Alfonso Ribeiro Talks to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Costar Will Smith ‘Every Once in a While’ amid 35th Anniversary (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW
- Alfonso Ribeiro reflected on the 35th anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air while speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at the Disney Upfront 2025 event in New York City on May 13
- Ribeiro revealed that he and former costar Will Smith still “talk every once in a while”
- “There’s a lot of love and 35 years is pretty special,” he says
Alfonso Ribeiro says he still keeps in touch with his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar Will Smith.
Reflecting on the show’s upcoming 35th anniversary while walking the red carpet at the Disney Upfront 2025 event in New York City on May 13, Ribeiro, 53, told PEOPLE exclusively that he and Smith, 56, “talk every once in a while.”
“I talk to everyone when I can,” he adds of the cast of the ’90s sitcom. “We’re all obviously doing many different things, but there’s a lot of love and 35 years is pretty special.”
In Fresh Prince, which aired for six seasons from 1990 to 1996, Smith famously played a fictionalized version of himself — a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia whose mother sends him across the country to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel Air, Los Angeles, after a scary confrontation during a street basketball game.
Ribeiro starred as Carlton Banks, Will’s preppy and politically conservative cousin.
In December, Smith revealed on an episode of VICE’s Black Comedy in America series that his bond with Ribeiro was one of the “creative relationships I’ve had that have totally transformed my life.”
“Where you meet somebody who understands you in a way that other people don’t understand you — and they’re able to understand you, then craft things for you to create and shine and explode,” he explained. “And Alfonso was that guy for sure.”
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Smith recalled instantly knowing that Ribeiro was the perfect fit for the character of Carlton and appreciating his willingness to go for it when it comes to comedic scenes.
“When he came in for the audition, there was like no question, that’s the one,” Smith said. “Nobody commits as hard as Alf. We call it the ‘comedic limb.’ You know where you gon’ try this joke and you gon’ go out there with it and you gon’ risk it all.”
Ribeiro reacted to Smith’s remarks during a March appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show and reflected on their special friendship.
“It was wonderful to hear him say that. Will is my brother for life. And obviously our friendship and bond has now withstood the time of four or five decades. He’s absolutely the best,” Ribeiro told host Jennifer Hudson, noting that he believes the two actors together “created incredible magic that can’t be repeated” on the set of Fresh Prince.
Ribeiro reiterated that it was “wonderful to hear Will give me some of my flowers.”
“Obviously, I give him flowers all the time. He is just so incredible. He is the most talented guy I know and the most dedicated guy I know. So it’s mutual love,” he told Hudson, 43.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — which also starred James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali — will mark the 35th anniversary of its premiere on Sept. 10.
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