1 of 5 | Cassandra Freeman, seen at the International Emmy Awards in New York City in November, plays Aunt Viv on "Bel-Air." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Cassandra Freeman says she was proud to pay tribute to Janet Hubert, the first actor to play Aunt Viv, in the final episodes of Bel-Air, airing Monday on Peacock. Hubert portrayed the character in the original series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, while Freeman plays her in Bel-Air, its dramatic remake.
In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Freeman said she performs Hubert's dance from the original sitcom. In the new episodes, Viv dances while filming a TikTok video with daughters Hilary (Coco Jones) and Ashley (Akira Akbar).
"For those who know, that's an iconic dance to wink back at the original Aunt Viv," Freeman said. "Janet Hubert, back in the day, is famous for doing this whole dance routine in front of people. She had on her leotard to show that she's still young."
In Fresh Prince, Hubert was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid after three seasons. Hubert and series star Will Smith reconciled in the HBO Max Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion in 2020.
