Adrian Holmes Talks Bel-Air Finale, Saying Goodbye and Uncle Phil’s Legacy – INTERVIEW

Adrian Holmes breaks down Uncle Phil’s evolution and the show’s legacy.

“Bel-Air” never played it safe, and Adrian Holmes seems proud of that. Peacock’s dramatic reimagining of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” turns a familiar setup into something sharper, heavier, and more current. Will arrives in modern-day Los Angeles from West Philadelphia and steps into the Banks family’s world of comfort, pressure, status, and expectation. Across four seasons, the series keeps asking the same question in new ways: Who are you when everything around you changes?

Holmes, who plays Philip Banks, said the show’s big swings are part of why people stay locked in. During our conversation, Holmes explained that the turns and swerves are the point, because “well, you know, it makes good television, right?” He added, “It keeps you on your toes, for sure,” which is exactly how many fans describe the series when it leans into chaos and consequence.

Why “Bel-Air” Hits So Hard for Fans

Holmes believes the audience embraced “Bel-Air” because it doesn’t treat its characters like icons on a shelf. Instead, it drops them into situations that feel close to home. He said viewers respond because “I mean, I think the fans love the fact that we’re touching on things that they can relate to … that are part of the everyday.” He also pointed to the writers’ awareness of what’s happening right now, saying, “Our writers are so in tune with the culture and just the climate that we’re currently in, and they write right to that.” For Holmes, that connection explains why the show has felt “so well received.”

That grounding matters in season four, pushing the family toward major crossroads. Will tries to balance senior year fun and pressure while living up to Bel-Air’s expectations. Carlton tests his resolve after choices that could threaten his future. The brothers lean on each other as the stakes rise. Meanwhile, a power shift strains Phil and Geoffrey’s brotherhood and loyalty to the family.

Viv wrestles with reinvention and views motherhood anew. Ashley enters her freshman year of high school, rebels, and then realizes the status quo may not serve her. Hilary also searches for identity when the spotlight fails to provide answers.

Holmes saw the Trailer and Thought It Was the show.

“Bel-Air” began with a viral moment that still makes Holmes laugh. He remembered seeing Morgan Cooper’s reimagined trailer online and assuming Peacock had already made the series. “When I saw the trailer on YouTube, I thought that was the trailer for the actual show,” Holmes said. “And I said, oh, I got to watch this.” He also said he loved the original sitcom and watched it as it aired, noting, “they talked about a lot of important subject matter and topics … but underneath it, at the core, was, you know, very serious.”

Then he learned it was a pitch piece. Soon after, the project turned real. When the audition arrived, the weight hit him fast. “Then I got the audition, and I was like, Phillip Banks, really?” Holmes said. “I was like, me.” He admitted he could not immediately picture himself in the role because he still carried the original in his head.

Instead of letting the pressure swallow him, he leaned on faith and focus. “But then I just, you know, I just said, like, let go and let God,” Holmes said. “May the will of God be done.” He added he did his best, and “the rest is history,” a fair summary of a performance that defined the show’s tone.

A Modern Uncle Phil Built on Vulnerability

For many, Uncle Phil is sacred ground. Holmes understands that, but believes this version must speak to today’s audience. He explained that today’s climate allows a different strength: “I think that, you know, the climate that we’re in today, you know, we’re showing men more … more of a sensitive side, more of a vulnerable side.” That shift isn’t about weakening the character. Holmes calls it honesty and growth, saying, “You know, it’s okay to be seen,” and “we’re showing that there’s strength in that.”

Holmes drew a clean line between versions of Philip Banks. “The original showed power and authority,” he said, “and Philip’s generation is more power and vulnerability … and just allowing himself to be seen and be flawed.” He also stressed that the point is not perfection. “And it’s okay to be flawed,” Holmes said. “We’re all flawed,” which fits the show’s larger vibe, where every character gets tested, and none of them get to hide behind an easy joke.

He also described Phil as someone who does not have to carry everything alone. Holmes said it is “okay to ask for help,” and he pointed to Phil’s support system, because “Phil’s lucky to have Viv, and he’s also lucky to have Jeffrey.” In “Bel-Air,” Phil stays the anchor, but he is not a statue. He is a father trying to guide, while also learning how to let go.

Season 4, Legacy, and the Calm Phil Wants

Holmes said season four centers on what Phil leaves behind and how he releases control. “This season, you know, it’s all about legacy and completing that legacy,” he said, before defining what legacy really means to him. “Legacy is not just about what we leave behind for the next generation,” Holmes said. “It’s about what we leave within.” He framed it as empowerment and impact, adding, “it’s how we empower them,” and “it’s about the lives we touch.”

That theme shows up in Phil’s relationship with Will and Carlton. Holmes said Phil wants them to recognize what they already carry and find the courage to claim it. By the final chapter, Phil’s message becomes simpler and more direct. “Now it’s time for you to fly and become all that you’ve been, you know, set out to become,” he said, describing a man who has spent years building and protecting, and now has to step back.

Even with all that purpose, Holmes also made room for something quieter. “I think Phil values peace of mind more now than ever,” he said, and he joked about Phil and Viv escaping to “sit in, you know, Bali and just do some meditation,” plus “sound baths,” because the man has earned a breather.

Shifting from the role of Uncle Phil, Holmes is already looking ahead to what’s next.

When talk turned to a possible “Hot Wheels” full-circle moment, he jumped in fast: “Hey, your lips to God’s ears, brother. I would love, I would jump at that in a heartbeat.” He said voice acting is its own kind of freedom, because “voice work is so much fun because you don’t have to worry about what you look like.”

He’s also staying busy beyond “Bel-Air,” including his work in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” Holmes told me the ride isn’t slowing down, and he still sounds grateful to bounce between worlds, from the Banks family’s pressure-cooker drama to the galaxy-sized stakes of “Star Trek.”

“Bel-Air” stars Jabari Banks, Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Coco Jones, Olly Sholotan, Akira Akbar, and Jimmy Akingbola, with Carla Banks Waddles serving as showrunner, executive producer, and writer, and Morgan Cooper as executive producer who directed the final two episodes.

All four seasons of “Bel-Air” are now available on Peacock.

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