Many will without end know her as Hilary Banks, the trendy, spoiled darling of “The Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air.” However as of late, Karyn Parsons is entering into a job that feels nearer to Aunt Viv than the socialite of Bel-Air.
Alongside her husband, filmmaker Alexandre Rockwell, Parsons has opened up her Windfall, R.I., dwelling to assist a younger, struggling filmmaker in want, bringing a complete new which means to the thought of mentorship. Since final yr, the couple has welcomed Matthew Osubor, 27, into their stately dwelling after the couple, who had already been mentoring the aspiring director, realized simply how unstable his residing state of affairs had turn out to be.
“It was tough for him to give attention to engaged on his movie as a result of … there have been every kind of points in the home, like flooding,” Parsons advised Folks journal.
“We had a water boiler burst within the basement at 8:30 on a Sunday morning. Then we have been advised we couldn’t use the water,” Osubor recalled.“Issues have been at all times breaking, the electrical energy would journey out, folks have been coming and going,” he stated.
At first, Parsons and Rockwell merely supplied Osubor a spot to take breaks whereas coping with ongoing plumbing issues. However as soon as they realized the total scope of what he was navigating, they determined to do extra. The couple first met Osubor in 2024, whereas purchasing at Complete Meals, when one act of kindness sparked what has now turn out to be a familial-like bond.
“As quickly as he advised me who he was, I used to be like, ‘Woah!’ ” Osubor stated, recalling how he picked up an orange that fell out of the couple’s purchasing bag when strolling to his automotive. Impressed to strike up a dialog after giving them the produce, Osubor was shocked to study that Rockwell was the top of the directing program at New York College’s graduate movie college who had acquired prime honors at main movie festivals like Sundance.
He ultimately went on to work on Rockwell’s newest movie, “The Projectionist.”
“After I first noticed his brief movies, they jumped out at me and I [thought], ‘This man’s acquired one thing I haven’t seen precisely earlier than,’ ” Rockwell stated. “And as somebody who has handled a variety of younger filmmakers … seeing somebody who has a novel voice or a means of seeing one thing I haven’t seen earlier than is uncommon, so he actually stood out that means.”
Equally, Rockwell later agreed to function government producer on Osubor’s most up-to-date movie, “Large Daddy’s Flowers,” which additionally starred Parsons. Osubor supplied his multimedia expertise in alternate for her look, serving to the “Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air” star together with her nonprofit, Candy Blackberry, which shares little-known tales of African People whose achievements have formed American historical past.
“He’s been an enormous assist with the web site and serving to to launch our YouTube channel,” Parsons shared of Osubor’s “power, enthusiasm and ambition.”
Residing within the household’s completed attic, Osubor says he’s “past grateful” for the couple’s generosity and stays in “awe” of how they steadiness work and enjoyable.
“They’re each so inspiring, and seeing how fearless they’re offers me consolation and a form of peace and tranquility with how I’m going about issues,” he added. “They’re each obsessed with what they do – and I see in them, every day, that something is feasible.”
