In Season 2 of Peacock’s Bel-Air, cousins Will Smith (Jabari Banks) and Carlton Banks (Olly Sholotan) make some major strides in their famously contentious relationship. But it wouldn’t be a proper Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remake if the duo weren’t still at odds in some capacity.
Likewise, Thursday’s season finale, titled “Don’t Look Back,” culminated in the Founder’s Award ceremony at Bel-Air Academy. Will and Carlton were both nominated for the school’s top honor for exemplifying “dignity, excellence, and leadership,” and it was nice watching the two engage in some friendly competition and celebrate their respective achievements without taking the prize too seriously. Unfortunately, in signature teen-soap fashion, the ceremony ended in total melodrama and one jaw-dropping revelation.
After being announced as the Founder’s Award recipient, Carlton heads to the podium to give a rehearsed acceptance speech, until he can no longer hide the disease he’s been battling for the past two seasons. “I’d like to apologize,” he says with one big Denzel Washington tear rolling down his face. “I’ve led you all to believe that I’m worthy of this award. And I’m not, because I’m a drug addict.”
Viewers have been privy to Carlton’s cocaine use—prompted by his anxiety disorder—since Season 1. The substance abuse plotline has been a refreshing opportunity—albeit a twisted one—for fans to uncover a more vulnerable side to the high-strung honors student, whose signature snobbishness is kicked up a few notches in this modern reboot.
Sholotan, who plays Carlton 2.0, is very aware of the online commentary surrounding his character. During the first season, he said he received plenty of blowback and even death threats in his DMs over his more antagonistic portrayal of the beloved television sidekick. Now, the actor feels like viewers are finally “rooting for” Carlton.
“You’re introduced to this character you don’t like off the bat,” Sholotan recently told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed over Zoom. “He comes across as elitist. And then as the show goes on, and the audience sees more of themselves in him. We’re now at this point, having seen the reason why Carlton is Carlton, where the audience wants him to be better.”
Playing a “spiraling drug addict” may seem like a dream role for any dramatic performer, especially a trained actor like Sholotan, who studied theater at UCLA. But the 25-year-old doesn’t revel in Carlton’s misery or treat it as a particularly fun acting exercise.
“I think as actors, we have a huge responsibility to the characters that we’re playing,” he says. “And the way I look at Carlton—that’s a real person in my brain. Carlton is like my little brother. So I think it’s very easy to kind of get lost in the excitement of it all.
“It’s an incredible exercise,” he continues. “But the rewarding part for me is getting to know that there are people that are watching this at home that are going to feel seen and feel recognized and get help because of it.”
Based on the finale’s heartwarming ending, it seems like there may be hope for Carlton, especially given how compassionate his parents, Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman), are toward his mental health struggles. One of the last scenes shows Carlton, still reeling from his jarring confession, giving his father a tearful hug.
When I remind Sholotan of the unpredictable fate of many teen-soap characters, particularly those involved with drugs and alcohol, he admits he’s never envisioned anything fatal happening to Carlton—though he’s eager to go wherever the show takes him.
“At the end of the day, it’s about telling the story,” he says. “And I know that no matter what decision the writers make, I trust them to tell an incredible story. So I’m willing to put myself and my character’s life in their hands.
“Also, thank you for putting this fear in the pit of my soul,” he laughs.
Overall, Sholotan says Season 2 was a mostly joyful experience for him, despite the dark feelings he had to access. Given the immediate success of Bel-Air’s first season last year, the actor said he and the rest of the cast returned to the set more assured and excited than ever.
“There absolutely was a sense of confidence that we felt going in,” he says. “You sort of have this baby that you raise, and you put out into the world. And sometimes the world loves on it, and sometimes the world dunks on it. So to have everyone embrace the show and have it resonate in the culture, coming into Season 2 was just like, ‘We got this. Let’s do what we do and do it better.’”
Season 2 certainly raised the bar in several regards, offering viewers more paternal drama, several love triangles, and some illustrious guest stars. This season, we saw rapper Saweetie appear as herself in the first episode; model and actress Karrueche Tran returned as the influencer Ivy; and even the OG Ashley Banks herself, Tatyana Ali, came back to Bel-Air, this time as a teacher.
When asked about his favorite cameo, Sholotan immediately had an answer, and for a very specific reason.
“I feel like I keep getting in trouble every time I answer this: Saweetie,” he admits. “She is just so pretty. Not only is she just a gorgeous human being, she smells so nice. I’m a smell person.
“I was very starstruck by Tatyana Ali, obviously,” he adds. “But it’s funny because with Tatyana, we knew it was going to happen. So I think I prepared myself a little bit. But Saweetie, for me, for whatever reason, was just a surprise on the day.”
Going into next season, Sholotan says he’s excited to see Carlton “in recovery.” Beyond that, he doesn’t have many specific wishes for his character—except to dump his classmate Connor, star of the infamous N-word tape that went around the school this season.
“Get him away from Connor,” Sholoton quickly says. “Please, bro. I love Tyler [Barnhardt], the actor who plays Connor. He’s fantastic. But get Carlton away from Connor yesterday.”
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