Stars of NBCU'S ‘Bel-Air,’ ‘Found,’ and ‘The Irrational’ Talk About Breaking Mental Health Stigmas for Black Men and the Queer Community at CultureCon

NBCUniversal returned to CultureCon – an annual weekend gathering of Black creative professionals and entrepreneurs to connect, learn and be inspired– for a conversation about mental health storytelling across its hit television dramas. 

In a conversation titled "Reality Check: NBCU TV Stars Shattering Mental Health Stigmas Onscreen," Arlen Escarpeta (NBC’s “Found), Olly Sholotan (Peacock’s “Bel-Air”) and Travina Springer (NBC’s “The Irrational) discussed how their characters are bringing new and modern perspectives to mental health stories about Black men and the queer community.

Moderated by HuffPost Black Voices editor Taryn Finley, the panel covered the nuanced portrayals of their respective characters and the impact their shows have had on reducing the stigma surrounding mental and emotional health. 

Before an engaged audience of more than 550 Black and Brown creators, Sholotan shared how Carlton, his character on “Bel-Air,” is living with anxiety and how the pressures of being the picture-perfect student, athlete, leader, son and brother contribute to his character’s condition. Carlton’s story through substance misuse and sobriety are portrayed with empathy rarely given to Black male characters challenged with addiction. Sholotan noted that fans of the show have told him how it’s refreshing to see a Black boy unapologetically express his emotions onscreen and talk openly about going to therapy and taking medication to treat his anxiety disorder. Many fans have conveyed that seeing a Black boy cry onscreen has inspired them to be more emotionally expressive.

Escarpeta added that his character Zeke on “Found” provides another point of view on young Black men with mental health conditions. Zeke is living with agoraphobia – a condition rarely seen in Black male characters onscreen. This unique storyline allows viewers to see a Black man openly express fear, loneliness and isolation. Escarpeta expanded that it also opens a conversation about the ongoing loneliness epidemic amongst men. He shared that playing Zeke, who is physically separated from the rest of the team at Mosely & Associates because of his condition, has affected his own mental health as an actor. To combat this, he actively seeks community in his co-stars. In fact, the rest of the cast makes a point to visit the set where he shoots his scenes solo to provide him with the in-person interaction he needs.

Springer shared that one of the things she loves about Kylie, her character on “The Irrational” who is an out queer woman, is that Kylie does not subscribe to hustle culture. Black women onscreen and in real life are frequently burdened with the majority of emotional, financial and moral responsibilities. Even though Kylie serves as her brother’s emotional support, she also glorifies rest and the necessity of taking care of your mind, body and soul. Springer expanded that she hopes that Kylie helps inspire Black women, particularly Black queer women, to prioritize themselves even in the midst of carrying other people’s challenges. She also teased that the new season will follow Kylie’s ongoing quest to find purpose in her life while also working at the FBI’s cyber department.  

The panel concluded with a discussion about the importance of finding moments of joy even during mental and emotional health challenges. Sholotan noted that Carlton loved street racing in the latest season of “Bel-Air” and it was one of his personal favorite scenes to shoot. 

All three season of “Bel-Air” are streaming on Peacock. “The Irrational” airs Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT while “Found” airs Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT on NBC. Both stream next day on Peacock.