As Bel-Air is a few episodes into season two of the hit Peacock reboot, fans are getting to know more and more about the stars of the show. And one of those stars is 16-year-old Akira Akbar. Recently, the talented teen sat down with byrdie.com to talk about the show over all, her role as Ashley Banks, beauty secrets, and more.
If by some chance, you are not familiar with the reboot or Akbar herself, but her face does look familiar, and you just can’t place it…well, think Marvel. Akbar was in the 2019 hit film Captain Marvel in the role of Monica Rambeau. However, her acting credits don’t stop there. Akbar has a resume that even seasoned vets would applaud and envy. Akbar has also appeared on NBC‘s hit series, This is Us and in the Netflix film, We Can Be Heroes. She also starred in the Freeform series, Good Trouble.
Fast-forward to present-day, and just what does Akbar think of her new iconic role? Well, she says that Bel-Air Ashley Banks is “not too girly and not too tomboy. As a queer woman, she really steps out of the box with her style.”
Akbar continues saying to byrdie.com, that the role of Bel-Air‘s Ashley Banks is definitely different from Fresh Prince‘s Ashley Banks because it is a different time.
“It differs because it’s such a different time now. The Fresh Prince was in the ’90s, and Bel-Air is happening now. We cover many issues teenagers are dealing with now, especially teens in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s important to show that on screen, and I’m glad they’re putting stories like this in shows because it helps people understand that they’re not alone.”
In terms of her beauty routine, it seems as if Akbar is definitely on point with not only skin care, but hair care as well.
“For skincare, I recently started using the Cerave Cleanser Bar, and I love it,” she told byrdie.com. “It leaves my skin looking good. I also use a moisturizer from Osea and a toner from Paula’s Choice. I mostly use Melanin Haircare, K-18, and Living Proof products in my hair.”
And of course, Akbar shares her life hack for keeping her braids this season, flake-free.
“One of the hairstylists taught me if you have flakes in your hair from braids, you can put a bald cap over a brush and then run the brush over your hair to get the flakes out. We’ve been using that trick this season because I’ve been wearing braids most of the time. It’s a really good hack.”
If you would like to read Akira Akbar’s entire interview, click here. Bel-Air season two is streaming now on Peacock every Thursday.
Photo credit(s)/Featured Images: Akira Akbar Instagram
