Karyn Parsons, born on October 8, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, is a talented American actress and author known for her iconic role as Hilary Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Raised in a biracial family, her mother, Louise, is African-American, and her father, Kenneth B. Parsons, is of English and Welsh descent.

Karyn Parsons started her acting career when she was just 13 years old and landed her first television role in the 1987 drama The Bronx Zoo. However, her big break came in 1990 when she was cast as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired until 1996 across six seasons and over 140 episodes.

Her portrayal of the stylish and spoiled cousin of Will Smith's character made her a household name.

Beyond her success on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she appeared in films like Class Act (1992), Major Payne (1995), and The Ladies Man (2000). She also starred in the short-lived sitcom Lush Life (1996) and the award-winning indie film Mixing Nia (1998), which marked her debut lead role.

Karyn Parsons is an accomplished author and philanthropist. She founded the Sweet Blackberry Foundation, which produces animated films and books about unsung African-American heroes.

Some of her works include a middle-grade novel, How High the Moon (2019), and picture-book biographies such as Flying Free (2020) about pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman, and Saving the Day (2021) about inventor Garrett Morgan.

She has been recognized for her contributions to children's animation, receiving a nomination for the Humanitas Prize in 2008 for her work on the Sweet Blackberry Presents series.

In her personal life, Karyn Parsons was married to actor Randy Brooks from 1987 to 1990. She later married director Alexandre Rockwell in 2003, and the couple has two children: daughter Lana, born in 2003, and son Nico, born in 2007.