KC native & director says ‘Bel-Air’ all started here as final season premieres
Morgan Stevenson Cooper was driving northbound on US-71 highway in Kansas City, when an idea unfolded like a scene in his mind. He remembers the exact moment — near the 63rd Street exit, driving under an overpass — when the concept clicked into place.
He knew he needed to pull over somewhere. So the KC filmmaker and director landed at Quay Coffee, now Thou Mayest in the River Market, to etch the idea down before the feeling slipped away.
That idea turned into a short trailer called “Bel-Air” — a re-imagined, dramatic version of the ‘90s hit sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The trailer, produced by Cooper, was later uploaded to YouTube in March 2019.
“Bel-Air” was eventually picked up by Peacock in September 2020, with Cooper as the director. On Nov. 24, the fourth and final season premieres.
KC to Hollywood: A FaceTime call from Will Smith
Within hours of posting that first trailer, the video went viral and racked up millions of views on YouTube. Less than 24 hours later, Cooper received a FaceTime call from actor Will Smith and his team at Westbrook.
Cooper had initially envisioned a one-hour movie for this reconceptualized version of the original award-winning, comedy TV show that starred Smith, the Oscar award-winning actor.
“(Will Smith) was shooting ‘Bad Boys 3’ and he just told me how much he loved the (‘Bel-Air’) short and how they were trying for over 20 years to figure out how to revisit the world of ‘Fresh Prince,’” Cooper said.
“He said he saw my short film and said, ‘that’s it.’”
Then came the question that would change everything: “What do you want to do with this?”
The answer was a pitch to adapt the short film of “Bel-Air” into a one-hour drama.
But Smith saw more.
He loved the idea so much that two weeks later, Cooper was down in Miami developing the show with Smith. And the rest was history.
It all started in south KC
Cooper grew up in south Kansas City in what he called a “Martin and Fresh Prince household” with his family.
Both were culture-shifting sitcoms that premiered in the ‘90s and still hold influence more than 30 years later. Ironically enough, the two stars of those shows, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, were also the stars of the “Bad Boys” saga, and were filming “Bad Boys 3: Bad Boys for Life” when Smith first FaceTimed Cooper about “Bel-Air.”
As a creative kid, Cooper said he was inspired by a quote his mom always repeated: “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.”
“We were living in Oak Tree Square Apartments in Grandview and we would sit on this green couch and fight over the remote to watch our shows,” he said. “‘The Fresh Prince’ was the show that (me and my sister) both just really loved and it gave us a glimpse into a new world.”
The rich, creative history of KC has influenced his work a lot, he shared.
His award-winning short film “U SHOOT VIDEOS?” was shot in four days in the city in 2019 including shots in the historic 18th & Vine district. The short film was based on Cooper’s life as a creative trying to make it in the business.
Like Moji in the fictional short film, in real life, Cooper was shooting low-budget music videos for local artists, editing the videos to make rent at the time.
“U SHOOT VIDEOS?” would go on and win the “Best Feature” award at the Tribeca X Film Festival in 2020.
“We shot (parts of it) at the castle workhouse,” Cooper said. “And interestingly enough, my grandfather worked right across the street from there back in the ‘40s and ‘50s.”
Cooper’s always been passionate about his hometown roots. His father was from 12th Street in Kansas City, a street once famous for its historical significance in jazz and entertainment in the 1940s and ‘50s.
“I think of Charlie Parker and my dad, who had just such a wide range of creative influences … loved jazz and Frankie Beverly and Maze and (my dad) loved cinema, ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Shaft.’
“All these things were playing in the house,” Cooper said, “and so, growing up (in Kansas City) and having all these creative influences, and I remember driving under the overpass, on 71 highway and when the idea hit me and it was just all of these experiences and all of these creative throughlines and inspiration kind of all collided at once.”
“But it always starts with the roots of where you’re from.”
Staying true to home
Nods to Kansas City are sprinkled throughout “Bel-Air.” Local music artists, barbers and creatives are part of the show, both on- and off-screen.
One of the many artists featured includes Warren Harvey, who also recently placed third place in The Big StepOff, a dance competition that celebrates Kansas City style two-stepping. Music from KC like Kye Colors, Love, Mae C., The Royal Chief and more are also featured throughout the series.
Cooper even incorporated his late cousin, Charlie, into “Bel-Air’s” trailer and ensuing Peacock show. Some of the viral trailer was shot at Charlie’s house in south KC, including the opening scene with the characters who portrays Will Smith and his mom.
Charlie died a couple of weeks before they shot the pilot of the show in 2021, but “Charlie’s Vinyl” in the TV show owned by the character Jazz is an ode to him.
Charlie, Kansas City landmarks and more nods to Cooper’s hometown are also featured in a recent children’s book he wrote, called “I Can Make a Movie!”
The filmmaker said he wanted to explore another lane of storytelling and highlight Kansas City in a new way. Following the story of a young Kansas Citian named Norah Rose, the book is close to his heart, Cooper said.
“(Norah and her family) go to Union Station for a shot, they go to Nelson-Atkins Museum for a shot … and she goes on this movie making adventure (in Kansas City) with her phone,” he said.
“It’s another love letter to Kansas City and the young creatives who are the future of the city and are the future of the industry.”
‘Bel-Air’ heads into its final season
Cooper says he represents KC wherever he goes, wearing Kansas City merch and speaking about Kansas City in every room.
“I have just so much love for Kansas City. And I tell everybody this in every room I’m in that the most talented artists I know are from Kansas City.
“… It’s important to provide platforms for artists to share their work and I wanted to take the opportunity to do that in ‘Bel-Air’ and highlight amazing art that’s being created in Kansas City and the vision is to do more.”
“Bel-Air” debuts its fourth and final season Monday, Nov. 24.
The show was initially green-lit for two seasons after Cooper’s initial pitch to the network — a rarity in show business. Cooper said he’s still processing what it means to take a story born in Kansas City and turn it into a national, cultural moment.
“Gratitude,” he said, reflecting on how he feels.
“I’m grateful to Kansas City who supported this project since day one back when it was a short film,” he said.
“I think it’ll be years before I can fully wrap my head around it all … I’m just grateful.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM.
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