90s sitcom icon, 76, makes shock cameo in spin-off series 28 years later-Lillie Rohan-Entertainment – Metro

Joseph Marcell has returned to Bel Air (Picture: Bel Air/Peacock)

Almost 30 years since he last graced our screens as Geoffrey Butler in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Joseph Marcell has made a surprise return. 

The 76-year-old actor, most well known for his role in the beloved 90s sitcom, last played the butler in 1996 when the show wrapped, but with the recent reboot, he has been given another chance to return to the mansion. 

Titled Bel-Air, the Peacock show is a reimagined version of the Will Smith-fronted series, with Jabari Banks taking centre stage as the titular character, Will. 

Much like the original, Bel-Air follows Will’s journey from West Philadelphia to the grand life of Bel Air, examining themes of race, culture and the elitist world while doing so. 

Becoming the most-streamed original series on Peacock, with more than eight million accounts having tuned in over the course of the three series, its also earned a 6.7/10 rating on film and TV rating site Rotten Tomatoes. 

Despite the show’s entirely new cast, its creators have paid homage to the original by often featuring guest appearances from members of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

Joseph starred as Geoffrey in the original series (Picture: Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Daphne Maxwell Reid, who stared as the second Vivian Banks from 1993 – 1996 appeared in season one of the reboot as Helen, an Art Council board member. 

While Vernee Watson-Johnson, also known as Viola ‘Vy’ Smith in the original series, returned as Janice, another member of the Art Council board. 

Now, Joseph has had his turn at surprising fans, returning as Roman in episode six of the recent season. 

Speaking to TV Insider, the alum revealed it was ‘exciting’ to be asked to appear in the reboot. 

‘I was up in Liverpool, England, when this thing happened. It was just pure excitement,’ he said. 

‘It was completely removed from what I was doing at that time and what I did afterward. To be with Jimmy [Akingbola] and [EP] Morgan [Cooer] and all those people were just marvelous. For them, mostly to remember and think of me was beyond words.’ 

The old and new Geoffrey met in the reboot of the hit 90s series (Picture: Greg Gayne/PEACOCK via Getty Images)

Bel-Air follows the same characters of the original Will Smith series (Picture: Travis Ellison/PEACOCK via Getty Images)

Joseph’s role of Geoffrey is now embodied by Jimmy, who told the news outlet that working with the original star was a ‘dream come true’. 

‘Being Geoffrey and having Joseph on the show has been mindblowing. I still think I’m processing. There was a moment when Joseph said, “I can’t believe this is happening.”’

He added: ‘I felt the same way. When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.’

But it seems Joseph’s appearance almost didn’t happen due to scheduling conflicts. Showrunner Carla Banks Waddles revealed to The Hollywood Reporter how they made it happen despite the very tight schedule. 

‘We just needed him here for one day, but he was literally doing a play in London five days a week with no understudy,’ the producer and television writer said. 

Carla continued: ‘Thankfully, they found ‘one day’ in his schedule, so they were able to fly him to Los Angeles for a very quick day of filming before he had to turn around and go back to London.

Jabari stars as Will in the show, while April Parker Jones is Vy (Picture: Greg Gayne/PEACOCK via Getty Images)

The 76-year-old actor said he wad ‘excited’ to return to Bel-Air (Picture: Greg Gayne/PEACOCK via Getty Images)

‘It was a small window of opportunity to get him here, so I’m very proud of [executing] that.’ 

While talking to the news outlet, Carla also discussed the thought process behind bringing back original cast members. 

‘We always love when our OG cast is with us. They’ve all been so great and responsive when asked, but we’re also very conscious of not wanting to just wedge somebody in that doesn’t feel organic to the story,’ she said.

‘When you see his character this season, he was perfect for the storyline that we had in mind.’ 

Since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wrapped in 1996, Joseph has been busy starring in many high-profile films and TV shows, including EastEnders, The Sandman, and The Exorcism of God. 

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