Coco Jones reflects on creating her own version of Hilary Banks on Bel-Air

Coco Jones has spoken about the pressure of reinventing Hilary Banks for Bel-Air, the dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The former child star portrays Hilary in the modern remake, a role originally made famous by Karyn Parsons in the Will Smith-led sitcom, which ran from 1990 to 1996.

Speaking to Bustle, Jones acknowledged the scepticism that greeted the announcement of the remake, particularly given the legacy of the original.

"I felt like it was something good, but I also know that when you mess with a classic? Good luck," she said. "Honestly, I expected people to need to be convinced."

"I expected people to tap into it because it was kind of a gag: Carlton's like this?" the star continued. "Worst-case scenario, people were gonna be curious, and I was not mad at that."

Jones, who first found fame on the Disney Channel, also spoke candidly about landing the role after a prolonged period without acting work.

"But it was also like, now's the time? Now I'm relevant again? What a weird life I live," she told the publication. "It had been a drought for, like, three years minimum. It was an overwhelming joy to have a consistent check again."

The 27-year-old added, "I live in LA. It was scary times, so I was happy to be employed."

Bel-Air stars Jabari Banks as Will and Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks. The series first aired in 2022. Its fourth and final season premiered in November.