# Jabari Banks

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**Patrick Jabari Campbell** (born August 2, 1998), known professionally as **Jabari Banks**, is an American actor and musician.[2] He is best known for starring as Will Smith in the Peacock drama *[Bel-Air](/source/Bel-Air_(TV_series))* (2022–2025). In addition to acting, he releases music under the mononym *Jabari*, including the EP *ULTRA* (2025).[3]

## Early life

Banks was born and raised in [Prince George’s County, Maryland](/source/Prince_George's_County,_Maryland).[1] He attended [Riverdale Baptist School](/source/Riverdale_Baptist_School) in Upper Marlboro, where he first became involved in acting, singing, and writing music.[citation needed]

Banks has family in West Philadelphia and spent time there throughout his upbringing. After high school, he moved to Philadelphia full-time and lived in North Philadelphia for about six years while attending the [University of the Arts](/source/University_of_the_Arts_(Philadelphia)).[1] He studied musical theater before leaving the program during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

According to Banks, he began using his middle name, Jabari, professionally in high school. He later chose the surname "Banks" as a stage name, inspired by his favorite television series, *[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air](/source/The_Fresh_Prince_of_Bel-Air)*.[citation needed]

## Career

### Acting

Banks made his television debut in 2022 in the leading role of Will Smith in Peacock’s *Bel-Air*, a dramatic reimagining of the 1990 sitcom *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*.[4][5] His performance earned him a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards.[6]

In 2024, Banks appeared in the heist thriller *[Bad Genius](/source/Bad_Genius_(2024_film))*.[7]

### Music

Banks is also active as a musician, releasing work under the mononym *Jabari*. His official Spotify biography highlights his creative background, his early artistic development, and the importance of spiritual alignment in his work.[8]

He released his debut single "Something Else" in 2023, followed by "Weekend Drive" in 2024. In 2025, he released the 8-track EP *ULTRA*, which includes the songs:

- "Lobby"
- "No Trouble"
- "that one laundromat"
- "Makeup Sex"
- "Eastside bb"
- "In My Head"
- "ULTRA"
- "Amen."[9]

## Filmography

### Television

Year Title Role Notes 2022–2025 Bel-Air Will Smith Main role

### Film

Year Title Role Notes 2024 Bad Genius Bank Adedamola Feature film[10][7] 2025 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw Lenwood Heath (voice) Feature film

## Discography

### EPs

- *ULTRA* (2025)[3][11]

### Singles

- "Something Else" (2023)[12]
- "Weekend Drive" (2024)[3]

## Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Work Result Ref. BET Awards 2022 Best Actor Bel-Air [13] NAACP Image Awards 2023 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series [14] NAACP Image Awards 2024 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series [6] Black Reel Awards 2024 Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series [15] NAACP Image Awards 2025 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series [16][17][18] NAACP Image Awards 2026 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series [19][20][21]

## References

1. ["From PG County to Bel-Air: Jabari Banks' Story"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3aTmmW14xk). *Sommer Time Podcast*. October 1, 2025. Retrieved December 1, 2025.

1. Caruso, Skyler (February 11, 2022). ["What to Know About 'Bel-Air's Breakout Star Jabari Banks"](https://people.com/tv/jabari-banks-facts/). *People*

1. Victoria, Kenyatta. ["Jabari Banks drops debut EP as Bel-Air ends"](https://www.ebony.com/jabari-banks-debut-ep-ultra-bel-air-final-season/). *EBONY*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Petski, Denise (2021-12-16). ["‘Bel-Air’: Peacock’s ‘Fresh Prince’ Drama Reboot Sets Super Bowl Sunday Premiere"](https://deadline.com/2021/12/bel-air-peacock-fresh-prince-drama-reboot-super-bowl-sunday-premiere-1234892177/). *Deadline*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["Peacock Announces 'Bel-Air' Cast"](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/bel-air-cast-fresh-prince-reboot-peacock/). *Essence*. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["NAACP Image Awards 2024: Complete Winners List"](https://people.com/naacp-image-awards-2024-complete-winners-list-8610028). *People*. March 16, 2024.

1. Jackson, Angelique (2023-03-23). ["Benedict Wong, Jabari Banks and Callina Liang to Star in ‘Bad Genius,’ Directed by JC Lee"](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/benedict-wong-jabari-banks-callina-liang-bad-genius-jc-lee-1235562248/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["Jabari – Artist Profile"](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1KxiW7WB29InuGgNca2XHW?si=fLtIkxNbSNapsSq6euSoYA). *Spotify*. Retrieved November 29, 2025.

1. ["Jabari Releases Debut EP ULTRA via Epic Records"](https://www.sheenmagazine.com/jabari-releases-debut-ep-ultra-via-epic-records/). *Sheen Magazine*. 2025-09-13. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Mancini, Maggie (2023-03-24). ["Jabari Banks to star in his first movie, 'Bad Genius,' a remake of a 2017 Thai film"](https://www.phillyvoice.com/jabari-banks-bad-genius-movie-debut-bel-air-/). *PhillyVoice*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["New Music This Week: Jermaine Dupri, Mario, Coi Leray And More"](https://www.essence.com/gallery/new-music-jermaine-dupri-mario-coi-leray/). *Essence*. 2025-09-12. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Baker, Josh. ["Jabari Banks Unveils 'Something Else' Album in TV Spotlight"](https://www.ebony.com/bel-air-star-jabari-banks-debuts-new-music-while-dominating-tv-screens/). *EBONY*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["BET Awards 2022: Jabari Banks’ Fashion Is Nothing Short of ‘Fresh’"](https://www.bet.com/article/x3nh97/bet-awards-2022-jabari-banks-fashion). *BET*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Lewis, Hilary (2023-02-26). ["NAACP Image Awards: Will Smith, Angela Bassett, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Among Top Winners"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/naacp-image-awards-2023-winners-list-1235333198/). *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Complex, Valerie (2023-06-15). ["Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; ‘The Best Man: Final Chapters’ Leads With 18 Noms"](https://deadline.com/2023/06/black-reel-television-awards-announces-nominations-the-best-man-final-chapters-leads-with-18-noms-1235418181/). *Deadline*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["NAACP Image Awards 2025: See the Complete Winners List"](https://people.com/naacp-image-awards-2025-winners-list-11682813). *People.com*. [Archived](http://web.archive.org/web/20250726142438/https://people.com/naacp-image-awards-2025-winners-list-11682813) 2025-07-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Lewis, Hilary (2025-02-23). ["2025 NAACP Image Awards: Keke Palmer Named Entertainer of the Year as ‘The Six Triple Eight’ Nabs Two Wins"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/2025-naacp-image-awards-winners-list-1236143606/). *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Dixon, Delaina. ["NAACP Image Awards Reveal 2026 Nominees"](https://www.ebony.com/57th-annual-naacp-image-awards-complete-nominations-list/). *EBONY*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["'Sinners' Runs the Table at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards"](https://www.bet.com/article/1kx9p2/sinners-runs-the-table-at-the-2026-naacp-image-awards). *BET*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. Lewis, Hilary (2026-03-01). ["2026 NAACP Image Awards: ‘Sinners’ Dominates With 13 Wins, Including Best Motion Picture"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2026-naacp-image-awards-winners-list-1236518330/). *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

1. ["NAACP Image Awards Unveil 2026 Nominees, Led By Teyana Taylor, Kendrick Lamar, And Cynthia Erivo"](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/2026-naacp-image-awards-nominations/). *Essence*. 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-03-18.

## External links

- [Jabari Banks](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12053278/) at IMDb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jabari Banks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabari_Banks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabari_Banks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.