In praise of Alfonso Ribeiro, a consistent source of pure, unfettered joy

The Ringer

"As much as the world equates Ribeiro to Carlton, the years following The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may have revealed more about the man—his persistence, his versatility, and his undeniability," says Julian Kimble. "If you let him tell it, for a while the role Ribeiro played so well was the role that held him back.... The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s 30th anniversary reunion special premiered on HBO Max in November—Ribeiro can be seen joining Smith to do the dance, as only he can, while the credits roll. But at this point, Ribeiro’s résumé is so strong that Carlton Banks is merely among the highlights. He’s done it all, from dancing with Michael Jackson to winning Dancing with the Stars. He remains a fixture in popular culture, appearing as an accident-prone Chris Paul impersonator in a series of State Farm commercials and as the weekly guide to all-ages humor as the current host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, a position he’s held since 2015. He’s a consistent source of unfettered joy, and while some people will always see him as Carlton Banks, he’s worked very hard to establish himself as Alfonso Ribeiro."