Carlton Banks

Carlton is Will's cousin and near-opposite: a preppy, Republican-voting, Tom Jones-loving Bel-Air native who does everything by the rulebook. He wants approval, achievement, and a clear path to a good college, and he greets his streetwise new roommate with equal parts fascination and alarm at the chaos Will brings into his tidy world.

Ribeiro plays Carlton's uncoolness with total sincerity, never winking at the audience, which is exactly why the character becomes so beloved rather than just a punchline. The signature dance is the obvious hook, but what keeps him watchable is how earnestly he defends his own identity against Will's constant needling.