Olly Sholotan stars as Carlton Banks in Peacock’s Bel-Air. The first three episodes of season 3 will premiere on August 15. He also just released his new single, “Bodye,” which will be followed by a music video on September 6.

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, Peacock’s successful one-hour drama series Bel-Air imagines the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through a new, dramatic take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.

I asked the actor/musician about the most rewarding part of his character, his favorite storyline from the third season, what he’s learned from working on the series, his unexpected inspiration for “Bodye,” shooting his upcoming music video, and more. Keep reading for everything he shared!

What has it been like to see the fan response to Bel-Air? 
Olly Sholotan: It’s been such a dream come true! You know, as an artist, your life’s goal is always to move people deeply with the work you do, and especially to have that happen on such a widespread level with such an iconic and beloved franchise like this is beyond special. The idea to take The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and set it in 2024 with a dramatic twist started as just a small concept and the belief that something like that could even work. And so, having fans really rocking with what we’re doing feels validating in a lot of ways, like, “Omg we were right the whole time!”

What has been the most rewarding part of playing Carlton Banks? 
My version of Carlton really gets put through the wringer. Mental health and substance use are a big part of his storyline and his journey to recovery and dealing with all of that has been really important. I always say the goal of art and media is to make people feel seen and validated, and I’ve had so many people see me in person or reach out on social media and tell me how Carlton’s journey really spoke to them. It made them feel like they’re not alone, that’s such a rewarding thing to hear. 

Can you tease your personal favorite storyline of season 3?
Carlton’s got a little boo-thang this season! I’m really excited for fans to get to see him in a different light and see different sides to him. Don’t get me wrong, the relationship isn’t all good all the time; they did meet in rehab. But I just think it’s so important and dope to show young Black love in all of its rawest and most interesting forms and let me tell you… this season does get very steamy.

What has being on the show taught you professionally and/or personally? 
This show has taught me that focus is the most important thing an artist can curate. There is just so much out there to be distracted by and drawn to that it can sometimes be hard to keep the main objective in view, and that’s crafting the best stories you can and really reaching people. I’ll say my life since working on the show has become so much noisier, so knowing exactly where I’m headed is great. What’s also great about having Will as a mentor is that he’s been doing this for so long that he just has so much knowledge and advice on how to deal with all this stuff. 

I know you just released “Bodye” and have a music video coming out soon. What is your favorite memory tied to filming the music video? 
Jeez, so I had the insane idea to have the music video be this choreographed piece that takes place in one single shot. So that meant we had to have a lot more rehearsal time than most music videos; so over the course of like 3 weeks, Jared Jenkins, my choreographer, Avonie Bell (the dancer in the video), and I had a bunch of rehearsals and then, finally brought the camera team in to nail their part down. So on the day of shooting, it was this adrenaline-filled couple of hours of trying to nail the perfect one total performance. It was exhilarating, but also I’ll admit a little unintentional self-punishment.  

Can you share any unexpected inspiration for the single? 
So have you ever met someone and just without saying a word you both just danced through the night and fell for each other? That’s what this song is about. I had an experience sometime back about meeting this girl; we were casual friends before but after a whole night of just like… dancing together and feeling each other’s bodies we couldn’t stay away from each other. I really feel like there isn’t a lot of music these days that makes people want to dance together and I wanna bring that back; I think “BODYE” does that. 

How would you describe your relationship with making music and what has that journey meant to you? 
When I’m acting I’m usually saying someone else’s lines and working through other people’s feelings; what’s great about music I get to work through my own feelings and say my own words. The music I make feels like me and my heritage. I’m Nigerian-American, so I always want to try and make my culture feel represented in my songs in little ways; basically, everything I make has this Afrobeats flavor to it mixed with American Pop and Rnb. Growing as a producer has really allowed me to incorporate that into my work. 

Is there a song or album that you feel best describes season 3 of Bel-Air? 
Oh, easy! I can give you two! “Summertime” by Will Smith and “Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino.