When people think of Alfonso Ribeiro, they often associate him with his role as Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. A truly iconic 90’s show that many people still watch religiously in reruns. Will Smith is in the process of releasing his memoir, called Will, right now, and for various reasons, his former co-star has no plans on reading it. Truth is, Ribeiro doesn’t even consider the show his biggest hit.
It’s Not Unusual
What most people fail to understand is that just because something someone was on was a massive hit, doesn’t mean they have the same joy associated with it as the fans who watched it do. Truth is, there was much drama on the set of The Fresh Prince, which reflected itself in the public firing of the show’s matriarch, Janet Hubert. They may have played the perfect family on television, but it doesn’t mean that was the dynamic of the cast behind the scenes was just as rosy.
Carlton Doesn’t Wanna Dance Anymore
Known for his iconic dance to Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual on the show, Ribeiro has love for the show but has also worked to distance himself as only being seen as that character. From his stint on Dancing With the Stars to his recent hosting gigs, he has quite a storied career. But when asked how he felt about Will Smith’s new book, he didn’t waste time mincing words about just how he felt. It is nothing bad. Just very honest.
Not Interested in Revisiting the Past
“I don’t know if I’ll read the book because I know the people.” It is simple but makes sense. He also went on to muse further about his career, pointing out he considers his time hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos to be his most successful career move, based solely on the fact that he has hosted the show longer than he had spent playing Carlton on The Fresh Prince.
When you think about it, it makes sense. When you come to be known for one thing (aka his Carlton Dance) you can spend the rest of your life trying to get out from under that shadow, which is something Ribeiro has been very effective at doing. Sometimes you just need to step back and take a breath. There is no bad blood between the two, but Ribeiro just has his eyes set on the future and not the past.