Actor Jerry O’Connell admitted that he would be open to doing Dancing with the Stars, however, under one condition. He agreed to be on the celebrity dance competition only if Fresh Prince’s Alfonso Ribeiro were to coach him.
Ribiero competed in and won season 19 of the televised dance competition. As a child, he appeared on Broadway and the sitcom Silver Spoons. He also danced alongside Michael Jackson in the infamous Pepsi commercial in which Jackson suffered a debilitating accident. He and O'Connell have their childhood pasts in common. The Jerry O' host was also a child actor, appearing as Vern in the cult classic film, Stand By Me. He went on to appear in other television shows and movies including the teen comedy, "Can't Hardly Wait." As adults, both men seem to be leading parallel lives. O'Connell is married to actress and model Rebecca Romijn. The couple has twin daughters Dolly and Charlie. Ribiero is married to his wife Angela and is a father to four children of his own. Both of these Gen Xers are accomplished, but O'Connell - who has professed his obsession with reality television - may have been feeling a little left out of the ballroom.
O'Connell made his exclusive confession to Us Weekly while he and Ribiero were promoting their partnership with Bob Evans Farms. O'Connell spoke of being on Dancing With the Stars, "I would do it in a second." He revealed, "They haven’t asked, so let’s make it happen." Ribiero instantly flexed his showbiz muscle, telling O'Connell, "You know? I know someone. I might be able to drop a good word." The opportunity has found O'Connell at a very interesting time in his life. After his short-lived talk show on Bravo, as well as the copious viral moments filling in as a host for the Wendy Williams Show during her rehab stint in 2018, he was given his own syndicated program.
The 45-year-old may be looking to up his profile with a season of Dancing with the Stars under his belt and believes that leaning on Ribiero could lead him to victory. Ribiero managed to nab the coveted hosting position for America's Funniest Home Videos following his win, and also performed his signature dance, The Carlton, to the delight of viewers everywhere. Since both men have strong comedic chops, O'Connell is smart to seek Ribiero's tutelage on how to play the game, what the judges like and how to milk the home audience for votes.
Fans everywhere have wondered why O'Connell hasn't been asked to appear on Dancing With the Stars. Not only is he goofy and hilarious, but he's attractive and would be exciting to watch with a pro like Sharna Burgess or Lindsay Arnold. Not only that, but there are fans who would love to see O'Connell vacillate between cheesy costumes and smoldering choreography. He's so extra that each episode with him in it would be a nail-biter - which is exactly the energy needed in the competition. Dancing With the Stars has the tendency of getting very emotional at times and the audience could use a good laugh every now and then.
Dancing With The Stars' finale airs Monday, November 25 at 8pm EST on ABC.
Source: Us Weekly