How the role of ‘Carlton’ almost destroyed Alfonso Ribeiro’s career
Alfonso Ribeiro got his breakthrough after appearing on the sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Ribeiro seems to be getting his life together, as he’s now married, has four children. He opened up on how playing the role of Carlton Banks almost ruined his career as no one wanted to hire him at the end of the day.
Alfonso Ribeiro was born in New York on September 21, 1971. Many of his family members were already in the show business so it wasn’t news when Ribeiro started developing an interest in acting.
His parents took note of his talent and were willing to help him become Successful.
Ribeiro recalled in an interview with The Ringer, “As a kid, my dad was my manager, and he always said to me, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do: The more eggs you have in the basket, the more opportunities you have for one of them to hatch when you need them to hatch.”
He continued: “‘and so we’re just going to learn to do everything. We’re going to learn how to dance, we’re going to learn how to sing, we’re going to learn how to act, we’re going to learn how to entertain, we’re going to learn how to talk, and we’re going to learn how to read. We’re going to be well-rounded in the business.’”
His dancing became his breakthrough after he started in Oye Willie at the age of 9.
In 1984, he worked alongside Michael Jackson in the legendary Pepsi commercial.
Alfonso Ribeiro got featured on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ where he became one of the most popular on the show.
The role ended up changing his life forever.
He was known as Carlton other than Ribeiro; he getting typecasted affected the chances of him getting roles.
“I had what I love taken away from me because I won. When you do a role like Carlton and people love the role, and you do the job so well that they essentially tell you that you can’t do it anymore because we can’t see you as anything else, it is a very difficult thing to deal with,” he told Atlanta Black Star.
“It was like, ‘Wait a minute, but I did it well. I did my job. I did what I was asked to do, I made you believe that that’s who I am.’ That’s what an actor is supposed to do. And then I was punished for it. Because then I didn’t get to do what my craft was. I didn’t get to do it anymore.”
Speaking with Pop culture, he hopes that typecasting will be stopped.
“I’ve always said that the idea that you can do something so well in your life that no one will allow you to do it again, is very difficult to go through,” Ribeiro told Pop Culture. “Imagine being the greatest home run hitter in the game and never being allowed to go hit home runs because you hit home runs.
Doesn’t make sense. But in show business, that sometimes is the case. So having to reinvent myself by turning myself into myself, which is weird.”
He has done so well and we hope he’s living his best life.
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