At a Glance
- Karyn Parsons, 59, best known as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has taken in 27-year-old filmmaker Matthew Osubor
- Osubor’s living situation collapsed after a burst boiler and chronic housing issues in Providence, R.I.
- Parsons and husband Alexandre Rockwell now host him in their attic while mentoring his film career
Why it matters: A chance encounter in a grocery-store parking lot turned into a life-changing mentorship and safe haven for an emerging artist.
Karyn Parsons hasn’t starred on a sitcom in decades, but her life is once again mirroring the premise that made her famous. The actress who played Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has opened her Rhode Island home to a young filmmaker who, like Will Smith’s character, needed a stable place to land.
The Fresh Prince Reversed
Parsons, 59, left Hollywood to run a nonprofit and write children’s books. Yet last year she and her husband, award-winning director Alexandre Rockwell, invited Matthew Osubor to move into their Providence attic after learning his rental had become uninhabitable.
- A burst water boiler flooded the basement at 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday
- Electricity repeatedly failed
- Constant foot traffic from transient roommates disrupted his editing work
“It was difficult for him to focus on working on his film because … there were all kinds of issues in the house, like flooding,” Parsons told News Of Losangeles.
Serendipity in the Produce Aisle
The relationship began in spring 2024 when Osubor, a Brown graduate, noticed an orange roll out of Rockwell’s grocery bag in a Whole Foods parking lot. He returned the fruit, the two started talking, and Osubor recognized the director whose films have won top prizes at Sundance and Berlin.
Rockwell handed over his email; within weeks Osubor was crewing on the director’s latest feature, The Projectionist, executive-produced by Quentin Tarantino. Rockwell then signed on as executive producer for Osubor’s short Big Daddy’s Flowers, shot in Providence and slated for release early this year.
Room, Board and a Role
With no budget for actors, Osubor bartered tech skills for talent: he rebuilt the website and launched the YouTube channel for Parsons’s nonprofit, Sweet Blackberry, which spotlights overlooked African-American historical figures. In exchange, Parsons agreed to appear in his film.
- Osubor lives in the family’s finished attic
- He has become “like a big brother” to the Rockwells’ 18-year-old son, Nico
- Nico, a high-school senior interested in film, worked on Big Daddy’s Flowers
“He’s been a huge help with the website and helping to launch our YouTube channel,” Parsons said, praising his “energy, enthusiasm and ambition.”
Mentorship Beyond Housing
Rockwell, who until recently headed NYU’s graduate directing program, says Osubor’s short films display “a unique voice” he rarely sees in emerging filmmakers.
> “When I first saw his short films, they jumped out at me … This guy’s got something I haven’t seen exactly before.”
Osubor, whose parents emigrated from Nigeria, calls the living arrangement “beyond grateful.” He cites the couple’s fearlessness and daily laughter as inspiration.
> “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.”
Key Takeaways
- A simple act of returning produce sparked a mentorship that changed a young filmmaker’s trajectory
- Parsons and Rockwell provide more than shelter-they offer industry expertise, creative collaboration, and emotional support
- Osubor’s upcoming short, Big Daddy’s Flowers, will mark the on-screen reunion of Parsons and Rockwell’s production team, a testament to mutual investment in each other’s success
