1 of 5 | Cassandra Freeman, seen at the International Emmy Awards in New York City in November, plays Aunt Viv on “Bel-Air.” File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Cassandra Freeman says she was proud to pay tribute to Janet Hubert, the first actor to play Aunt Viv, in the final episodes of Bel-Air, airing Monday on Peacock. Hubert portrayed the character in the original series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, while Freeman plays her in Bel-Air, its dramatic remake.
In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Freeman said she performs Hubert’s dance from the original sitcom. In the new episodes, Viv dances while filming a TikTok video with daughters Hilary (Coco Jones) and Ashley (Akira Akbar).
“For those who know, that’s an iconic dance to wink back at the original Aunt Viv,” Freeman said. “Janet Hubert, back in the day, is famous for doing this whole dance routine in front of people. She had on her leotard to show that she’s still young.”
In Fresh Prince, Hubert was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid after three seasons. Hubert and series star Will Smith reconciled in the HBO Max Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion in 2020.
“I always saw myself in Janet Hubert when I watched that show but I never thought I would walk through the looking glass of TV and be her,” Freeman said. “I just feel like to be an artist and actor is to have to surrender to the spirit. I think we’re just shamans waiting to embody the right stories at the right time in our lives.”
Freeman respects Maxwell Reid, too. However, with the recasting, the character changed.
“Janet Hubert was someone with full agency, with a career, she’s a professor, she’s a dancer, she’s a full woman,” Freeman said. “Daphne Maxwell, they made her much more of a nurturing stay-at-home mom. Both are great, just very different archetypes.”
Hubert was also just the first to imprint on viewers like Freeman.
“It’s like seeing your parents divorce,” Freeman said. “It doesn’t matter who your dad marries next. You still love your mom. The first Janet is everybody’s mom but we got a fantastic stepmom in Daphne Maxwell.”
The Aunt Viv in Bel-Air is modeled more after Hubert’s version of the character. Over the four seasons of Bel-Air, Freeman’s Viv returns to her career as an artist after welcoming her nephew Will (Jabari Banks) into her home after he is sent there from Philadelphia.
Coincidentally, Freeman was already a painter when she was cast on Bel-Air. She showcases her works of art on her Instagram account @original_picassie.
“Some people drink, I paint,” Freeman said. “I’m stressed, I paint. I get excited, I go paint. I’m trying to work through something, I go paint.”
Season 4 also finds Viv pregnant with her fourth child with Phil (Adrian Holmes). Freeman said wearing the prosthetic belly reminded her body of her real pregnancy.
“I would get weird stomach pains and I would think, ‘Well, I’m pregnant,'” Freeman recalled. “I thought, ‘Cassie, you’re not pregnant.’ So definitely I would have some phantom pregnancy moments.”
The final episodes also bring the return of Viv’s eldest daughter, Hilary. After her husband died on their wedding night, Hilary went to Costa Rica and only appeared on phone or laptop screens for most of the season.
Hilary’s return allows her to get closer with Viv, Freeman said.
“I think Hilary actually comes back more like Aunt Viv than any other season because they were so far apart,” Freeman said. “She’s not wearing her brand labeled outfits anymore. She’s not wearing designer purses. She becomes very bohemian and heart led.”
Viv has had tense moments with all of her kids. Season 3 dealt largely with Carlton’s (Olly Sholotan) recovery from cocaine in rehab, while Season 4 sees youngest daughter Ashley acting out.
“Kids go through their transitional periods and it can be very difficult for the parents and for the kid,” Freeman said. “I think she’s doing the same thing that Carlton did when he was young. So this season in Phil and Viv’s life is about how are we going to make sure she doesn’t spiral out of control like Carlton inevitably did?”
Landing the role of Aunt Viv also led to fulfilling another career dream of Freeman’s. Executive producer Will Smith cast Freeman as the therapist in his video for “Pretty Girls” in June.
“I always wanted to be a video girl but a good video girl, like a good girl,” Freeman said. “So I was a good girl. It all worked out.”
