“Bel-Air” star Adrian Holmes teased some of what fans can expect from his character Phillip “Uncle Phil” Banks in Season 3, saying that between dodging Erica’s advances and taking a chance on a risky new client, Uncle Phil’s moral compass is put to the test.
“He has a very important moral decision to make. There’s a lot of arcs and sparks this season. It’s fizzling in a beautiful way. I love it,” Holmes told TheWrap.
Holmes is right, Uncle Phil has got his work cut for him, especially after that spicy last season cliffhanger where Erica (Diandra Lyle), Uncle Phil’s future business partner, gave him a smooch. Viewers eventually learned that the two have history, which Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks (Cassandra Freeman) is aware of. But as far as that lock of the lips, Uncle Phil keeps that detail to himself. Holmes said Uncle Phil isn’t clueless, he’s aware of Erica’s plot.
“We concluded the second season on a cliffhanger, and that was with Phil accepting Erica’s proposal to meet for coffee. It put his boundaries in question. ‘Is he going to cheat on Aunt Viv, what’s he going to do?’” Holmes posed. “But see, the thing about Phil, he’s a very, very intelligent man. He knows what he’s doing, he knows that Erica has an agenda. As we all know, she kissed him. He did not kiss her. He’s one to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of his business, clients and most importantly his family. He knows what Erica’s about, but he thinks that he can handle whatever she has to throw at him.”
In Season 2, Uncle Phil joins forces with Erica in an effort to help jumpstart Phil’s firm rebrand. However, the new collaboration only brings the two physically closer.
“He met with her because he needed her, he’s kind of between a rock and a hard place in the situation, because he’s rebranding Phillip Banks & Associates, so he needs her and her clients,” Holmes said.
Erica isn’t the only concern for Phil, Holmes said the Banks family patriarch will also be tested morally with his business decisions.
“He also takes a risk with a new client this season, Omar Campbell, played by the talented Dulé Hill, who’s also a friend of mine. It was really nice to get to work with him this season,” Holmes explained. “Omar Campbell is a developer, he capitalizes on the economy at the cost of the community. So he’s all about gentrification in South Central L.A., and a lot of Black-owned businesses are being threatened by the development that he’s proposing. And Phil, he sees his vision and what he wants to do, and of course, in life, everything has to grow, evolve, change and expand. You have to adapt, but at the same time there’s a lot businesses that have been there for a very, very long time and are people’s livelihood. And Jazz is one of those people whose business is in harm’s way. So he definitely wants to do the right thing.”
While Holmes straddles the fence of right and wrong, in the background the Banks family children, including nephew Will Smith (Jabari Banks), are watching the adults’ every move.
“Will, he’s such a a wise young man, he sees everything. That’s the thing about this season: The kids are watching us adults, and we mean well. But a lot times we make the wrong choices,” Holmes said. “We make mistakes. We’re human beings, not perfect beings, amen. So Will reminded [Uncle Phil] in this season that, ‘Hey, what are you doing Uncle Phil? How could you say yes to this?’ Jazz is like a brother, he’s like family. So he has a very important moral decision to make.”
Season 3 of “Bel-Air” premiered Aug. 15 with three episodes at launch on Peacock. New episodes drop weekly on Thursdays.
