Bel-Air star Olly Sholotan is ready for Carlton Banks’ “redemption season.” Fans were rocked by the show’s Season 2 finale in which Carlton admitted he was a drug addict in front of his school and his family while accepting the Founders Award. “Our main goal [in Season 3] was to show a different side to Carlton,” says Sholotan.
When audience first meet Carlton, he is leaving rehab with his parents, Phil (Adrian Holmes), Viv (Cassandra Freeman), and cousin Will ( Jabari Banks ), to support him. “For the last two seasons, we’ve seen him be miserable, frankly,” says Sholotan. “With this season, we’re really, really excited to show his joy.
” Part of the reason for Carlton’s joy? The elusive and wild Amira (played by Saved By The Bell ‘ s Alycia Pascual-Pena). The two hook up while in rehab and must figure out how to navigate their connection in the outside world. “Both Amira and Carlton are two broken people trying to find wholeness in each other,” notes Sholotan.
However, their “co-dependent bond” potentially could lead to trouble down the line. “They sacrifice their thrill seeking and drugs for thrill seeking in real life,” adds Sholotan. “It’s a scary relationship to watch on screen at times.
” Luckily, Will has Carlton’s back 100% this season, and both Sholotan and Banks are thrilled with how the relationship between their characters develops. “We’re really, really close in real life,” says Sholotan. “We were both like, �.