Olly Sholotan's moving portrayal of Carlton in Bel-Air has undeniably kept us on the edge of our seats for the past three seasons now. From struggles with substance abuse and rehab to poolside brawls over past lovers, it's safe to say that Olly's version of the iconic character isn't the happy-go-lucky teenager singing Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" that we grew to love in the 1990s—nowadays Carlton is dealing with some real-life 'ish.
xoNecole first spoke with the 26-year-old Nigerian-American actor turning heads on the Peacock hit show last year, ahead of season 2, and now we've reconnected to get the details on the latest season. Starting off fresh out of rehab while school's out—Carlton and Will (Jabari Banks) are hitting the streets this summer and if you're like us, something about that makes you nervous. "You know this summer; Jabari said it best. This summer is kind of a hot boy healing summer," describes Olly about season 3.
"Both Will and Carlton have spent the school year going through their own individual things and now this summer, they’re both working at the country club. Trying to make a little extra coin. They are starting a company, it’s a company called Blackccess, through Quentin’s [Vic Mensa's] Young, Gifted, & Black program. They’re getting up to some hijinks. They’re doing a little bit of street racing and most importantly, Carlton is falling in love. I can tell you it’s going to be a hot boy summer indeed."
"This summer is kind of a hot boy healing summer."
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If you've taken one look at the trailer, then the mere mention of Carlton's brewing romance should also not sit right with your nerves but according to Olly, it's the new love-to-hate couple that you won't be able to take your eyes off of. "Everyone deserves love first of all. Everyone deserves a celebration of love," Olly pleads. "The season begins about 30 days after the end of season 2. Carlton has been in rehab for a month. He is on the journey to recovery and the journey to recovery is not a linear one. Amira (Alycia Pascual-Peña) in a lot of ways complicates that. But she also completes him. So, can you blame him? He’s really just a young Black man trying to find love." When asked to describe Carlton and Amira’s relationship in one word, Olly quickly chooses "dangerous," which should speak volumes.
While there are many things that will leave you anxious when it comes to the latest season, there are also many powerful lessons being divulged simultaneously. One is the show's mission to show off the different facets of the Black experience and Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Uncle Phil's (Adrian Holmes) quest to turn their young boys into hardworking Black men. "With this show, we really wanted to show the different facets of the Black experience. Will comes from Philly, he comes from a place of not having very much and he meets Carlton, who has had everything given to him. They’re both black kids and they both navigate the world in their own Blackness in different ways," explains Olly. "But Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil are just so insistent like 'we have to work for what we got so y’all are going to do that too.' I think working builds character. For me, up until very recently when acting took off, I’ve had a job. Then during the summer, I’d pick up another job. Stories like that matter because that’s the real. That’s just the real world and that’s what people are doing out here."
Olly is also excited about the upcoming guest cameos, one of which is a heavy hitter. In the past, we've seen Daphne Maxwell Reid and Tatyana Ali on the reboot. Joseph Marcell is now coming back, who played the Banks family’s butler Geoffrey on the '90s hit sitcom. "I got to talk to Joseph," the Bel-Air star recalls.
"He’s just one of those people that are so wise. He’s so wise and so warm, and willing to give his foresight and knowledge on things. There’s something almost overwhelming about having original cast members on our show when they do come, it’s like, 'Oh my God. You walked so I can run.' And they’ve all said it. Joseph said it, Tatyana Ali said it and Will [Smith] even said it the other day: Watching our version of the show is so incredible for them because our show really gets to dive in deep on all the things that they could only kind of touch cause it was the ‘90s, it was a 30-minute comedy, and it was on network TV.
"Watching our version of the show is so incredible for them because our show really gets to dive in deep on all the things that they could only kind of touch cause it was the ‘90s, it was a 30-minute comedy, and it was on network TV."
"Like we’re [here] today. We’re on streaming. We can really go there. We can get very serious, and it’s interesting because whenever the old cast comes to set, they’re sort of like this mirror of reverence for each other. It’s a really magical experience." Olly says he would love to also have Alfonso Ribiero, who originated the role of Carlton, on the show one day soon. "We met actually at the Bad Boys for Life premiere and we exchanged a few words to each other. I was like, 'Thank you, you are an icon for laying down the groundwork for this role.' I’d love to have him pull through. It would be dope."
Along with the cameos, the stars of the reboot will also be recreating some of the iconic scenes we love in season 3. "How are we going to pull off Jazz being thrown out of the house? I think that’s been one of the biggest conversations we all had." Continuing, "How do you take that thing that is just so inherently funny? How do you take that and put it in our long series version? We don’t know but I know that the writers have something planned and when that happens, oh my God! I’m really excited to see that. And also, the moment when Carlton tries to get into a fraternity, and they essentially turn him down like 'You’re not what we’re looking for.'
"Then Carlton basically tells them like, 'Nah, I am Black. I’m my version of Black. And you’re a version of Black. We can all exist in the same place without challenging each other.' I’m excited to see what that scene looks like with our take on it." And of course, xoNecole had to ask about the iconic scene with Uncle Phil where Will gets emotional while reflecting on the relationship with his father. You may recall Will sobbing while questioning his father's love for him, "How come he don’t want me?" According to Olly, fans just might be getting that too. "I won’t say nothing but you’re right. That should be in the show at some point," he says with a big smile.
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All in all, Olly may be one of the costars of the biggest dramas on Peacock right now but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing his music dreams at the same time. The Bel-Air star explains that even though acting has taken center stage, music has always been his first love.
"I think I fell in love with music first. As a kid, every Sunday after church, I would come home and put every single Michael Jackson DVD on and I’d watch them all," he remembers. "Name a Michael Jackson music video, I’ve seen it. So, I think I fell in love with music first but what I think was so incredible and groundbreaking about Michael’s music videos is that the core of it is storytelling. So, even though I was still falling in love with his music, I was falling in love with the acting and the production elements of it all. It’s weird because I kind of developed my love for both together. But, I’d say music is my first love."
The multi-hyphenate just released a new single "Bodye"— an Afrobeats-inspired track sure to get you on your feet. "I’m a kid of immigrants. I grew up on old-school Afrobeats. I grew up on Texas trap music. I grew up on East Coast hip-hop. I grew up on R&B. So, with my music, I’m pulling from so many of these inspirations. But specifically, with Afrobeats, Afrobeats be making you dance! Sometimes, you don’t even know what they’re saying but you’re like 'I just want to move.' So, for a record where I feel like my goal is to make people dance, having that influence felt really important in the song."
While there's no project release yet, the music video for "Bodye" is on the way, and more to come. "Right now, I’m building out my artist journey with singles." Continuing, "Rema is a beast. Rema’s latest album, "Heis,” is just incredible. It’s one of the first Afrobeats albums that I’ve heard in a while where I feel like it’s pushing the genre forward. It’s clearly inspired by the old-school Afrobeats that we grew up on, D’Banj, P-Square. But it still feels forward-facing. The sound design is incredible. I would love to work with Asake and Rema. They’re both just incredible artists."
With so much going on, Olly Sholotan has no plans of slowing down. His dreams are becoming a reality right before our eyes and it's a beautiful sight to see. "This is the only dream I had since I was a kid. I’ve always wanted to tell stories and be an entertainer for a living. It means the world to me. Every night when I go to bed I’m like, 'What’s happening?!'”
Stream season 3 of Bel-Air on Peacock now.
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Okay, but what if you’re someone who, for whatever the reason, can’t stand traditional vitamins? Maybe they’re too hard to swallow. Maybe they taste nasty. Maybe you’ve never really seen how they can truly benefit you. Well, for the first two issues, in just a moment, you’re going to see why gummy vitamins might be the best alternative for you. As for the last point, as I get into some of the benefits of taking gummy supplements, you may see why taking vitamins can be a really good practice overall.
Gummy vitamins have been all the rage for a few years now. If you’re wondering if they’re more hype than anything else, please read on.
Why You Should Feel Good About Enjoying Gummy Vitamins
Photo by Maria Kozyr on UnsplashEven though I don’t have a problem with swallowing vitamins, I must say that about half of the supplements that I take are gummies at this point. I mean, let’s not act like they’re not sweeter, easier to consume, and, all around more fun (I mean, if vitamin taking can be considered an enjoyable activity).
And so yeah, when it comes to the top reason why you shouldn’t think twice — or feel bad — about taking the gummies route for your supplemental health, it’s because gummies make it easier to take vitamins in the first place. Thankfully, there are other reasons, though.
- Depending on the brand (more on that in a bit), vitamin gummies have basically the same nutritional value as traditional vitamins
- Your system is able to process/digest them more easily than traditional vitamins
- They’re super convenient (because you don’t need a beverage in order to take them)
- They oftentimes are branded for specific needs like hair/skin/nails, feminine pH, and others
- Although there are vitamins that also come in liquid form and chewable tablets, gummies tend to taste much better than them all
A deliciously convenient way to get the vitamins and minerals that you need. If that’s not an awesome reason to take gummy supplements, what is, y’all? What is?
What You Should Be Aware of on the “Downside” As Well
Okay, so what if you’ve heard somewhere that vitamin gummies are something that you should do your best to avoid? Is there any kind of truth to that? The short answer (based on the “pros” that I just provided) is “no.” However, before you decide to go vitamin gummies shopping, there are a few other things to keep in mind:
- Vitamin gummies taste good because they have a good amount of sugar in them (oftentimes 2-8 grams per serving) which can lead to tooth decay or, if there are sugar substitutes in the gummies, that could lead to intestinal issues
- Vitamin gummies need additives and preservatives in order to have a decent shelf life and sometimes those aren’t the best for you overall (although the FDA did recently ban red dye in food which makes this less of an issue)
- Although vitamins don’t technically expire, many of them do lose potency after about two years — faster when they are in gummy form; that’s because gummies are more susceptible to moisture and moisture can ruin supplements faster
- Since vitamin gummies taste so good, that makes it easier to take more than the daily recommended amount (which is on the label) — and that can lead to things like vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Minerals like iron are missing from vitamin gummies; mostly because they create a metallic taste that prevents gummies from being as appealing to the palate
So, you know what all of this means, right? Although, for the most part, vitamin gummies can be beneficial for you, 1) you shouldn’t expect them to be total health life-changers and 2) you definitely need to be wise when it comes to selecting the ones that will be best for you.
And that brings me to my final point about vitamin gummies today…
5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Supplement Gummies
When I first started getting vitamin gummies, I didn’t have this checklist. I wish that I had, though, because it took me a minute to figure out which gummies were going to not just taste good to me but actually be good for me. After a bit of trial and error, this is how I finally got to a brand that I am happy with.
1. Do some branding homework. Honestly, this should apply to both traditional and gummy vitamins because, as far as supplements go, they DEFINITELY are not all created equal. As far as my favorite gummy brand is concerned, it’s probably Nature Made, although OLLY, Honibe, and Smarty Pants are other ones that come highly recommended by health experts.
2. Make sure that the gummies are third-party tested. Basically, what this means is that the product has some sort of certification stamp on it. Speaking of stamps, be sure to check the expiration date on your gummies too. You’d be surprised by how many stores try to pull fast ones when it comes to not staying on top of that.
3. Pay close attention to what the label says. When you’re looking at the back of the label of any edible product, the nutrition is listed by what it has the most of. For instance, if you see vitamin C first, then it has more of that than anything else. And so, please, make sure that the additives and preservatives are very low. In fact, you’d be better off with a gummy that has none of them or has natural flavors and coloring instead.
4. Prefer what’s low in sugar. It’s not that we shouldn’t have ANY sugar in our life, it’s that we shouldn’t have more than 36 grams as a man and 25 grams as a woman on a daily basis. That said, if a gummy contains more than a third of what you should be consuming every day…can you see how that is already potentially problematic? Moral to the story: definitely look at the label for the sugar content too. Because it doesn’t make a lot of sense to take something for nutrition reasons if a ton of sugar is going to jack it up.
5. (Probably) go with bottles. Although gummy vitamins come in different types of packaging, you probably should go with bottles. Why? Because they typically have a seal that lets you know, beforehand, if the bottle has been tampered with or not. Pouches and jars don’t typically give you that kind of reassurance.
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Even if it wasn’t on your bingo card to learn about gummy vitamins today (LOL), I’m hoping that you can feel more confident about them, the next time you see a bottle at Target or your favorite pharmacy. Shoot, being able to consume something that tastes great that is actually good for you — how can that not make reading all of this totally worth your time?
I’m sayin’.
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