She wanted to be an actress since the age of 6 and found success by playing the essential Hilary Banks of the “Prince of Bel-Air”, but it has been several years since we lost track of her…
Despite the passing years, there are faces that remain forever etched in our memories and, even if over time, some actors or actresses who have played mythical characters on screen have been able to move away from the industry. or have continued to work but by being more discreet, we will probably never forget them.
Anyone nostalgic for the 90s remembers the mythical rap of the Prince of Bel-Air, the Olsen sisters they saw growing up, or Steve Urkel’s most famous phrase. But not all of those who starred in the cult series of the past have necessarily remained linked to the world of cinema. In the case of Prince of Bel Airfor example, the famous sitcom made Will Smith a real star, but almost none of the other young performers he co-starred with followed in his footsteps.
As SensaCine recalls, of Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv’s three children, perhaps the least popular was Hilary, Will’s super-chic cousin whose laughter is probably still in your memory. The character underwent a noticeable change between seasons, as at first she was introduced as a spoiled, selfish brat and, over time and a life-altering accident, she decided to use her wealth to build herself. engage socially.
NBC Productions
Its interpreter, Karyn Parsons, played the character throughout the six seasons of the series which aired between 1990 and 1996. However, although we remember her and she continued to work after the end of the series, many subsequently lost track of him.
AFTER BEL-AIR
During the broadcast of Prince of Bel Air, Karyn Parsons had a few opportunities, like roles in little-known films like the Major Payne comedy, as well as series like Blossom.
After the sitcom, the actress played small episodic roles in a few series from the 90s and early 2000s, such as Melrose Place. In 1998, we find her in the cinema in Mixing Nia, then in 2002 in the film 13 Moons with Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Beals and Peter Dinklage. However, his career more or less stopped at that point.
Arrowhead Pictures/Caminer-Gallagher Productions/Third Man Films
Mixing Nia (1998)
While she had assured in the past that being an actress was her dream since the age of 6, after the success of Prince of Bel Airthe desires of the young woman have changed: she felt cataloged in her cult role, as she herself revealed, and wanted to move away from the profession a little to devote herself to her own family and to an objective that motivated her more: to create a non-profit association.
When she wanted to return to her acting career, however, according to what she said in an interview with Cryptic Rock in 2017, things got complicated and it was not easy for her to reconcile his personal life and his family.
“It’s difficult, I have a non-profit association and I have 2 children. I thought, ‘I could just try to start over [jouer] here and there’, but it takes a lot more commitment. I tried, it was hard to drop everything for the audition. You have to find a babysitter and drive across town to get to the audition, you have to memorize your stuff, you have to find the right clothes to wear, and then you have to go back and start all over again. It’s like dropping everything at the last minute. As my kids grow and become more independent, we’ll see, maybe I’ll see if it can work again.”
And this is how Karyn Parsons ended up focusing on his own projects, including three previously published children’s books, an organization called the Sweet Blackberry Foundations that seeks to raise awareness of little-known black heroes, and his own family life.