Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Star Welcomes a Struggling Young Filmmaker into Her Home

Karyn Parsons on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and left with Matthew Osubor.
Credit :

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Juliet Pennington/PEOPLE

Key Highlights

• Actress, author, and speaker Karyn Parsons’ husband, director Alexandre Rockwell, has been mentoring young filmmaker Matthew Osubor.
• Recently, Osubor faced challenges with his living situation, prompting the couple to open their home to him.
• "They are both so inspiring, and seeing how fearless they are gives me comfort and a kind of peace and tranquility with how I go about things," Osubor shared.

Many remember the iconic 1990s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where Will Smith portrayed a street-smart teen from West Philadelphia sent to live with wealthy relatives in Los Angeles. One of those relatives was cousin Hilary, a role played by Karyn Parsons during the show’s six-season run.

At 59, Parsons, who has stepped away from the Hollywood spotlight to focus on being an author, public speaker, and nonprofit founder, is now experiencing an unexpected parallel to her earlier life. Since last year, she and her husband, acclaimed film director, producer, and screenwriter Alexandre Rockwell, have welcomed aspiring filmmaker Matthew Osubor into their home in Providence, Rhode Island.

“We realized it was difficult for him to focus on his film projects due to severe issues in his living conditions,” Parsons stated. Osubor, 27, recounted, “We had a water boiler burst in the basement at 8:30 on a Sunday morning. Then we were told we couldn’t use the water.” He described ongoing maintenance issues that complicated his work, noting, “Things were always breaking.”

Initially, the couple allowed Osubor to use their home for breaks during his plumbing troubles. However, upon recognizing the gravity of his living situation, they extended a more substantial offer.

From left: Matthew Osubor and Karyn Parsons.

Juliet Pennington/PEOPLE

Osubor, a graduate of Brown University, whose parents emigrated from Nigeria, initially met Parsons and Rockwell by chance at a Whole Foods parking lot in spring 2024. After a brief interaction where he returned an orange that had fallen from Rockwell’s bag, the conversation unfolded, leading to Osubor sharing his aspirations in filmmaking. Rockwell, a noted film festival award winner and former head of NYU’s directing program, offered his email to maintain communication.

The budding relationship quickly escalated, with Osubor collaborating on Rockwell’s latest film, The Projectionist, and Rockwell agreeing to be an executive producer for Osubor’s upcoming film, Big Daddy’s Flowers, set for release in early 2025.

An additional highlight for Osubor was Parsons’ involvement in his film project. With a limited budget, he proposed assisting Parsons with her nonprofit, Sweet Blackberry, in exchange for her participation. This nonprofit aims to educate parents and educators about significant yet lesser-known contributions of African Americans throughout history.

Parsons noted, "He’s been a huge help with the website and helping to launch our YouTube channel," praising Osubor’s evident "energy, enthusiasm, and ambition."

From left: Alexandre Rockwell, Lana Rockwell and Karyn Parsons in 2021.

Roy Rochlin/Getty

Rockwell expressed his admiration for Osubor, stating, “I’m so impressed by his drive and talent.” He continues, “When I first saw his short films, they jumped out at me,” emphasizing Osubor’s unique perspective in filmmaking.

In their shared home, Osubor has taken on a familial role, living in the finished attic and forming a close bond with Parsons and Rockwell’s son, Nico, a high school senior interested in filmmaking. Osubor described his gratitude for the couple’s generosity and noted, “There’s a lot of laughter in this house, for sure.” He added, “They are both so inspiring… I see in them, on a daily basis, that anything is possible.”