Akira Akbar on Bel-Air Season 2, Working With Tatyana Ali

Picture Supply: Courtesy of Maarten de Boer and Peacock

In our Q&A sequence Final Name, we get all the way down to the underside of each final thing with a few of our favourite celebs — from the final time they have been starstruck to the final track they listened to. This week, “Bel-Air” star Akira Akbar takes our name.

Like the remainder of her “Bel-Air” costars, Akira Akbar is basking within the astronomical success of her hit Peacock sequence. The 16-year-old stars as the brand new age Ashley Banks within the nostalgic, dramatized reimagining of “The Recent Prince of Bel-Air,” which kicked off its extremely anticipated second season on Feb. 23. Being part of “Bel-Air” has been a whirlwind expertise for Akbar, and although she notes it hasn’t utterly modified her life, she tells POPSUGAR it has “opened up much more alternatives for me.”

Previous to “Bel-Air,” Akbar had small roles in a handful of TV exhibits like “Gray’s Anatomy,” “Prison Minds,” “This Is Us,” and “Good Bother,” to call a number of. She additionally starred in superhero flicks like Netflix’s “We Can Be Heroes” and Marvel’s “Captain Marvel,” securing a spot within the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nonetheless, “Bel-Air” marks her official breakout position, which is already difficult her with the robust matters the present addresses — significantly Ashley’s journey exploring her sexuality.

“I’ve actually related with this character,” Akbar says, “so I positively assume it pushed me out of my consolation zone, speaking about her sexuality and the whole lot as a result of that is not usually one thing I’ve achieved on display screen.” The actor additionally admits that she’s heard the suggestions about her efficiency to this point (“principally good” however “some dangerous”), nonetheless, the one factor she’s targeted on is “portraying that character on display screen for those that are like Ashley.”

Followers of the unique Ashley fell in love with the character how Tatyana Ali portrayed her again within the ’90s. However Akbar says she’s decided to convey one thing new to the desk that individuals will nonetheless recognize about her model of Ashley, a “new trendy dynamic” to be precise. “We have positively made this sequence much more well timed and [added] much more dynamics like LGBTQ+ [representation],” the actor notes. In response to her, “It is nonetheless the identical Ashley,” she simply has some new qualities.

Picture Supply: Peacock

Being an adolescent within the leisure enterprise is not the simplest factor to navigate, particularly while you’re on a success TV present — Akbar can attest to that. The actor, who attends personal faculty every time she’s not filming, says she did not disclose her appearing profession to her friends when she began going to her present faculty, nor did she share her Instagram web page as a result of she “did not need them to behave any completely different.” Although her classmates finally came upon about her fame, Akbar says she tried to maintain these two worlds separate, solely hanging out along with her cousins, who additionally attend the identical faculty. “I simply do not know what individuals’s intentions are,” she provides.

Akbar retains her circle small as of late, with household and her “Bel-Air” forged, which acquired an thrilling new addition this season: Ali, who stars reverse of Akbar as Ashley’s trainer Mrs. Hughes. The actor calls the “Recent Prince” alum’s huge cameo a “spotlight second” for her, although she admits it was nonetheless a “nerve-wracking” expertise to painting her model of Ashley in the identical scenes as Ali. “It is arduous bringing a brand new dynamic to this iconic character,” Akbar shares. “However the phrases [of advice] that Tatyana gave me, she made me really feel like I am doing such an excellent job and she or he’s actually passing me within the torch.”

Ali is not the one “Recent Prince” actor Akbar hopes to see be a part of the present — she says Alfonso Ribeiro, aka the unique Carlton, who’s now performed by Olly Sholotan, could be one other candy addition. “I believe Carlton and Carlton, that will be such an iconic second.”

Ought to “Bel-Air” get renewed for an additional season, Akbar hopes the sequence will dive deeper into Ashley’s activism past what’s explored in season two. “I additionally wish to see her have extra enjoyable with herself,” Akbar provides, “as a result of I really feel like she’s so anxious concerning the world and what is going on on in [it] and making an attempt to make it a greater place that she actually does not have time to take pleasure in life.”

Learn the remainder of Akbar’s Final Name interview forward and tune into new episodes of “Bel-Air” on Peacock each Thursday.

What was the final day of filming “Bel-Air” season two like?

It was so good as a result of the scene that I filmed with Olly was such a touching scene. And it is on the finish. It is the final episode and I am actually so excited for individuals to see that. It was such a very good scene, nevertheless it was additionally actually unhappy.

Who’s the final “Bel-Air” costar you texted?

Jordan [L. Jones]. As a result of we have been all in Olly’s trailer and I had to return to high school for half-hour and I used to be like, be sure you guys watch for me. After which he was like, “We’re nonetheless right here. We’re nonetheless right here.”

What’s the very last thing you probably did together with your “Bel-Air” costars off set?

All of us simply had a press junket on Thursday and so we have been all with one another.

What is the final TV present you binge-watched?

Effectively, I simply began watching the brand new season of “You” and I am form of binge-watching that proper now.

What is the final track you listened to?

I hearken to PartyNextDoor actually 24/7, so I believe “Her Means.”

What is the final guide you learn?

“It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. I’ve two books from Colleen Hoover, however I have a tendency to purchase books and overlook to learn them. I additionally purchased “Verity” [by Colleen Hoover] and I heard that that is actually good, so I want to only begin studying it.

What is the final photograph in your digicam roll?

A video for college. I am actually doing faculty like 24/7, so it was a video I needed to do for college.

What’s the very last thing you probably did for self-care?

I believe it was the opposite night time, I did a face masks and all these items. And I simply form of hung out on my own watching exhibits.

What is the final journey you went on?

The summer season that simply handed once I went to Miami, and that was with the entire forged. We have been working, however we additionally acquired to benefit from the seaside and the whole lot.

What is the final reward you obtained?

[It] was from Adrian, really. He gave all of us See’s Sweet for our wrap reward and in order that was fairly cool. It was additionally actually good.

What is the final piece of recommendation you obtained that modified your life?

It most likely wasn’t the final piece of recommendation, however I believe what Tatyana advised me is to face my floor and keep humble. However she simply gave me such nice recommendation. I simply thought it was tremendous surreal getting recommendation from Tatyana.