'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Star Karyn Parsons Is Not 'Acting So Much These Days'

Apr 24, 2022 by apost team

Back in the 1990s, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was one of the most popular sitcoms. It first aired in 1990 and ran until 1996. The show famously starred Will Smith as Will, a teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent across the country to move in with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. Shenanigans ensued shortly after, but all of the characters learned many lessons along the way.

The show has continued to be popular today and even had a reunion special with many of the original cast members back in November 2020. A new dramatic version of the TV series also began airing in February 2022 with a different cast and storyline.

While many people think of Smith when they first think about "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the other cast members on the show were just as impressive and have led great lives and careers since their time on the sitcom. Some of the notable stars to come from the series include Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton, Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played Aunt Viv for every season aside from the first; and the late James Avery, who played Uncle Phil.

Another respected star from the show is Karyn Parsons, who played the role of Hilary Banks. Aside from acting, she is known for being an author and comedian. However, after 2002, Parsons seemingly disappeared from Hollywood, leaving many fans to wonder what happened to the actress. Read on to find out more about Parsons' career and what her life looks like today.

Parsons was born on Oct. 8, 1966, in Los Angeles, California. She first began acting in the late 1980s with a few small roles in a handful of television series episodes and a small role in a movie. However, her breakthrough was her role as Hilary Banks on the NBC sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." She played the role from 1990 to 1996, showing viewers a great range of her talent in the process.

Speaking with TODAY in 2020, Parsons reflected on the show during a cast reunion. She called the experience "emotionally intense" but "so healing," especially considering the fact that Avery was no longer with them.

Looking at other areas of Parson's career, a few moments stand out. She starred opposite Damon Wayans in the 1995 film "Major Payne" and also had a big role in another television series called "Lush Life."

As the 1990s turned into the 2000s, Parson's career was still going smoothly as she had a role in the TV series "The Job" from 2001 to 2002. Aside from a few other roles here and there during the first few years of the 2000s, Parsons hasn't acted as much as many of her former castmates have. In fact, she went almost two decades without any acting jobs.

It's clear that Parsons has been busy in other avenues of her life. She married "The Young and the Restless" actor Randy Brooks back in 1987. However, they divorced just a few short years later, in 1990. In 2003, right around the time she embarked on her acting hiatus, Parsons married for the second time and tied the knot with director Alexandre Rockwell. They have a daughter named Lana and a son named Nico.

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Back in 2017, Forbes reported that Parsons had previously embarked on a great career endeavor as the founder and executive director at the Sweet Blackberry Foundation. It is a non-profit that started back in 2005 that produces films and books about unsung Black heroes in a child-friendly manner. Some of the people she's worked with to help bring these productions to life include Queen Latifah and Chris Rock.

"I came from being an actor, and I didn't know anything about business at all," Parsons said. "And actually it makes me kind of laugh looking at it now. I didn't think practically and I never have. I'm not a practical person – I just dove into it with passion…"

Along with her non-profit, Parsons has also picked up a few acting jobs here and there. Her most recent role was in 2020 in a film called "Sweet Thing," which also starred Parsons' children. Speaking with Metro UK in 2021, Parsons said that it was "strange at first" to act alongside her children, but everyone ended up having a lot of "fun."

She also explained her change in career plans. "I'm not acting so much these days and I'm certainly not making great efforts towards it when I do," she said. "Not because I don't love it or anything, though. It's because I have other things to tend to that are currently more important to me (my family, my organization Sweet Blackberry, writing)."

While it doesn't seem like Parsons has completely stepped away from the spotlight, it's clear that she has directed her focus to a cause that is incredibly important to her. We can't wait to see what else she does in the future!

What do you think about Karyn Parsons' career over the years? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to any "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fan you know!