Adrian Holmes, the Welsh-Canadian actor known for portraying Uncle Phil in the hit series Bel-Air, has officially joined the ranks of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Holmes was initiated through the fraternity’s Tau Epsilon Lambda Chapter in Columbia County, Georgia, on June 1, 2025, as part of the Southern Region.
Holmes, whose career spans film and television, is celebrated for his critically acclaimed role as Nick Barron in 19-2, for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. His wide-ranging credits also include roles in Smallville, Arrow, True Justice, and major motion pictures like Red Riding Hood, Elysium, and The Cabin in the Woods.
In recent years, Holmes has taken on two major cultural icons. In 2021, he was cast as Philip Banks, better known as Uncle Phil, in Bel-Air, the dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Holmes also made history as the first live-action portrayal of Robert April, the original captain of the USS Enterprise, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
In a case of art imitating life, Holmes has now officially joined the fraternity he once portrayed on screen. In the Peacock show, the character of Philip Banks is portrayed as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in a creative decision carefully approved by the fraternity. To authentically represent the fraternity on screen, Holmes studied Alpha Phi Alpha’s cultural traditions and even learned its signature stroll moves after getting approval from the fraternity.
Holmes was initiated alongside a distinguished line of professionals from across the Southern Region, reflecting Alpha Phi Alpha’s legacy of excellence and leadership. The line includes:
- Judge Marcus Shields – North Carolina District Court Judge
- Deveron Gibbons, Esq. – Senior Vice President of Business Affairs & Development at Amscott Financial
- Judge Jeramy C. Beasley – Florida Circuit Court Judge
- David Pailin – NBA Branding Executive
- Dr. Dallas Grundy – Vice President for Finance & Administration at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Representative Billy Mitchell – Georgia House of Representatives
- Adrian Holmes – Actor, known for portraying “Uncle Phil” in Bel-Air
- Dr. Eric Mansfield – Former North Carolina State Senator and practicing Otolaryngologist
- Corey Madding – Senior Financial Advisor & Investor at Edward Jones
- Kermit Bills – Executive Vice President at Greenline Ventures
Founded at Cornell University in 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is the first intercollegiate historically Black fraternity and continues to shape generations of leaders in every sector of society. With a mission to develop leaders, promote academic excellence, and provide service and advocacy for underserved communities, the fraternity continues to stand at the forefront of Black excellence.
Adrian Holmes’ induction marks another proud moment in Alpha Phi Alpha’s long history of welcoming men who reflect the fraternity’s core values of scholarship, leadership, and service.