The dramatic reboot of the ‘90s classic sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-air titled Bel-Airpremiered Sunday night after the Super Bowl. The cast is filled with newcomers such as Jabari Banks who plays Will and longtime actors such as Coco Jones who plays Hilary Banks. But while Coco is not new to the game, people are still discovering her talent after breaking away from the Disney Channel.
The 24-year-old is on the path to greatness while following in the footsteps of other successful actresses who came from Disney Channel fame such as Zendaya and Raven-Symoné. Her role as Hilary shows her in a new light as a grown woman who is determined to find her independence outside of her family.
Get to know Coco below:
Coco Got Her Start on Disney
Coco began her career on the Disney channel at just 12 years old. After winning Radio Disney’s “Next Big Thing” competition, she landed roles on the channel’s TV series such as So Random! and Good Luck Charlie. She also went on to star in the 2012 film Let It Shine alongside Tyler James Williams.
She Can Rap and Sing
The actress is also in her singing bag. She’s released singles like “Holla at the DJ” and “What I Said” which is from the film Let It Shine, but she can also spit a hot verse. While visiting The Terrell Show, which is a show where guests play a game of song association, Coco rapped Busta Rhymes verse in Chris Brown’s song “Look at Me Now.” She also likes to share videos of herself singing on TikTok.
She Believes Her Career was Stalled Because of Her Skin Color
While on The Terrell Show, she also addressed her career halting after achieving some success on the Disney Channel and citing the difficulties she faced being a dark-skinned Black woman. “I think it was just a matter of not the right team as well as not enough people pushing me to success through those barriers,” she said. “When I got these deals and things, etc. they weren’t catered to a Black girl. It was like, ‘you got this,’ but give it white. And I was like how though? I feel like they weren’t thinking how do we make this Black girl work, it was more so how do we make this formula work on this Black girl.”
Her Role as Hilary Banks in the Reboot Is Different from the Original
The original Hilary Banks, played by Karyn Parsons, was a stylish, yet stuck-up, entitled daddy’s girl who for a long time depended a lot on her parent’s wealth. Coco’s version, however, shows Hilary as a more independent woman who is trying to make her own path, but still has the fashions on lock. Coco spoke with HuffPost about her evolved character.
“Hilary is grounded. She’s a hustler. She’s determined. She has all these ideas of how she wants her life to play out,” Jones said. “Regardless of what people say, regardless of what happens, she’s going to make that happen. I think that mainly Hilary is relatable, and she’s hardworking, she believes in herself and she’s confident. I think people will love that.”
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET+