(Access Hollywood) – Alfonso Ribeiro has revealed the origin of “The Carlton.”
The “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” actor opened up in the Aug. 18 issue of Variety about the dance that made him famous, and explained why his character’s signature move was nearly an accident.
“I played a character that was as far from myself as possible,” he told the mag of his role on the beloved sitcom. The native New Yorker said Carlton’s preppy tastes and privileged upbringing were a foreign concept to him, and he needed a crash course before approaching the part.
“They would have to bring me a CD and some articles for me to read up on what the character liked, because I had never heard of Tom Jones. I didn’t know Barry Manilow,” Alfonso confessed.