‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ star shares how she opened her home to struggling young filmmaker

Karyn Parsons, well-known for taking part in Hilary Banks within the Nineties sitcom, The Recent Prince of Bel-Air, is now residing a life much like the present that made her well-known. After stepping away from Hollywood years in the past to change into an writer, public speaker, and founding father of a nonprofit, Parsons is presently internet hosting a younger filmmaker in her dwelling.

What started as an opportunity encounter for the 59-year-old and her husband, movie director, producer, and screenwriter Alexandre Rockwell, has blossomed right into a thriving relationship with aspiring filmmaker Matthew Osubor, 27. 

Osubor, a Brown College graduate born within the U.S. to Nigerian immigrant mother and father, met the couple, who had lived in Windfall for 3 years, unexpectedly in a Entire Meals parking zone within the spring of 2024. 

Their bond started a 12 months in the past, after Osubor seen an orange drop from Rockwell’s purchasing bag as he walked towards his automotive. Osubor picked up the orange and returned it to Rockwell.

This began their dialog.

“As quickly as he instructed me who he was, I used to be like, ‘Woah!’” Osubor instructed Folks. 

Rockwell, who has been honored with high awards at main movie festivals comparable to Sundance and Berlin, lately served as the pinnacle of the directing program at New York College’s graduate movie college.

Osubor shared his ambition to change into a filmmaker with Rockwell, who gave him his electronic mail tackle to keep up a correspondence. 

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Rockwell had been mentoring Osubor earlier than he turned homeless.

“We had a water boiler burst within the basement at 8:30 on a Sunday morning. Then we have been instructed we couldn’t use the water,” Osubor recalled. “Issues have been all the time breaking, the electrical energy would journey out, individuals have been coming and going,” he added.

Parsons and Rockwell first supplied Osubor, who works on Rockwell’s tasks, entry to their dwelling for breaks as a consequence of his plumbing points. Nonetheless, upon recognizing the severity of his unstable residing circumstances, they prolonged a a lot kinder provide.

“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 defined.

Since their encounter, their interactions have led to Osubor engaged on Rockwell’s latest movie, The Projectionist. This movie stars Vondie Curtis-Corridor (Chicago Hope) and has Quentin Tarantino as an government producer.

Rockwell additionally agreed to be an government producer for Osubor’s newest movie, Huge Daddy’s Flowers. This movie, shot in and round Windfall, is slated for launch early this 12 months.

The settlement for Parsons to look in Osubor’s movie was, as he put it, “the icing on the cake.” Given his restricted funds, the Hamilton, Ohio, native compensated Parsons by providing his multimedia experience to help her nonprofit, Candy Blackberry, as an alternative of a direct cost. 

Candy Blackberry focuses on sharing little-known tales of African-Individuals whose achievements have formed American historical past with mother and father and educators.

Parsons recounted that Osubor’s “power, enthusiasm, and ambition” have been instantly clear upon their first assembly. She added that he “has been an enormous assist with the web site and serving to to launch our YouTube channel.”

Rockwell additionally expressed his admiration for Osubor’s drive and expertise, stating he has been “so impressed.”

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“Once I first noticed his brief movies, they jumped out at me and I [thought], ‘This man’s received one thing I haven’t seen precisely earlier than,’” Rockwell remarked. “And as somebody who has handled lots of younger filmmakers … seeing somebody who has a novel voice or a manner of seeing one thing I haven’t seen earlier than is uncommon, so he actually stood out that manner.”

“He’s additionally a very good collaborator,” Rockwell continued. “That’s one other factor about filmmakers: It’s a must to know tips on how to collaborate and work with individuals.”

Parsons shared that Osubor, who lives within the household’s completed attic, has “change into like an enormous brother” to their 18-year-old son, Nico, a highschool senior considering filmmaking, who even labored on Osubor’s movie. 

Parsons and Rockwell even have a 22-year-old daughter, Lana, an actor and musician who splits her time between Paris and New York Metropolis.

Osubor expressed that he’s “past grateful” for Parsons and Rockwell’s generosity. He’s additionally “in awe” of their capacity to steadiness their skilled dedication with making time for enjoyment.

“There’s lots of laughter on this home, for certain,” he shared.

He added, “They’re each so inspiring, and seeing how fearless they’re provides me consolation and a sort of peace and tranquility with how I’m going about issues. They’re each keen about what they do – and I see in them, every day, that something is feasible.”

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