Interview by Roman Portnoy
Photography by Ryan West
Olly Sholotan is a Nigerian-American actor, singer, and music producer. He can currently be seen starring in Peacock’s hit series BEL AIR as Carlton Banks.
What influenced you to pursue a career in acting?
I actually grew up playing sports and was convinced for the longest time that I was going to be a professional soccer player. But as funny as it sounds I’ll never forget watching High School Musical and being like “hang on wait, this theatre thing seems really cool” and then the rest is history.
How much of a challenge was it to re-invent the role of Carlton Banks in “Bel-Air” knowing it was made famous by Alfonso Ribeiro in the sitcom “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”?
I think stepping into ‘something that’s been done before’ is always really difficult. It comes with all these expectations and shoes to fill; especially considering the fact that Alfonso created essentially one of the most lovable characters on television. It was definitely really important to me that I let go of that pressure and really find my own version of who Carlton is in this version of the show. So it was definitely a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but thanks to the stellar creative team of Bel-Air, as a cast we all feel the freedom to breathe our own new life into these characters.
Do you have any similar characteristics to the Carlton you play on the show?
Both Carlton and I have a habit of holding ourselves to really high standards. I mean I would say since I’m older than him I’ve learned to kind of deal with both the positive and negative repercussions of that; Carlton’s just a kid and is still learning.
How humbling is it to work with such a successful actor as Will Smith? Did he give you any advice when you got the part as Carlton?
It’s just incredible. I have to say he is one of the kindest and most generous people I’ve worked with. He’s been such a great mentor throughout this whole process and has really encouraged us as a cast to lean on each other. I remember the first day of our table read for Season 1; he wasn’t able to be there but he sent a message ahead and it was along the lines of “You all are about to go on the wildest adventure of your lives, take it day by day and lean on each other.” And let me tell you it’s been a completely insane journey.
What actor would you love to work with one day?
Oh I’d love to work with Jonathan Majors someday, his depth as an actor amazes me.
The cast of “Bel-Air” was recently featured in “Celebrity Family Feud” and you played a big part in helping them take the grand prize. What game show did you grow up watching and would love to one day play?
Yes! That episode is honestly one of my biggest life achievements. It was just such a fun time. Growing up I watched a weird amount of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I think it was the trivia aspect to it that I really liked. Now… does Shark Tank count as a game show?
You played Lewis Washington in the action thriller “Run Hide Fight”. How different was it working on a movie compared to a TV series?
Shooting a movie feels more like a sprint while a TV series feels like way more of a marathon. And obviously, Bel-Air as a project has just been a bigger experience but on a TV show, it’s like you’re shooting 10 short films back to back to back. And sometimes when you’re shooting Episode 1, you don’t necessarily know exactly what will happen in Episode 5 so you have to work really hard to make sure you know your character inside out.
Outside of acting, you’ve shown a passion for singing by releasing some singles. Do you see yourself starring in a musical in the future and what would that musical be?
Oh, I love music; every aspect of my life has music in it like if you come to my home I’m probably playing a song I’m working on at that moment on repeat or I have some album blasting. I’m a producer, writer, and singer and I think I take every moment of my life to be doing it in some capacity. I’d love to star in a Nicholas Brothers musical.
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
Get used to the word “no”. It’s such a difficult word to hear but in a way, once you accept how part of your life that word now is you experience this sense of freedom. Acting is so tough because you have to put your heart on your sleeve every day but for all the no’s you’re going it get it only takes one yes to change your life!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
