Few shows were ever as popular as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a show that helped transform Will Smith into a household name. Pretty much everyone on the show became wildly famous, including Karyn Parsons, who played Hilary Banks. She was the youngest daughter of the wealthy family who took Smith’s character (conveniently also named Will Smith) into their Bel-Air home, transforming his life forever.
The show had a similarly transformative effect on Smith’s career, but not Parsons. That’s not because she wasn’t talented or popular: rather, she made a decision long ago to take her life in a completely different direction. Recently, she was spotted in public, and fans of the show couldn’t help but note that she now looks completely different than her youthful character once did.
What did Karyn Parsons end up doing with her life? What has she been up to, and what does she look like now? Keep reading to find out!
Stepping back from acting early in her career
As we noted before, Will Smith wasted little time parlaying his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fame into a career as a major Hollywood star. One moment, he was cutting up and cracking jokes on TV; the next moment, he was headlining major films such as Men In Black and Independence Day. However, Karyn Parsons ended up going in a very different direction after Bel-Air ended in 1996.
After that show ended, she had roles in two sitcoms that didn’t last very long: Lush Life and The Job. She also starred in the film The Ladies Man, but she eventually decided that she no longer wanted to spend her life in front of the camera. Instead, she pivoted, becoming a producer who helped bring other creative projects to life.
When she wasn’t busy as a producer, Parsons found the time to become a writer. She sometimes utilized her literary talents to highlight other Black icons and their successes. For example, her book Flying Free focused on Black aviator Bessie Coleman. And How High the Moon focused on her mother, one of the most important people in her life.
Starting a family
Obviously, family is very important to Karyn Parsons. Why else would she use her writing talents to immortalize her mother in a book? Therefore, it probably won’t surprise you to discover that Parsons eventually started a family of her very own. And in some ways, the beginning of her family mirrors her own changing journey in Hollywood.
Just as Parsons transitioned from actor to producer, she eventually fell in love with someone else who works behind the camera in Hollywood. In 2003, she married director Alexandre Rockwell, and the two of them had two children together: Lana and Nico. Both of these children are now, but that doesn’t keep Parsons from spending plenty of time with them when she isn’t busy with her career.
Staying close to some of her Bel-Air family
Unlike fellow Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actors like Will Smith, Karyn Parsons eventually stepped back from acting. But that doesn’t mean that she didn’t retain major affection for her fellow cast members. She has stayed very close with her television sibling Tatyana Ali, and when Will Smith wrote his memoir in 2021, she joined him for the release party.
On top of that, she joined the rest of the Bel-Air cast in 2020 for the show’s 30th anniversary reunion special on HBO Max. And in June of 2025, she attended the Nickel City Comic Con’s Bel-Air reunion with former costars Janet Hubert, Joseph Marcell, and Tatyana Ali. Thanks to this classic show’s popularity, Parsons will always be associated with it.
Judging from these appearances, she doesn’t seem to mind!
Karyn Parsons now looks completely different
One of the things we talk about a lot on here is how fame can be a double-edged sword for many celebrities. Most actors would kill to star in a nationally popular sitcom like Karyn Parsons did. However, because this was her most famous role, it is how the majority of the world remembers her looking. Therefore, it can be downright shocking when someone sees her and she looks nothing like she did decades ago.
That happened not so long ago to Karyn Parsons. In April of this year, she was spotted in Providence, Rhode Island. It wasn’t exactly an action-packed appearance: she simply walked inside a building. However, cameras captured several pics, and fans couldn’t help but note that the former Bel-Air star looked different, thanks largely to age and the fact that she wasn’t wearing any makeup.
However, looking different doesn’t mean looking bad. Parsons actually looked quite stylish in her black trench coat and white sneakers. In our opinion, she looks every bit the fashion icon now as she did decades ago, and we can’t wait to see what killer looks she debuts next!