Alycia Pascual-Pena is part of the new season of Bel-Air. A love interest to Carlton Banks life, played by actor Olly Sholotan. Who in the previous season admitted to substance abuse for years. While seeking help he met “Amira,” played by Pascual-Pena.

The Synopsis

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, Peacock’s 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 had a lovely chat with Alycia Pascual-Pena with the release of the third season of Bel-Air. She could not hide her excitement of getting to join the hit series and talked about her character, who she said is different from what she has played before. I of course had to ask about her own experience watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. We also discussed her time in Saved by the Bell and opened up to talking about some of the past shows she grew up seeing and would love to be a part of  if given the opportunity and much more!

Nancy Tapia: Congratulations, because today’s the big day. Today is the release of the third season of Bel-Air. How does it feel?

Alycia Pascual-Pena: It feels good. It will never get old. Every project we’ve ever done, it always feels super exciting for it to be shared with the world. Especially when we work on it for months and it’s a lot of labor, and it’s this communal effort of casting through and then having it shared with the world.

Also just a new experience. I was a fan of Bel-Air before I was on the show and now being a part of it, so I’m very excited. I think I am a bit anxious about how people are going to receive my character because she’s a firecracker, but I’m excited.

Nancy Tapia: You have to share your personal experience of watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Oh, my God.

Nancy Tapia: Because you’re young, you’re super young. You were born when I graduated from high school, haha…

Alycia Pascual-Pena: It’s so funny, because people usually even think that I’m younger than I am, because I consistently play 16, 17, but I am 25. But yes, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of the most iconic shows to ever exist, and was one of my favorite shows objectively because I had so much admiration for the artist that is Will Smith. I thought it was just one of the funniest shows ever. Also, I was obsessed with the fact that there was an Afro-Latina on the show. I recently got to meet her. Which just literally made me emotional, it was very sentimental for me.

I loved the original. I knew that there were actually two Afro-Latinos on it. But I specifically really loved Ashley’s character, because she sang and she was this lovely, bubbly character, and Afro-Latina like myself. Then just a huge fan of Will and the career and the work he’s created.

Nancy Tapia: Let’s talk a little bit about your character, since by the time the interview goes up people will have seen a little bit about your character as you’re joining for the third season. So, from your own words…

Alycia Pascual-Pena: From my own words, I’m honored to play Amira. It’s been a blessing to join this season, and it has been such a rewarding experience to play such a difficult character. She’s a woman who’s dealing with the mental illness that it is to struggle with addiction. I think that I was looking forward to bringing humanity and a face to a story like this. I didn’t take it lightly that I was playing a woman who was dealing with so much, and dealing with the adversity of her addiction and trying to stay sober.

I hope that people are able to give her grace and understand that she is a woman seeking healing, and that that can be messy and that that can be difficult. I think I play a really dynamic, eclectic character that people will probably have some negative sentiments about throughout this season. She does some interesting things, to say the least. But I hope that I can tell this story in a way that people see humanity in Amira.

Nancy Tapia:I think a lot of us can relate. There are all sorts of addictions, and we all have our moment where we spiral. So if anything…

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Absolutely.

Nancy Tapia: … they’re not alone.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Absolutely. I’ve never had a character, I think, dealing with this much. I’ve been really thankful to be a part of projects telling narratives that I really cared about, but specifically with Amira. I stepped into it knowing that I wanted to have a lot of sensitivity and care in the way that I approach this. Because I think that it’s a very human story that unfortunately when we see in the media, sometimes it isn’t told in a way that respects the multidimensional version of that human. Because a person is not just their addiction.

I think that any person struggling with a mental illness or an addiction deserves to be loved through that and deserves to be told that they’re worthy. Even when they make mistakes, and even when they fall short. Amira, throughout the season, definitely does fall short, but she makes some mistakes, and that’s okay. Specifically in her relationship with the actor, Olly Sholotan (“Carlton Banks”), who’s a phenomenal human. I think that they’re able to find love in the midst of this really chaotic time and season of their life. Because to say sober is not easy, and people deserve a community behind them when pursuing sobriety.

I think the fact that these characters find each other and fall for each other and get to experience this young love in the midst of that all is really beautiful as well.

Nancy Tapia: Yeah, an addiction definitely does not define someone.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: At all, I hope that people watch it and understand that people deserve grace and that people are human. None of us are perfect, and we should be supported through that.

Nancy Tapia: I like your character of Amira because she’s spontaneous, just shows up for Carlton, like, “We got lots to make up.” Haha…

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think also that was one of my favorite parts about playing Amira. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people have an archetype in their head of what addiction looks like, and specifically a drug addiction. Whereas Amira is fun and she’s flirty and she’s caring and she’s protective of the ones that she cares about. She’s also this girl from an affluent neighborhood who just unfortunately fell into this addiction with drugs.

I think it’s also important for us to note that mental illness and addiction doesn’t look one way. I love that she’s really goofy and really cares about Carlton, and she’s like, “This is my man.”, while also being this flawed, imperfect person, because we all are. I really did enjoy playing Amira as well, because she’s not perpetuating the stereotypes of the fact that addiction looks one way, because it doesn’t.

Nancy Tapia: I am wondering how well you’ve nailed the Carlton dance.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: That’s such a great question that I didn’t think anybody would ever ask me, haha… I don’t think I’ve done it in a while, but I will say, as a kid, I did it all the time. This little dance, it’s just such a cute little jive.

Nancy Tapia: I love it! I did want to give the space to Bel-Air since that’s out today. But I also wanted to touch a little about being a part of Saved by the Bell, because now you’re part of some iconic series that I grew up with. That’s huge, not everyone gets to do that.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Thank you, that’s really kind. It’s funny because at the Peacock event for Bel-Air, I was seeing similar faces that I knew and loved from my Saved by the Bell days. My friends have comedically been from Bayside to Bel-Air, so it’s never lost on me. I’m like, how cool, I’ve now been a part of two really respected and nostalgic franchises. Who would’ve thought?

It’s also super sentimental for me because I was at the very first Bel-Air premiere, and I remember seeing the first episode and going, “Wow, this is such a beautiful, powerful imagination of the show.” I was like, “I cannot wait to see all of these characters win and for the show to succeed.” It succeeded very well, and now I’m on it, so it feels insane.

Saved by the Bell was one of the best experiences of my life. It changed my life. I moved out to LA because of it. Tracey Wigfield and our producers, Franco, and we had really wonderful writers and creatives there that wanted to tell different stories, was Saved by the Bell, but also respecting the original. We got to work with the original cast members of Saved the Bell, it was insane. I’m so proud of the storyline arc that I had over there. Being this popular girl who comes out as bi and is a quarterback of the football team and is popular and is Afro Latina and stands up to her teacher.

Saved by the Bell was super fun. It’s insane because now I’m on the exact same stage filming Bel-Air. Playing a 16-year-old again, but in a very different fashion. Save by the Bell and Bel-Air cannot be more different, which is a gift as an artist, that’s what you hope for. I hope to show my range, and I hope to do different projects that tell different stories.

Nancy Tapia: I’m going to say, girl, embrace the youth and play these young characters. Keep it fun. Enjoy it.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Yes, thank you. That’s why it’s funny because my mom will always remind me that as a kid, I despised that when I was 12. People would be like, “Is she nine?” and when I was 17, people would be like, “Is she 12?” But now I’m like, it’s job security, so I take a lot of pride in playing as young as I do, and I will be playing as young as possible for as long as I can. I take it on with pride now.

Nancy Tapia: And watch, when you get a role that’s your age, you’re going to leave people with their jaws open, because they’ll be like, “Oh, she’s grown up.”

Alycia Pascual-Pena: I feel like I’m not exactly prepared for it, because even I low-key forget that I’m 25 years old. I am like, “Oh, I am a fully fleshed-out adult.” I’m happy just to be in high school right now.

Nancy Tapia: That’s great! To wrap up, is there something else you can talk about that you’re working on that we’ll be seeing you in for the future?

Alycia Pascual-Pena: I have this year been really invested in pouring into my other artistic passions. I’ve been dancing more and working on writing. Those are things that I hope to see come into fruition in regards to performances and writing and just telling more stories. Hopefully we’ll see if there’s another season of this show, I would be honored and so thankful to come back. I think I’m excited about the future and whatever’s to come with the uncertainty of all of it.

Thank you for allowing me the space to talk about Bel-Air. I’m so excited about the show, and I’m always even more empowered to speak with the Latin press because I’m so proud of my culture. I recently just got back from New York from going to the Dominican Day Parade.

Nancy Tapia: That’s great!

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Yeah, it was a great time.Thank you for giving me the space in chatting today with me.

Nancy Tapia: Oh, no thank you! Real quick, since you’ve been part of these two popular franchises, let me just ask you, if there were one TV show you could, from back in the day, which one would you love to be a part of?

Alycia Pascual-Pena: This is a dream question. Ay, Dios Mío! I’m going to just say my favorite shows as a kid, A different World.

Nancy Tapia: I remember it!

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Girlfriends. I think I could actually go on forever about this…Girlfriends, A Different World, George Lopez, Taina, Moesha, Martin, that was way more answers than you asked me for. If you can’t tell, I’m obsessed with shows from the ’90s. We’re a big sitcom household in my family. Will and Grace. I don’t know who the hell I’d play in Will and Grace, haha…There probably wouldn’t be a part for me. But Mommy and I loved Will and Grace. There’s so many shows. Taina was obviously such a landmark for me in my house, George Lopez.

Maybe I’ll look into being on Lopez vs. Lopez. You know they have that show, and I’m so proud of what they’re doing over there. But anyways, I will stop yapping. There are lots of shows that I can only dream to be a part of. Geez, that era, just so much amazing talent and so much inspiration and a lot of people I look up to. Girlfriends, oh, so much.

Nancy Tapia: Sounds like Girlfriends is the one.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Yeah. Maybe Girlfriends, A Different World. There’s so many. There’s so many. Thank you for that question. I never thought about that.

Nancy Tapia: We gotta put it in the universe to continue.

Alycia Pascual-Pena: Yes. I’m big into manifesting and setting intentions and also reboot to change my life. I honestly can’t even believe that I’ve now been a part of two, and two of shows that I watched when I was a kid. We’ll see. The possibilities are endless.

Nancy Tapia: That’s true. Thanks again for your time.  

Alycia Pascual-Pena:
Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Bel-Air is now airing on Peacock with new episodes every Thursday. 

Source: LRMExclusive, Peacock 

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