American actor, dancer and singer Alfonso Ribeiro was born on September 21, 1971 in Manhattan, New York City. The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, he began his acting career in the drama production Oye Willie when he was eight years old. By the time he was ten, he had released songs such as “Sneak Away With Me” and “Not Too Young.” During the early 80s, he starred in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid, and appeared on TV in commercials and in series such as Silver Spoons. He also lent his voice talents to the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters, and currently works as a director for episodes of
All of Us .
Carlton Banks is played by Alfonso Ribeiro in the classic NBC television comedy series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Another one of Will's cousins, he is a finicky young man and a conservative Republican, often acting both as Will's foe and friend. He is shown to be firmly out of sync with pop culture and a complete dork, idolizing Macaulay Culkin, William Shatner, and Tom Jones. He is obsessed with his future in college, dresses in a preppy style, and generally provides a bumbling foil to the cool-headed troublemaker Will.
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