Philip Banks

Philip Banks
Biographical Information
Status	Alive
Alias(es)	Uncle Phil Yamacraw
Occupation	Lawyer
Relationships
Affiliation	Alpha Phi Alpha
Relatives	Vivian Banks (wife) Hilary Banks (daughter) Carlton Banks (son) Ashley Banks (daughter) Will Smith (nephew) Viola Smith (sister-in-law) Molly Smith † (mother-in-law) Joe Banks † (father) Anita Banks (mother) Julius Banks (brother) Denise Banks † (sister-in-law) Kyle Banks (nephew) Earl Banks (uncle)
Appearances
Actor	Adrian Holmes
First Appearance	Dreams and Nightmares

"So I became a lawyer because growing up on a farm in Yamacraw, North Carolina, I saw the law used to take advantage of people who didn't fully understand it. My parents lost most of their farmland to eminent domain because they didn't know how to fight it. Once I got my law degree, one of my first court cases was in Yamacraw. I got my parents' money for the land that was taken when I was a boy."

—Philip to Big Boy^[src]

Philip Banks is a main character on Peacock's modern-day reinterpretation, Bel-Air. He is portrayed by Adrian Holmes.

Philip is Will's lawyer uncle, who is running for LA District Attorney.

Biography

Early life

Philip grew up in Yamacraw, North Carolina, where he witnessed law being used to take advantage of people who didn't fully understand it. His own parents even lost most of their farmland to eminent domain because they didn't know how to fight it. So, once he got his law degree, one of his first court cases was in Yamacraw, where he got his parents money for the land that was taken from them when he was a boy. While studying to become a lawyer, he also joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Taking care of Will

After pulling some strings to get his nephew Will out of jail, Philip and Vivian agree to take Will in, as Philly in no longer safe for him. Will arrives the day of Philip's fundraiser, where after a brief embrace from Will, he gives a speech during for his campaign for Los Angeles district attorney, during which he explains that he was compelled to launch this campaign because he's tired of seeing young black men being victimized by the corrupt justice system. After his speech, he brings Will into his study to explain that he will follow his rules so long as he's under his roof, even if Will doesn't want to be there. The story they will tell people is that Will came to Bel-Air for a better education.

Uncle Phil asks Will to give Bel-Air a chance

However, later that night, Philip and Geoffrey catch Will scaling the gate and trying to flee. Philip leads Will back inside and advises him to let go of his pride and gracefully accept the fact that he's been giving a second chance. Will agrees, and Philip heads to his study, where he expresses to Vivian how difficult it is for him to see a future where Will fits in with their lifestyle. When he called in that favor to get Will out of jail, he crossed a line, and Will's not making matters any easier. While Phil's heart has been aching for Will ever since his father, he doesn't know if they can save him, while also taking care of the three other kids under their roof, not to mention a campaign for DA in full swing.

Phil and Viv talk about Will

Philip and Vivian are forced to clean up the mess after Will gets into a fight with Carlton and Connor. Connor's mother attempted to extort money from them by threatening to press charges against Will, but Philip convinced her to stand down after pointing out that she and her husband allowed a bunch of drug and alcohol-fueled kids to throw a party on their property. Philip doesn't know how much more he can tolerate. All this is bound to affect the campaign, and maybe Will just isn't cut out for Bel-Air, but Vivian reminds him that he can't go back to Philly. When Philip questions why they're working so hard to save a boy that doesn't want to be saved, Vivian replies that they owe it to him.

Philip sits down for an interview with Big Boy, during which he reveals he grew up on a farm in Yamacraw, North Carolina. He saw his parents lose most of their farmland to eminent domain because they didn't know how to fight it, but when he got his law degree, one of his first court cases was in Yamacraw, and he got his parents money for the land that was taken when he was a boy. He's also won several class action cases against slumlords. Given that he's the only black candidate for DA, big boy believes that gives him a responsibility for to speak to their community, and he gives Philip the chance to do that by accepting calls, though the callers only seem to be interested in money.

Uncle Phil takes Geoffrey's advice and joins Will on the court, where Will is still struggling with his game. His arrest is like a movie playing over in his head. And every time he touches a ball, it plays over again. Will's encounter with the law is proof of how broken the system is, Ucle Phil states, but Will argues that the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do, despite Uncle Phil's claims that it's at least gotten better. He talks Will out of quitting and tells him that the easiest way to get back in the game is when they get out of their own heads. Will does just that and begins making shots, several in a row.

Getting Reverend Lamonte's endorsement

Phillip and Vivian get word that Will was suspended for drugs, which he insists aren't his and that he's being framed. And so, the two of them head up to Bel-Air Academy, where they speak to Principal Hartwig and discover that the tapes from the cameras around the schools hadn't even been reviewed. They give Principal Hartwig a mere 24 hours to review the tapes, and in the meantime, Will is released and allowed to return to class.

Philip stepping

With the black voters feeling disconnected from him, Philip decides to attend the Alpha crawfish boil to win over Reverend Lamonte and lock in his support, inviting both Carlton and Will to join him. However, Philip is blown off by Reverend Lamonte, who believes that he only came because he needs their votes, as Philip was nowhere to be found when the soup kitchen foreclosed and when his first roommate, Brother Jamison, relapsed in 2015. And so, Philip decides to leave, but Will gets on stage and encourages him to show off his stepping, which wins over his fraternity brothers, including Reverend Lamonte. After the boil, Philip attends Will's game with Vivian and Hilary.

Fundraiser campaign

Philip gathers the family

Philip and Carlton play a game of chess the night before his big campaign event at the skating rink. He intends to have Carlton and Will working alongside each other, canvassing for votes. Carlton is hesitant, but makes his father a proposition: if he and Will register 30 voters without drama, then he wants VIP seats to the Grand Prix at Monaco. Philip agrees to Carlton's terms, but only if he gets 50 voters. The next day, Philip breaks the family up into teams of two and gives each team an assignment to further his reach. He then pulls Vivian to the side and tells her that the public view her as sarcastic, dismissive, and arrogant. So, he's asking that she bite her tongue a little.

Philip and Vivian conclude with a local community leader and his wife, but they're not committed. Vivian suggests that he stop playing his campaign so safe. People know when they're being played by a politician. If he wants to win, he has to give black voters real answers, even at the cost of angering the police union. She advises him to simply speak from his heart, and he does just that when it comes time for the Q&A portion of the fundraiser, where they ask about enhancement laws and crooked cops, which Phillips assures them he will see an end to, even at the risk of making an enemy of the mayor's office and LAPD.

Supporting Hilary

Philip helps Hilary pack up the pool house while she prepares to make dinner for her new house mates. He advises her to ask her mother for help. While they may bump heads at times, he tells Hilary that it's only because her mother loves her and worries about her. Phil then meets with his campaign manager, Steven, who informs him that he's up with voters, specifically black voters, meaning the community outreach program is paying off. They are joined by Will and Tray, who Uncle Phil greets with VIP tickets for a D Smoke concert tomorrow afternoon.

Philip tells Kylo about Hilary

After speaking with Kylo at dinner about Hilary, who Philip fully supports in all her endeavors, even something as trivial as a social media influencer, he is confronted by Carlton, who has learned the real reason why Will came to stay with them in Bel-Air. He admits to essentially breaking the law for Will, who otherwise would've gone to prison. If their situation had come to light, Will wouldn't be the only one suffering, which is why Phil is asking that Carlton share this information with no one.

The next day, Philip takes Will and Tray to the D Smoke concert, where he breaks off to meet with Fred and Congressman Turley, who have come to help Phil right his campaign, as they took personal offense to the comments he made about law enforcement and defunding the police. However, Philip refuses to allow the police force to continue to think they're above the law and won't be intimidated by threats. Later that night, he learns from Steven that he's the talk of the internet for both good and bad reasons. The good: his interview with Kylo went viral. The bad: there's a smear campaign circulating, accusing him of being anti-police.

Gayle's fundraiser

Philip tells the family to be on their best behavior

Uncle Phil speaks to Will after he lashes out upon discovering that he's being clowned online by Tray and his friends back in Philly. He tells Will that he's not alone, as both he and Aunt Viv have experienced similar struggles. However, they are all going through something. With the family gathered around, Philip reminds everyone that today is about honoring the memory of Lisa's mother. So, they're all expected to put aside any differences they may have with other people. He then tasks Geoffrey with finding out why the "Times" pulled their endorsement. Another concern rises when Phil meets Reid Broderick, who seems interested in Viv's art, among other things. After Reid bids $15,000 for Vivian's piece in the silent auction, Phil decides to bid $20,000.

Phil confronts Fred after learning that he's also running for DA and that he's the reason Phil's endorsement was pulled. He accuses Fred of betraying him, but Fred claims that Phil stabbed him in the back first after changing his campaign stance. After he leaves, Phil tells Geoffrey to watch Fred and Reid. He then heads up to Carlton's room and waits at the edge of his bed for him to awaken. He suspects that Carlton is feeling anxiety from the pressure that's been put on him. Phil then reveals that Lisa's dad is running against him for DA, but that won't deter him in the race.

Confronting Reid

Uncle Phil calls Will into his office to discuss his relationship with Lisa and advise him to create some distance from her. He and Steven then inform Vivian that they have to put more of their money into the campaign after the donations have begun to slow down. Viv is cautious and asks for some time to think about it, but they've already transferred the money, angering Viv, who realizes that Philip isn't asking her, he's telling her, essentially meaning that her opinion doesn't matter. In response, Viv decides to attend the San Diego Modern Art Fair without notice. However, when Phil learns from Geoffrey that Reid will also be in attendance, he decides to join her at the fair, where he accuses Reid of trying to sleep with Vivian and having slept with multiple other up-and-coming artists he threw to the side.

Phil and Viv discuss her giving up art

Philip and Vivian return to their hotel room, where they have an honest conversation. She enjoys spending time with Reid, because he makes her feel so alive due to how he views her art. Phil explains that he was simply trying to help when he told her that she no longer had to work. While she appreciated it at the time, a part of her now resents him for it, as she wishes her had told her not to quit instead. When it came to her art, no one was a bigger fan than him, and he was proud to be by her side at every show, but she was struggling and being overwhelmed by her insecurities. While he may have opened the escape hatch, so to speak, she jumped right through without hesitation, as she could never convince herself she was good enough to keep going. Phil proposes they go for a late night drive down the coast to clear their heads, but Vivian tells him to go home instead.

Making a deal with Wilkes

Philip seeks out the endorsement of Assemblyman Hernandez, who worries that Phil doesn't appear to have his family in order. His wife vanished from the campaign trail after her outburst at a charity event, his daughter is posting thirst trap videos, and his son is throwing parties that get shut down by the police. If Phil wants to win, Hernandez advises him to get his family in line. Phil does just this by first telling Carlton to stay out of the kind of trouble that brings police to their door, such as the party he and Will threw. However, after reprimanding Carlton, he learns that Hilary intends to keep making sexy chef videos. And to make matters worse, he and Viv are more strained than ever before, as she is now putting all her time into painting for the Neeman Fellowship.

Phil tells Geoffrey about Lou

After learning from Viv that Vy is considering telling Will the truth about his dad, Phil begins to fear that this may derail all of Will's progress, which is why he needs Geoffrey to see to it that Lou doesn't come near Will. Phil then secretly meets with Wilkes to discuss the run for DA, which is forcing a split in the democratic votes. Phil proposes a solution to avoid that. Their debate should decide which one of them continues to stand in the election. Whoever's leading afterwards, becomes the sole democratic candidate, and the loser bows out, throwing his full support behind the winner. After coming to an agreement with Wilkes, Phil receives a bit of blow back from Geoffrey, who isn't comfortable dealing with Lou.

Withdrawing from the race

Phil takes the family to church, where he asks Reverend Lamonte if the church can mobilize its Turn Out the Vote shuttle service to aid in his campaign. The service is going well until Carlton chokes and flees the stage during his performance. They return home, where Phil and Steven are debating whether they should expose Wilkes' affair during the debate. Phil seems hesitant, but Geoffrey calls him out, claiming that Phil is simply pretending to be uncomfortable with airing out Wilkes' business. He prefers to feel like he's been talked into doing things that crossed the line. This tension between Geoffrey and Will grows when Phil learns that Geoffrey went behind his back to gather information about Lou for Will, who has decided that he no longer wishes to pursue his father after realizing that Uncle Phil is the only father figure he needs.

Phil withdraws

Phil confronts Geoffrey and demands to know why he disobeyed his orders. Geoffrey reminds Phil that he already told him he wasn't comfortable with his ask. Geoffrey's real job is to protect Phil and his family, but sometimes those two things don't align. Because once his ambitions start stirring up, everything and everyone gets steamrolled. However, Phil claims that Geoffrey only sided with Lou because he feels guilty for leaving his own boy behind. Phil feels as though he can no longer trust Geoffrey and fires him. Geoffrey leaves, but not before telling Phil to prove him wrong and save his family. And Phil does just that. After a confrontation with Judge Robertson and learning from Carlton and Will that Wilkes knows the truth about why Will's in Bel-Air, Phil decides to withdraw from the race and encourages Viv to accept the fellowship.

Lou's arrival

Phil attends Viv's gala, where he supports her being awarded the fellowship. He then joins Will as he looks at one of Viv's paintings that depict Will wearing a crown and captures his best qualities. Growing up without a dad was hard for Will, but he thanks Uncle Phil for stepping up and giving him a second chance. He also apologizes for Uncle Phil having to step back from the race, but he has no regrets and would do it again. The following day, Phil plans to race the tracks with Carlton, but he is forced to cancel when Lou suddenly arrives after being told by Geoffrey that Will needs him. Lou claims that he's changed, but Phil isn't convinced, though he does agree to speak with Viv about letting Lou see Will.

Phil explains his case to Will

Phil suspects that Lou wants something, but Viv is less cynical and at least willing to give him a chance. Before Phil and Viv can come to a final decision, they are confronted by Will, who has read Geoffrey's report and knows the truth about his father, that he didn't abandon him, but that he was convicted of robbing an old man he said owed him money. Phil explains that they were simply trying to protect Will from his volatile father, but it is ultimately his choice if he wants to see him, which Will decides that he does, but it doesn't go well and Phil is forced to intervene. This results in Will leaving, as he feels as though he can no longer trust his family, and he blames Uncle Phil for selling him false hope.

The family continues to feel Will's absence after two weeks. Nevertheless, Phil returns to his firm after a failed run for DA. But it wasn't without its benefits, being out there with the people reminded him of why they started the firm. Phil believes there's a lot more they should be doing, but his partner, James, stops him in his tracks and says no one expected him to be back or jump in as quickly as he is. Despite feeling as though he acted in Will's best interest, Phil apologizes to him for letting Will down, even though he doesn't regret protecting Will from Lou.

Reconciling with Geoffrey

Phil reconciles with Geoffrey

Phil tracks Geoffrey down to a lounge to discuss the tension between the two of them. Phil was angry when Geoffrey told Will about his father, but he knows Geoffrey had a good reason. Phil also knows that Geoffrey's been thinking about his son and reassures him he made the right decision. Moreover, Phil reminds Geoffrey that they're family as well, assuring Geoffrey that he will never let that anything come between them again and that he loved him and wants him to come home. The following evening, Uncle Phil attends Will's game and approaches Doc afterward to inform him that any discussions about Will's future should go through him.

Uncle Phil reluctantly accompanies Will to Doc's Zenith Hype training facility, where he takes issue with several points in the contract he's offering Will. Phil is willing to support Will, but he also wants to make sure he's being exposed to the right environment to change him for the better, which ultimately leads to Doc revealing that he reached out on Viv's behalf. With this, Phil makes his exit and confronts Viv, leading to an explosive argument, one in which he later apologizes for. Phil admits that it wasn't all about her. His head is all messed up. In addition to Geoffrey, who seems a bit distant and secretive, Phil discovers that James is attempting to sell the firm, though he puts that to the side to reassess Will's opportunity with Doc.

Reuniting with Erika

With their billables from the last quarter down 30%, and most of it due to the fact that his firm lost the Garrison Construction account, Phil arranges a meeting with Robert Garrison to hopefully convince him to reutn. However, Erika Baker, an old friend of Phil's, shows up instead, revealing that her firm stole Garrison. Phil is determined to get him back, to which Erika says that there is one way to do so, and that by him joining her firm as a senior partner, which Phil doesn't have much time to consider with Viv's art show going on and Geoffrey breaking into his office for information on his son Frederick.

Family reunion

Phil invites Lamarcus

With help from Viv, Phil prepares for his family reunion, which mostly consists of him bumping heads and competing with his younger brother, Julius. However, before the guests even arrive, he is confronted by Viv after she discovers that he's been in contact with Erika Baker. Phil reveals that Erica is back working in LA and wants him to consider an offer with her firm. But Phil promises Viv that he's not going to make any big moves without talking it over with her first. Moving forward with the reunion, Phil competes with Julius in a game of spades, a pie making contest, and a flag football game, with Phil only winning the former of the three. Afterward, he and Julius sit down and discuss their upbringing and how they can share the load so that neither of them is overwhelmed.

Phil at Erika's firm

Phil takes the boys to the golf course, where he prepares Will for the upcoming alumni golf tournament and offers to help him pull together some talking points for "Meet the Nominees" forum, though he checks in with Carlton to ensure that he's fine with the extra help being offered to Will. After a meeting with James to discuss the acquisition, Phil meets with the top leadership of Erika's firm, who'd like to bring him in as an equity partner to control their west coast team to make some legitimate progress on those social justice reforms Phil sought to implement as DA. Later, he and Will find themselves at odds after Carlton reveals that Phil doesn't believe Will is as dedicated as he could be.

Phil gives a speech

After making up with Will and agreeing to give him some space, Phil and Geoffrey attend his first Zenith Hype game. Afterward, they discover Doc in an argument with another man, which Geoffrey later discovers is due to Doc taking bribes to steer players to colleges and agents. And now someone is threatening to blow the whistle on the entire team. However, Phil has other matters to attend to as well, with James and the firm having planned a tribute for their late brother Derek, who helped build the firm with Phil and James. After giving a speech at the tribute, Phil is confronted by James, who has discovered that he's met with Carson & Lake, who has made Phil a generous offer, one that he ultimately turns down in favor of his firm.

The acquisition is calling for Phil and James to fire half of their staff. However, Phil refuses to let anyone go. They need a new plan, but they've been in a hole since losing the Garrison account, largely because Phil left. Phil fears that their legacy is being dismantled and if they agree to this acquisition, which Phil won't, he wouldn't even be able to recognize who they are anymore. Phil then returns home, where he finds Viv chatting with Erika in an attempt to mend what was broken. After some words of encouragement from Viv, Phil decides to accept Erika's offer in exchange for her returning the Garrison account to his firm. Erika welcomes Phil to the team with a hug and whispers in his ear that "this is going to be so good."

Phil and Geoffrey confront Doc

Phil convenes with Geoffrey to confront Doc after learning that he only recruited Will in an attempt to get close to Phil, whose legal help he may require now that his former business partner Lorenzo is trying to out him for accepting bribes and steering student athletes towards certain colleges and agents. Lorenzo knows all of Doc's secrets and is threatening to expose him if he doesn't get what he wants, which means that every player will be ineligible to play college ball. This thing with Lorenzo has been brewing for a while, and Doc knew he could use someone like Phil.

Phil invites Erika to his new office space, which will be the home of his new law firm, Philip Banks & Associates. While he's agreed to counsel with James at the legacy firm to keep Garrison happy, Phil's also preparing for his next big move, which Erika isn't so sure about, reminding Phil about their deal. He agrees to still take on all the clients her firm offers, but instead of being an in-house lawyer, he'll be a smaller firm that Carson & Lake out sources business to. Later that evening, Phil and Viv get into a fight after she accuses him of never pushing her to pursue her goals.

Phil opens his firm

After speaking with Will and the Zenith Hype player, Phil agrees to help Doc with his disgruntled former business partner. Fortunately, Phil, Doc, and Lorenzo manage to come to an agreement. That night, after making his firm official, Phil and the family attend the Founder's Award, where Carlton is announced as the winner. However, he takes that time to reveal that he's addicted to cocaine, much to Phil's frustration, as he has provided Carlton with everything he could ever need. With Carlton on drugs and the strain developing between him and Viv, Phil agrees to a lunch date with Erika.

Appearances

Season 1 Dreams and Nightmares Keep Ya Head Up Yamacraw Canvass PA to LA The Strength to Smile Payback's A B*tch No One Wins When the Family Feuds Can't Knock the Hustle Where To?

Season 2 A Fresh Start Speaking Truth Compromised Don't Kill My Vibe Excellence Is Everywhere Let the Best Man Win Under Pressure Pursuit of Happiness Just Like Old Times Don't Look Back

Gallery