Philip Banks

Philip Zeke Banks, commonly referred to as Uncle Phil, is a prominent supporting character on the American TV sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, played by James Avery from 1990 to 1996. A self-made wealthy lawyer, Banks is the uncle of the delinquent Will, and takes Will into his home in posh Bel Air, Los Angeles, following Will's neighborhood troubles in Philadelphia. The character has often been cited as "one of the best TV dads of all time". In the 2022 reboot series, Bel-Air, the character is played by Adrian Holmes. Characterization Banks is "the stern but loving uncle to Will Smith's character", parenting in this way both with Will and with his own children. By the end of the series, Banks has come to think of Will as his own son. Avery sought to portray the character as "an Uncle Phil that everybody wishes was their uncle", and felt that it was important to show African-Americans striving for success. Outside of his family life, the character was "a former hippie-activist in the ‘60s turned Princeton-educated Los Angeles judge who was down to quote Malcolm X and call the criminal justice system out on its flaws at a moment’s notice". As "a former civil rights activist and Harvard Law-trained attorney", the character became "a role model for Smith's sometimes wild character".