Alfonso Ribeiro
Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and television host. He is best known for his role as Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Alfonso Spears on the sitcom Silver Spoons, , and Maxwell Stanton on In the House.
Alfonso Ribeiro | |
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Ribeiro in 2011 | |
| Born | Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro September 21, 1971 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4 |
He is the current host of ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos, replacing Tom Bergeron, who left after 15 years. Ribeiro has hosted the GSN game show Catch 21, the ABC Family show Spell-Mageddon, and the television show Dance 360. He also starred in the title role of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid and took part in the 13th season of the British reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Ribeiro won season 19 of Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Witney Carson,[1] then later became the co-host alongside Tyra Banks starting from season 31. Ribeiro will serve as the main host of Dancing with the Stars alongside co-host Julianne Hough beginning with season 32 in 2023.
Early life
Ribeiro was born in New York City in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx to Afro-Trinidadian parents.[2] His paternal grandfather was Albert Ribeiro, a Trinidadian calypsonian of African and Portuguese descent, known professionally as Lord Hummingbird.[3][4][5]
Career
Early work
Ribeiro began his career at age 8. He first gained recognition in 1983 when he played a leading role in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. He received positive reviews for his performance and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award.[6] Ribeiro appeared as a dancer in a Pepsi commercial that featured Michael Jackson in 1984;[7] a rumor spread that Ribeiro died from snapping his neck while dancing in the commercial.[8] The same year, Ribeiro was cast as Rick Schroder's best friend on the TV series Silver Spoons.[9]
In 1985, Ribeiro appeared as himself in a commercial on MTV, advertising a dance instruction book he authored, Alfonso's Breakin' & Poppin' Book. He also released four 12-inch singles on Prism Records, including the 1984 track, "Dance Baby".[10]
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Ribeiro's most prominent role was as Carlton Banks, the cousin of Will Smith's lead character, on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from September 1990 to May 1996. Carlton was known for frequently dancing to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual", a dance routine that gained fame as "The Carlton".[11]
Later work
He later starred on the sitcom In the House with LL Cool J from 1997 to 1999.
Ribeiro competed as one of the celebrity singers on the reality television show Celebrity Duets in September 2006, winning over the runner-up Lucy Lawless. In July 2008, Ribeiro hosted the game show Catch 21 on GSN. He directed some episodes of Meet the Browns and a majority of the Season 2 episodes of the Are We There Yet? television series. Ribeiro hosted his second game show Spell-Mageddon, on ABC Family, in 2013.
On May 24, 2013, Ribeiro made a cameo appearance on The Graham Norton Show to perform "The Carlton Dance", with show guests Will and Jaden Smith.[12] In November of that year, Ribeiro took part as a contestant in the thirteenth series of the British reality show, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here.[13] He was eliminated from the show on December 5, 2013, finishing in seventh place.
On September 4, 2014, Ribeiro was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. He partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson. He became the fourth celebrity dancer in the show's history to receive a 9 from each judge in week one. On November 25, 2014, Ribeiro and Carson won the competition.[14] In September 2015, he returned as a guest judge in week three of season 21, and he substituted for Tom Bergeron as host the following week.
On May 19, 2015, Ribeiro was named Bergeron's successor to host America's Funniest Home Videos.[15] In July 2015, Ribeiro made a cameo appearance in the music video for "All Night" by pop-rock band R5.[16]
In October 2018, he was announced as the host of the UK game show Money Tree. On October 12, 2018, Ribeiro was announced to sit in for Bruno Tonioli as guest judge on Strictly Come Dancing for week 5. He joined regular judges Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, and Shirley Ballas. This also occurred for week 5 of the 2019 series. He also appeared as a contestant on a special Child TV Stars episode of Weakest Link in 2001. He made it into the final round but lost to Keshia Knight-Pulliam.
Catch 21 was revived in 2019, and Ribeiro returned as the host. His role earned him a 2020 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host, but he lost to Alex Trebek. He earned another nomination the following year, but again lost to Trebek.
In 2020, Ribeiro starred in a series of commercials for State Farm Insurance as a fanatic of Chris Paul. In 2021, Ribeiro voiced a character in Muppets Haunted Mansion.[citation needed]
In season 31 of Dancing with the Stars, Ribeiro joined as co-host of the show, alongside host Tyra Banks.[17][18] After Banks departed the show following season 31,[19] Ribeiro will assume her role as the main host of the show, with Julianne Hough joining as co-host, assuming Ribeiro's previous role.[20]
The 90s with Alfonso Ribeiro
On July 6, 2019, the syndicated radio show The 90s with Alfonso Ribeiro launched on multiple radio stations across the country via Sun Broadcast Group.[21][22] Radio veteran Daena "DK" Kramer joined him as co-host. The three-hour weekly show celebrates 1990s music and culture while Alfonso and DK share their stories, pop culture facts and memories from the 1990s.
Personal life
Family
Ribeiro was married to Robin Stapler from January 2002 until August 2006.[23] They have a daughter, born in October 2002.[24]
Ribeiro married Angela Unkrich on October 13, 2012, following a three-month engagement.[25][26] The two live in Los Angeles and have three children born in 2013, 2015, and 2019.[27][28][29]
Motorsports
Ribeiro competed in several editions of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race car race at Long Beach, earning an overall win in 2015 and celebrity class wins in 1994, 1995 and 2016. He also worked as radio spotter for CART racecar driver Bryan Herta, and performed the national anthem at CART and IndyCar Series races.[30]
Lawsuit against Epic Games
In December 2018, Ribeiro, along with Instagram star Russell Horning, aka Backpack Kid, and rapper Terrence Ferguson, aka 2 Milly, brought a lawsuit against Epic Games for their decision to feature respective choreographies in the popular game Fortnite.[31][32] In Ribeiro's case, his "Carlton dance", which he made popular in the 1990s as a cast member of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is one of the many dances that Fortnite players can purchase for their avatars. Epic Games declined to comment on the lawsuits. The U.S. Copyright Office denied him a copyright for his dance on January 13, 2019.[33] On March 7, 2019, Ribeiro dropped the lawsuit.[34]
Filmography
Acting
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | OYE Willie | TV series | |
| 1984–1987 | Silver Spoons | Alfonso Spears | Regular in seasons 3–5; 72 episodes |
| 1986 | John Grin's Christmas | Rocky | TV movie |
| 1986 | Magnum, P.I. | Kenneth | Episodes: "L.A." (2 hours), "Missing Melody" |
| 1987 | Mighty Pawns | Frank | TV movie |
| 1990 | A Different World | Zach Duncan | Episode: "Hillmann Isn't Through With You Yet" |
| 1990–1996 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Carlton Banks | 147 episodes |
| 1993 | Ticks | Darrel "Panic" Lumnley | |
| 1994 | Bill Nye, the Science Guy | Himself | Episode: "Food Web" |
| 1994 | Soul Train | Host | Guest-hosted one episode |
| 1994–1998 | Spider-Man | Randy Robertson / Teenage Robbie Robertson | Voice role |
| 1996–1999 | In the House | Dr. Maxwell Stanton | 51 episodes |
| 1996 | Kidz in the Wood | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Roland Jackson | Voice role |
| 1999 | V.I.P. | Himself | Episode: The Last Temptation of Val |
| 2000 | Your Big Break | Host | Game show |
| 2001 | Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase | Moon Goon #1 | Voice role |
| 2001 | One on One | Lenny Richburg | Episode "Me and My Shadow" |
| 2001 | The Weakest Link | Himself/contestant | Game Show |
| 2005 | Love Wrecked | Bert Hernandez | |
| 2006 | Celebrity Duets | Himself/contestant | Winner |
| 2008–2009 | GSN Live | Host | |
| 2008–2011, 2019–2020 | Catch 21 | Host | Game show, 365 episodes |
| 2011 | Things We Do for Love | Darren | 4 episodes; also director |
| 2012 | Big Time Rush | Captain McAllister | Episode: "Bel Air Rush" |
| 2013 | Shake It Up | Mr. Zigfeld | Episode: "My Fair Librarian it Up" |
| 2013 | Spell-Mageddon | Host | 8 episodes |
| 2013 | The Graham Norton Show | Himself | UK comedy-chat show; cameo appearance in season 13, episode 8 |
| 2013 | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! | Himself/contestant | UK reality-competition show |
| 2014 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself/contestant | Season 19 winner |
| 2015–2017 | Unwrapped 2.0 | Host/narrator | Cooking Channel series |
| 2015–present | America's Funniest Home Videos | Host/narrator | ABC series |
| 2016 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Himself | Season 12 Episode 1 |
| 2016 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself (Celebrity Guest) | Season 1 Episode: Alfonso Ribeiro vs. Mario Batali |
| 2018–2019 | Strictly Come Dancing | Himself (Guest Judge) | Filled in for Bruno Tonioli |
| 2021–present | America's Funniest Home Videos: Animal Edition | Host | Nat Geo Wild series |
| 2021 | Muppets Haunted Mansion | Fred | TV special |
| 2022–present | Dancing with the Stars | Co-Host/Host | Disney+ series |
| 2022 | Big City Greens | Mr. Extras (voice) | Season 3 Episode: "Virtually Christmas" |
Directing
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Episode: "I, Ooh, Baby, Baby" | |
| 1997-1998 | In the House | 4 Episodes | |
| 2006–2007 | All of Us | 26 episodes | |
| 2009–2010 | Meet the Browns | 8 episodes | |
| 2011–2012 | Are We There Yet? | 19 episodes | |
| 2012–2013 | Shake It Up | 7 episodes | |
| 2014 | Mighty Med | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | Young & Hungry | Episode: "Young & Part Two" (season 2) | [35] |
| 2015–2018 | K.C. Undercover | 2 episodes |
Dancing with the Stars performances
Ribeiro was partnered with Witney Carson for season 19. On November 25, 2014, Ribeiro and Carson were declared the season's champions.
In November 2017, Ribeiro returned to 25th season in Week eight,[36] to participate in a trio Jive with Frankie Muniz and his professional partner Witney Carson.[37]
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Jive / "3-6-9" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 2 | Samba / "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Hey Goldmember" | 8 | 81 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Jazz / "It's Not Unusual" | 10 | 102 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 53 | Flamenco / "Angelica" | 8 | 94 | 9 | 8 | No elimination |
| 6 | Salsa / "Booty" | 10 | 105 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | 9 8 | 9 8 | 9 8 | 9 8 | Safe | |
| 8 |
| 10 Awarded | 9 3 | 9 Extra | 10 Points | Safe |
| 9 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe | |
| 10 Semi-finals |
| 9 10 | 9 9 | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 11 Finals |
| 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | Winner |
1 Score given by guest judge Kevin Hart in place of Goodman.
2The American public scored the dance in place of Goodman with the averaged score being counted alongside the three other judges.
3This week only, for "Partner Switch-Up" week, Ribeiro performed with Cheryl Burke instead of Carson.
4Score given by guest judge Jessie J in place of Goodman.
5Score given by guest judge Pitbull in place of Goodman.
References
- ^ Kubicek, John (November 24, 2014). BuddyTV. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro". IMDb. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro". facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Log in or sign up to view". www.facebook.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro Biography - Real Autograph Collectors Club (RACC)". Racctrusted.com. September 21, 1971. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Marilyn; Parks, Rebecca (1998). "Alfonso Ribeiro". Encyclopedia.com.
- ^ Keller, Richard (September 24, 2006). "Alfonso Ribeiro—a member of the Pepsi Generation". AOL TV.
- ^ "Broadway star not dead". Lakeland Ledger. June 5, 1984.
- ^ . TBS. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro: 10 Facts About the Star of CATCH 21". getTV. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ^ Rush, George; Molloy, Joanna Rush (September 5, 2008). "Greenlighting an airborne TV tie-in". Daily News.
- ^ "The Graham Norton Show". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ^ Eames, Tom (November 13, 2013). "I'm a Celebrity..." Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ buddytv.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro Set as New Host of ABC's 'America's Funniest Home Videos'". hollywoodreporter.com. May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
- ^ R5 - All Night (Official Video). July 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Carson Blackwelder (July 14, 2022). "Alfonso Ribeiro joins Tyra Banks as co-host for Dancing With the Stars season 31". Good Morning America. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Lynette Rice (July 14, 2022). "Dancing With The Stars Adds Alfonso Ribeiro As Co-Host; Tyra Banks To Return To Ballroom". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Lynette Rice (March 17, 2023). "Tyra Banks Is Leaving Dancing With The Stars". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ Lynette Rice (March 20, 2023). "Dancing With The Stars Replaces Tyra Banks With Julianne Hough". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "The '90s With Alfonso Ribeiro Does Weekends". All Access. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ Ink, Radio (July 9, 2019). "Ribeiro Revisits The '90s". Radio Ink. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ Acomyo, Mary Margaret (August 10, 2006). "Fresh Prince Star Alfonso Ribeiro Divorcing". People. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ Carvajal, Edduin (August 9, 2021). "Alfonso Ribeiro's Eldest Daughter Sienna Flaunts Hourglass Figure & Waist-Long Braids in Blue Two-Piece". news.amomama.com.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro ties the knot". CNN. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Erin (October 14, 2012). "Fresh Prince Star Alfonso Ribeiro & Angela Unkrich Are Married". Yahoo 7 News. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- ^ "Exclusive: It's a Boy! Alfonso Ribeiro, Wife Angela Welcome Baby No. 2!". In Touch Weekly. April 30, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ^ Webber, Stephanie (October 28, 2013). "Alfonso Ribeiro, Wife Angela Unkrich Welcome Son Alfonso Lincoln Jr". US Weekly. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro and wife Angela welcome baby girl — see the pic". TODAY.com. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ Stars come out in light of day at Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - IndyCar, 17 April 2016
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro Sues Epic Games For Stealing His Moves". Trill! Magazine. December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "'Carlton Dance' suit against 'Fortnite' may have two left feet, experts say". NBC News. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "U.S. Copyright Office says Alfonso Ribeiro can't register his famed "Carlton" dance". cbsnews.com. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro Drops Lawsuit Against 'Fortnite' Makers Over 'Carlton Dance'". yahoo.com. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Alfonso Ribeiro on Twitter". Twitter. March 13, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (November 2, 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". goldderby.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Brozyna, Emily (November 2, 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". J-14.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
External links
- Alfonso Ribeiro at IMDb
- Alfonso Ribeiro at Yahoo! Movies
- Alfonso Ribeiro at the Internet Broadway Database
- Alfonso Ribeiro discography at Discogs