wild and, it seems, understanding the power of a little black dress. 

Janet Hubert is known affectionately as our original Aunt Viv. During the first three seasons of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Hubert played the iconic woman of the house, leading with a sense of poise and strength, and plenty of wit. She didn't return for the hit show's fourth season, and her departure was not without some old-school TV drama, including a mix of contract disagreements and a feud with Will Smith that occasionally seeped out into the public. 

The two reconciled in 2020 during the filming of an HBO special celebrating the show's 30th anniversary. "We text each other back and forth all the time," Hubert told People in November 2021. "I meant it with all my heart when I hugged him, because I saw that little boy, that little 21-year-old boy. Had we had an opportunity to talk back then, I think this would have never happened."

Hubert is a Juilliard-trained dancer having started her career on Broadway; she actually got to showcase her skills on the "The Fresh Prince" more than once. Since leaving the show in 1993, she's continued to hit the stage and screen, even guest starring in Peacock's modern reimagining "Bel-Air." In June 2023, Hubert attended the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City draped in luxe-looking yellow overcoat and rocking a crown-like updo. 

It was left in the hands of Tatyana Ali to embody the baby of the Banks family during all six seasons of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Ali pulled it off, solidifying the adorable character — whip smart and warm-hearted — in the TV hall of fame. In the process, Ali also carved out a space for herself as a quintessential '90s cool girl who we all wanted to be. 

She was a newbie to comedy, though. Ali told Remind magazine in an April 2026 article that Will Smith was a big part of her learning the ropes. "He was a rapper, while I'd come from Broadway and theater, where you stick to the script," she said. "His playfulness and that experimentation of seeing what plays with the crowd, I think that had something to do with his musical background. So we took that spirit on, and we'd ad-lib. Some of the funniest moments in the show came from that."

"The Fresh Prince" aired in September 1990, when Ali was just 11 years old, and so add her to your list of child stars who grew up to be gorgeous. Even back then, her dark bouncy blowout was the stuff of dreams and one of those hairstyles that totally defined the era. In May 2024, Ali swung by the Los Angeles premiere of "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" rocking a messy updo and proving that it's one of those '90s hair trends older women can (and should) still rock.

Among the "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" cast, Daphne Maxwell Reid had arguably the trickiest job. She came in at the start of the fourth season to take over the role of Aunt Viv, previously played and established by Janet Hubert. Reid's portrayal of Aunt Viv felt more traditional; she was a housewife who played more of a supporting, nurturing role in the household without skimping on the spunk. 

Before being cast as the second Aunt Viv, Reid had been racking up the acting credits since the late '70s, including "The Love Boat" and "Cagney & Lacey". In speaking with Black Girl Nerds in January 2019, Reid said her first episode of "The Fresh Prince" was her favorite: "... it was so well written — so that the introduction of this new face as Aunt Vivian was just as smooth as silk. It was very, very well done, and I enjoyed jumping into that already running train and hanging on. It was fun."

Since the show, Reid has continued to act and dabble in design and photography. In February 2023, she walked the carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of "Chevalier" during the Pan African Film & Arts Festival dressed in a splashy black-and-white printed jacket and a sunny yellow scarf that would've done Aunt Viv 2.0 proud.