Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played our favorite TV aunt Vivian Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, sits down with Chelsie Overocker from the House of Hallmark to discuss her new movie The Business of Christmas that will be shown on BET+ on December 1st and the reunion of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
We all are excited for the Banks Family to return, and Daphne tells us what we can expect with the reunion.
“You can expect laughs and tears and joy and surprises, and dancing and fun! We had an absolute ball creating it. It was a grand occasion for all of us. So we are looking forward to sharing this with you.”
We all can’t wait either, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is always going to remain an iconic show that many generations will watch with their family. We know you must have a lot, but can you recall a particular scene or moment that you really enjoyed filming?
“There were lots and lots! [laughs] Of course, my favorite scene was my entry into the show and Jazzy Jeff looking at me and saying, ‘you sure look different since you had that baby.’ [laughs] I just thought that was the most gracious way to introduce a new character that I have ever seen. It was such a lovely introduction into the family.”
That moment is one of our favorites as well, and we loved how Will looked into the camera while Jazz is pointing out that something is different about her character Vivian.
Daphne also shares one of her finest memories while being on set and a relationship she still cherishes.
“What I hold dear to me is the relationship that I had with James Avery. The love that we had for each other and each other’s families. He and his wife, and my husband and I used to travel together. While we were working at Fresh Prince, we were dancing in the halls. He was a fabulous dancer. We would sit in his room, and he was reading books and listening to jazz. Just dancing with James Avery is one of my fine memories.”
You and James are what made the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air what it is today. Your on-screen relationship was beautiful, and we love hearing how you two would be dancing in the hallways.
“We’re all family, and we see each other very often. We have done weddings and births of babies and funerals and all sorts of wonderful book launches. Dancing with the Stars celebrations. We have had a lot of time together. A couple of us do comic cons together, and we traveled the world doing some of these comic cons with Karyn and Tatyana, and Joseph. We just have a great time.”
That’s great that you all stay in contact, and we are looking forward to watching the reunion, which will be available on HBO Max starting November 19th.
Not only does Daphne have The Fresh Prince 30th Year Reunion Show coming out, but she is also starring in a new holiday film called The Business of Christmas.
“This is a story of a family who owns a toy store, and the toy store has been in the family for a long time. The children are all grown and have gone on with their lives and..ta-da! Drama with the mortgage. Trying to get my children to please come home for Christmas and to have a family Christmas, we have to figure out how to keep the store. There are health issues and a lot of drama. But beautiful, beautiful, beautiful cast, and I just loved having the privilege of being the matriarch of this family.”
Sounds like a wonderful Christmas story, and right now, we all need to watch movies that make us feel good.
Daphne has accomplished a lot as an actress and being the first black woman to be on the cover of Glamour magazine. She opens up and gives advice on how to make a career in the entertainment industry.
“You should find something that you really love. If you want to be an actress and an actor. Find something that you really, really love to do that will earn you a living that you have control over. That could be developing a skill as a carpenter or being a waitress. Whatever it is so you can feed yourself while you’re waiting to be chosen because being an actor is a life of waiting to be chosen. It has nothing to do with the caliber of your talent. You can be a magnificent talent, but if you don’t fit into what the producer or director or creator had in mind.” Reid explains, “it has nothing to do with you. Being an actor, you are at someone else’s disposal.”
Daphne makes an important statement that no matter what your job title is on set, everyone is just as equally important.
“Bring your best attitude towards this. Don’t come with a chip on your shoulder. We don’t put up with that. [laughs] Don’t bring an attitude. Bring the work ethic of getting things done because making a film is a team effort. Nobody is more important than anybody else. The director is not any more important than a craft service person because if the crew is not fed on time, the director can’t get them to do what they need to do. It all falls apart. Everybody’s job is pertinent and just as valuable as everybody else’s job”
Her husband, Tim Reid from Sister Sister, even helps Daphne out when she is facing struggles with her career, and to this day, she still follows the advice he gave her many years ago.
“My husband taught me years ago don’t let the successes go to your head and don’t let the failures go to your heart. Get up, keep going.”
Great advice from both you and your husband. You will definitely help someone who is facing challenges with their career or feeling lost with their work.
“Have pride in it. Have passion in it, and you can make a career out of it. Reid explains, “it only takes one person to start your path, and then you take advantage of that opportunity and make other paths to other opportunities.”
Another passion Daphne enjoys is cooking. Her recent cookbook called Grace + Soul & Mother Wit shares her favorite recipes that her mom made when she was younger and her own personal recipes that she likes to make.
“It’s a memoir. A little mini memoir, and it’s a collection of all the recipes that I loved from my mother and from all the people that I worked with for the past 45 years, and it’s basically a premier on, oh, you’ve never cooked before? Here’s how you start. This is what you have in your kitchen, and this is what you have in your pantry. This is what you keep in your refrigerator. This is how you measure. This is what blend means, and this is what fry means. This is what bake means. [laughs] It sets up the kitchen, but it also gives you a story for each recipe of where I got the recipe. What it means to me, what that person meant to me, and there’s humor in most of the recipes because cooking should be fun.”
That’s a cool concept, and this cookbook can fit anyone of all ages. Whether you’re just a beginner at cooking or you would like to learn new recipes to start making for yourself. But Daphne’s main goal with her cookbook is for people to value family time.
“My main incentive is to get people to sit down and share a meal and share their lives with each other. Just sit down and cook with love.”
What makes this cookbook even more special is Daphne shares photos of her growing up in New York with her family and highlights of her career.
Thank you, Daphne, for sharing your cookbook this will make the perfect gift for Christmas. This year people are going to be spending the holidays inside, so why not get a gift where you can create fun family memories together?
While you’re spending time with your family inside your homes, be sure to stream The Business of Christmas on BET + starting December 1st.
Always great talking with you, Daphne. Thank you for coming on the House of Hallmark, and happy holidays!
“You be well and enjoy your holidays.”
Make sure you all are following Daphne on IG @msdaphne13.
You can watch the full interview here.
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