Alfonso Ribeiro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfonso Ribeiro
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Ribeiro in 2011
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Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro
September 21, 1971 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1980–present |
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| Children | 4 |
Alfonso Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is a famous American actor, comedian, and TV host. You might know him best as Carlton Banks from the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also played Alfonso Spears on Silver Spoons and Maxwell Stanton on In the House.
Today, Alfonso hosts America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC. He also hosts the game show Catch 21 and used to host Spell-Mageddon and Dance 360. Early in his career, he starred in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. He even won season 19 of Dancing with the Stars with his dance partner Witney Carson. Now, he's the main host of Dancing with the Stars alongside Julianne Hough.
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Alfonso's Early Life
Alfonso Ribeiro was born in New York City, in a neighborhood called Riverdale. His family comes from Trinidad. His grandfather, Albert Ribeiro, was a famous singer known as Lord Hummingbird. Alfonso's aunt was also a dancer on a TV show in the 1960s and 70s.
Alfonso's Career Journey
Starting Out as an Actor
Alfonso began acting when he was just 8 years old. He first became well-known in 1983. This was when he played a main role in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. People really liked his performance, and he was even nominated for an award.
In 1984, Alfonso danced in a Pepsi commercial with Michael Jackson. A funny rumor started that he got hurt dancing, but it wasn't true! That same year, he got a role on the TV show Silver Spoons. After that, his family moved to Los Angeles.
In 1985, Alfonso wrote a dance book called Alfonso's Breakin' & Poppin' Book. He also released some songs. After Silver Spoons ended, he took a break from acting. He wanted to finish high school and go to college.
Becoming Carlton Banks
Alfonso's most famous role was Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This popular show ran from 1990 to 1996. Carlton was the cousin of Will Smith's character.
Carlton was famous for his special dance moves to Tom Jones' song "It's Not Unusual". This dance became known as "The Carlton". Alfonso created the dance by mixing moves from other famous performers.
Later TV Roles and Directing
After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Alfonso starred in the sitcom In the House from 1997 to 1999. He also went to film school and started directing TV shows. He directed episodes of shows like One on One and Shake It Up.
In 2006, Alfonso won a reality show called Celebrity Duets. From 2008 to 2016, he hosted the game show Catch 21. In 2013, he even did "The Carlton Dance" on The Graham Norton Show with Will Smith.
Dancing with the Stars and Hosting
In 2014, Alfonso competed on season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. He danced with professional partner Witney Carson. They were amazing and won the whole competition!
After winning, Alfonso went on tour with the show. In 2015, he became the host of America's Funniest Home Videos. He also returned to Dancing with the Stars as a guest judge and even filled in as host sometimes.
In 2018 and 2019, Alfonso was a guest judge on the British show Strictly Come Dancing. In 2019, Catch 21 came back, and he hosted it again with Witney Carson. In 2022, Alfonso became a co-host for Dancing with the Stars. Now, he is the main host of the show.
The '90s with Alfonso Ribeiro
Since 2019, Alfonso has hosted a radio show called The '90s with Alfonso Ribeiro. He hosts it with Daena "DK" Kramer. The show plays music from the 1990s. Alfonso and DK share fun stories and facts about that time.
Alfonso's Personal Life
Family Life
Alfonso Ribeiro was married to Robin Stapler from 2002 to 2006. They have one daughter together.
In 2012, Alfonso married Angela Unkrich. They live in Los Angeles and have three children.
Love for Cars
Alfonso also loves car racing! He has competed in several Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race events. He won the overall race in 2015. He also won the celebrity class in 1994, 1995, and 2016. He even helped racecar drivers by giving them information during races.
The "Carlton Dance" Lawsuit
In 2018, Alfonso Ribeiro was involved in a legal case. It was about his famous "Carlton Dance" being used in the popular video game Fortnite. Players could buy the dance for their characters in the game. Alfonso wanted to protect his dance. However, the U.S. Copyright Office said he couldn't copyright the dance. He later decided to drop the lawsuit.
See also
In Spanish: Alfonso Ribeiro para niños
Images for kids
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Ribeiro in 2011
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Alfonso Ribeiro with his first wife Robin Stapler
