Bel-Air’s Olly Sholotan, who plays Carlton on the show, says that shooting one of season 1's scenes was extremely uncomfortable for another actor on set. Bel-Air is a new reboot of the hit '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired for six seasons. The original show is responsible for establishing Will Smith’s acting career, and Smith’s onscreen father figure, James Avery, also served as a mentor to the up-and-coming star. Now, he has come full circle, serving as a producer for the reboot and assisting the cast.
Although the characters in Bel-Air share the names of those of the original and the premise remains the same, the new series diverges from its roots in several big ways. Bel-Air is quite a bit grittier than its predecessor - Fresh Prince did tackle several controversial topics, such as racism, cultural identity, and gang violence, but the emotional moments were normally accompanied by lighthearted comedy due to its nature as a sitcom. The new show involves many of the same subjects but in much more of a serious, realistic fashion. Explicit language is used freely and the main characters’ personalities are much more solemn.
Due to Bel-Air’s confronting sensitive social issues, the cast has had to overcome some of their own insecurities while filming, and in a recent interview with Insider, Sholotan discusses a moment that troubled one of his co-stars. In the scene, a number of white lacrosse players are carelessly rapping to a popular song by Bobby Shmurda. The n-word is frequently used in the song’s lyrics and is belted out by the team, something which made a few of the actors feel uncomfortable. See what Sholotan had to say about the incident below:
We approach these really tough subjects with a lot of delicacy... But I remember the first few takes Tyler [Barnhardt] was actually nervous slash uncomfortable saying that word. Rightfully so. He's the nicest person on the planet. I don't think that's a word he's ever said... I'm not gonna speak for him, but I can imagine it feels icky. We all made sure we were on the same page and the scene that we were shooting is so important.
In the mentioned scene, Will confronts his cousin Carlton and his white teammates for using the word so carelessly. A fierce standoff between the cousins ensues, resulting in Carlton belittling Will for making such a big deal out of a word. Unlike the Carlton of the '90s, this version is a popular student in an overwhelmingly white school, who schemes to keep Will an outcast so that he can maintain his social status. Carlton's opposition to his cousin is fueled by his attempt to fit into a culture different than his own.
Barnhardt's uneasiness while saying his lines is understandable, but committing to the scene was necessary for it to convey its message to the audience. Bel-Air aims to bring the difficult circumstances facing many African Americans today to the forefront, and the internal struggle felt by Barnhardt is meant to be shared by the show's audience in this moment. Hopefully, the actor's discomfort is a sign that the episode in question will be able to provoke discussion among viewers.
Source: Insider