Who is Carlton Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

Show

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Played by

Alfonso Ribeiro

First episode

“The Fresh Prince Project”Season 1, Episode 1, aired September 10, 1990

Role

Main cast

Network

NBC

Occupation

Preppy student, Bel-Air Academy, then college

Show run

1990 to 1996

Carlton Banks is the uptight, eager-to-please son of Philip and Vivian, and the perfect comic opposite to his street-smart cousin Will. Played by Alfonso Ribeiro, he is best remembered for the Carlton dance, his joyful flailing to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual."

On The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Carlton Banks's story runs through Will Smith (Cousin), Philip Banks (Father), Vivian Banks (Mother), Hilary Banks (Sister), Ashley Banks (Sister), and Geoffrey (Butler).

Who is Carlton Banks?

Carlton is the only son of Philip and Vivian Banks until baby Nicky arrives, and he idolizes his father. He is a model student at the exclusive Bel-Air Academy, proudly conservative, and a devoted fan of all things preppy, from sweater vests to Tom Jones records. His lifelong dream is to go to Princeton.

When Will moves in, Carlton becomes his rival and, over time, one of his closest friends. The two cousins argue constantly, but they also end up sharing classes, double dates, and eventually a college campus and a pool house.

Personality and comedy

Writer Andy Borowitz has described Carlton as an attempt to create "the anti-Will." He is honest, studious, and respectful of his parents, but also arrogant, insecure, and wildly naive about the world outside Bel-Air. Will gets endless mileage out of mocking his height, his wardrobe, and his taste in music.

Alfonso Ribeiro gave Carlton layers that kept him from being a one-note snob, and the show often let him win. The Carlton dance, which Ribeiro created himself, became the character's signature. He has said he took inspiration from Courteney Cox in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video and from Eddie Murphy's stand-up film Raw.

Key storylines

Carlton's sheltered life is the source of several of the show's most serious episodes. In season one he takes a bet to spend a weekend in Compton and goes overboard trying to act tough. In season three he is rejected by Princeton, and at prom he takes pills he believes are vitamins but are actually speed, landing in the hospital. In season five, after Will is shot, Carlton buys a gun for protection, and Will takes it away from him.

He goes to college in Los Angeles with Will, then reapplies to Princeton in season six and is finally accepted, only to briefly consider becoming a professional bowler instead. In the series finale, Carlton heads off to Princeton at last.

Behind the scenes and legacy

Carlton was named after Carlton Cuse, a Harvard classmate of Borowitz, and was loosely inspired by the children of executive producer Quincy Jones. Ribeiro later worked the Carlton dance into a Dancing with the Stars routine during the season he went on to win, and he went on to host America's Funniest Home Videos.

The dance has had a long afterlife. In 2018, Ribeiro sued Epic Games over a similar dance in Fortnite, but the U.S. Copyright Office declined to register the moves and he dropped the case in 2019. Olly Sholotan plays Carlton in the Peacock drama Bel-Air.

Carlton Banks: frequently asked questions

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