Alfonso Ribeiro

Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor, television director, dancer, game show host, and comedian. Ribeiro is best known for his role as Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and host of GSN show Catch 21. He has also received attention for his performance in the title role of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid and his appearance as a dancer in a Pepsi commercial also featuring Michael Jackson.

Personal life

Ribeiro was born in New York City Riverdale area of the Bronx, to Michael and Joy (De Leon) Ribeiro. His parents are from Trinidad and Tobago.  Ribeiro is the grandson of the late Roaring Lion, noted as one of the greatest Calypsonians.

Ribeiro married Robin Stapler in 2002. Divorce papers were filed August 9, 2006 in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple share joint custody of their daughter, Sienna Ribeiro. Ribeiro is engaged to Angela Unkrich and will be married in October 2012. They currently reside in Los Angeles.

Career

Ribeiro began his career at the age of eight. 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. He also appeared in one of Michael Jackson's Pepsi television commercials as a dancer in 1984. The same year, Ribeiro was cast as Rick Schroder's best friend on the TV series Silver Spoons. In 1985, Alfonso appeared as himself in a commercial on MTV advertising a dance instruction book he authored, called "Alfonso's Breakin' & Poppin' Book" (currently out of print).

Ribeiro's most notable role was that of spoiled, rich Carlton Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. He played the cousin to Will Smith's lead character; Ribeiro also directed some episodes of Fresh Prince. The Carlton character was known for frequently dancing to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual," a dance move that gained infamy as "The Carlton Dance." In 2008, Ribeiro began hosting the game show Catch 21 on GSN. He also directed some episodes of Meet the Browns.