Benny Medina grew up impoverished in East Los Angeles. He created “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” which was loosely about his life when he befriended a wealthy white boy whose family invited him to live with them in Beverly Hills.
Who is Benny Medina?
Benny Medina was born on January 24, 1958. He is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
Medina was born into an impoverished family in East Los Angeles, California, to Dominican parents. After his mother died and his father abandoned him, he was placed in a series of foster homes, from which he ran away several times before his aunt took him and his siblings. Medina dealt drugs and amphetamines in his early teenage years.
He became friends with a rich white adolescent whose Beverly Hills family enabled him to live in a rebuilt garage behind their home. Medina then went to Beverly Hills High School, where he met Kerry Gordy and excelled academically. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is loosely based on Medina’s experiences transferring to these privileged surroundings. (Source: Ebony)
The Premise of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz and based partly on Benny Medina’s life. It ran on NBC from September 10, 1990, through May 20, 1996. Will Smith portrays a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart adolescent from West Philadelphia who is forced to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in their Bel-Air home after being abused at his neighborhood playground. On the other hand, Will’s way of life regularly differs from that of his upper-class relatives.
The show’s premise is established with the theme song and opening scene. Will Smith is a street-smart African-American youngster from West Philadelphia who was born and raised. Will accidentally touches a bunch of gang members with the ball while playing street basketball, frightening his mother, who sends him to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in the wealthy Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Will’s working-class background clashes with the Banks family’s upper-class world in a variety of amusing ways, including Will’s stern uncle Phil and tough but fair aunt Vivian and their children, Will’s cousins: spoiled Hilary, pompous Carlton, impressionable Ashley, and baby Nicky, as well as their sarcastic butler Geoffrey. (Source: Creative Coin)
The Virtual Reunion of the Cast
During his Snapchat Discover series WFH Will From Home, Will Smith had a special reunion with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast, and their virtual get-together was packed with nostalgia.
Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Joseph Marcell, and DJ Jazzy Jeff commemorate the 30th anniversary of the hit sitcom’s first episode, which aired on September 10, 1990.
This is the first time since the series ended in 1996 that the whole Fresh Prince cast has appeared together on screen. After checking in with one other, the gang discussed their deep friendship and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to interact. (Source: E! Online)