Olly Sholotan on 'Bel-Air's' Final Season, Carlton's Evolution, and What Comes Next

As Peacock’s longest-running new original comes to an end, the actor-musician breaks down Carlton’s evolution, the pressure of reinventing a TV icon, and what comes after Bel-Air.

As Bel-Air enters its fourth and final season, actor and musician Olly Sholotan is closing the chapter on a role that reshaped one of television’s most iconic characters. On Peacock’s dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sholotan plays Carlton Banks, a modern, emotionally layered, and deeply human version of the character originally portrayed by Alfonso Ribeiro.

Much like the original show, Bel-Air follows Will’s move from West Philadelphia to a wealthy enclave in Los Angeles, but this time through a grounded, contemporary lens. As the show prepares for its final bow, Sholotan reflects on the emotional weight of portraying Carlton, the responsibility of honoring and redefining a beloved character, and the creative life he’s building beyond the Banks family.

Olly Sholotan on Carlton’s Final Chapter in Bel-Air

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

BOARDROOM: How are you feeling as Bel-Air heads into its fourth and final season? What was it like being part of this project from start to finish?

OLLY SHOLOTAN: I mean, look, it’s a lot of feelings. It’s this really interesting thing because as a cast, we’ve all bonded a lot over this sort of unique and kind of impossible experience. There’s no real way I can describe what this feeling has been like to my family or my friends.

We joined this show that’s a recreation and reimagining of maybe the most iconic show ever, right? One that created one of—if not the—biggest movie stars ever. And when it was announced, everyone was like, why y’all doing this? What’s going on?

We created this thing in a bubble for a little bit, and then it came out, and it was a hit. Now that period is ending, and we don’t exactly know how to talk about it. It’s exciting. It’s special.

I keep saying we are Peacock’s longest-running [new] original series. We’re the only show to make it to four seasons, and that speaks to how much people love the show. But at the same time, it’s important that we move on and do other things. I’ve had to turn down projects because of my shooting schedule for Bel-Air, so it’s exciting but also humbling and bittersweet.

In a time when attention spans feel shorter than ever and streaming competition is intense, Bel-Air built a loyal fanbase. Did you mentally prepare for that when you took on the role?

Sometimes I exist in this place where the only moment that matters is the moment I’m in. I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I’d have people who would lose it seeing me in person.

That didn’t hit me until it actually happened. I’m from Houston, and a couple of months after season two aired, I went to the mall with my family—and it was pandemonium. In LA, everyone’s kind of famous, so no one really cares. But back home? Not the case.

My parents were like, “Are we ever going to be able to go to the mall like normal again?” And I was like, maybe not. Now I just make a mental note that no matter where I go, I’m going to say hi to people, take pictures, and everything will take a little longer.

I meet a lot of people every day, but I’m the only me they will ever meet. It’s important to give everyone the attention they deserve.

Carlton has been the emotional center of the show. What did you want to bring to his journey in this final chapter that people might not have expected?

I keep saying that with this season, Carlton’s evolution finally comes full circle. People have been begging to like Carlton for four seasons. You love to hate him because he stays true to the bullshit. He’s saying things you wouldn’t say out loud, but you kind of agree with.

This season, though, his growth from season one is night and day. There’s a scene where he and Connor come to a head over a racial issue, and you really see how much Carlton has grown and how much Will has rubbed off on him. Even in his college decision, you see where he ends up.

I remember reading every episode this season, feeling really proud of the decisions Carlton makes. I think audiences will be proud too.

When you first stepped into this role, how did you approach redefining such a beloved character while still honoring the original?

You kind of have to forget it, which is really hard because it’s one of the greatest TV performances ever. I went into it like: We all know what Alfonso did. There’s no world where I copy that and do it well. Even from my original audition, I told myself I’d do something so different they’d either love it or hate it.

The writing is strong enough that the characters on paper share a lot — they’re ambitious, they hold themselves to high standards, they compromise parts of themselves to fit in. Seeing Will frustrates them both. So if all that is the same, my job was to bring something completely different and see what happens.

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When you read the scripts, how much agency do you have in shaping Carlton compared to what the creative team sees?

This might be the most collaborative creative team ever. Carla Banks-Waddles, our showrunner, and Morgan Cooper, our creator — they give us the reins. They write the scripts, hand them to us, and say, “We want to see what you do with it.” If a monologue feels weird, I tweak it. If a word feels off, I tweak it.

That first season was a lot of: “Can we push this further? Are you sure?” And they’d say, “We trust you.” That trust is the foundation of why the show has been so successful.

What part of Carlton’s evolution over four seasons has surprised you most?

This is a deep cut. I forget which episode, but in Season 1, when Carlton and Lisa start becoming friends again, I thought, Oh my God — Carlton and Lisa are getting back together. Carlton’s gonna get his one-up on Will. But then it turned into Lisa being like, Whoa, chill out. And I remember thinking, No way y’all are doing this to me.

As Carlton, yes, but also as Olly, having to watch that happen. But again, it’s that trust. I trust that there’s a full-circle arc being built, even if it’s tough to perform.

You’ve built a career across acting, music, and theater. How do those creative lanes inform each other when you’re preparing roles like Carlton?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything happens together.

A few years ago, I did the off-Broadway run of Buena Vista Social Club. The whole show is Cuban music brought to stage. Before that, I didn’t know Cuban music well. I taught myself as much Spanish as possible because I sang the whole show in Spanish.

I memorized the sounds of the songs so my accent would be right, and I had the cast speak to me only in Spanish. Trial by fire. All those textures seeped into my own music — Afrobeats, Baile funk, Afro-Caribbean influences. It all works in tandem, but only if you let it.

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As you balance leading a hit series while building your music career, how are you juggling both? And what are you looking forward to as Bel-Air wraps?

I’m looking forward to hopefully getting more sleep. We shoot from around 5:30 or 6 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. Then I get home, go to the gym, learn lines for the next day, go into the studio for an hour or two… and by the time I’m in bed, it’s midnight or 1. Then I wake up at 5 again.

I’m excited to have more breathing room. I have a lot of music I’ve been working on. My goal is to partner with a bigger label—I’ve been independent for a while, which has been great. I’m also excited to do feature films, animated series, and animated movies.

Balancing it all is a challenge, but a fun one.

Last question: What do you hope fans take away from Carlton as the show comes to a close?

I hope people take away the importance of self-love and self-forgiveness.

Carlton learns to accept who he is and be who he is—even in rooms where people don’t resonate with that. He’s spent so much of his life compromising who he is to fit an idea of who he thinks he’s supposed to be.

Will’s presence shows him he can be himself and still thrive. And in that, he learns to forgive himself for his mistakes and accept what he can’t change. Once you love yourself, the world is in your hands.