Ralph David Carter is an American actor and singer born on May 30, 1961, in New York City, New York. He became one of the most recognizable child actors of the 1970s through his role on the CBS sitcom Good Times.
Carter also earned serious stage credentials before turning 13, including a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway work in Raisin.
Who is Ralph Carter?
Ralph Carter is an American actor and singer best known for playing Michael Evans on the CBS sitcom Good Times, which aired from 1974 to 1979. His character was the youngest child of Florida and James Evans Sr. in the Evans family, set in a Chicago housing project.
Carter became one of the most prominent Black child actors of the 1970s. His portrayal of the outspoken, socially conscious Michael earned the character the nickname “The Militant Midget” from his on-screen father James Evans, played by John Amos.
Beyond television, Carter built a strong Broadway career before Good Times and sustained a music career during the show’s run. He released a disco album in 1975 through Mercury Records and had two chart entries on the US Dance chart.
Today, Carter lives in New York City and serves as a vice president of the Audience Development Committee (AUDELCO), an organization dedicated to celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the theater world.
Early Life of Ralph Carter
Ralph Carter grew up in New York City, where the local theater scene shaped his path from an early age. His mother, Lucille Carter, played a grounding role in his upbringing and kept his focus intact during the early years of his career.
Carter attended Lincoln Square Academy, located on 66th Street in New York. It was there that he formed a lifelong friendship with fellow student and future Hollywood star Laurence Fishburne, the two remaining close friends across decades.
New York’s vibrant theater culture surrounded Carter from childhood. That exposure led directly to his decision to pursue acting as a child, stepping onto professional stages well before most children begin school activities.
Ralph Carter Age
Ralph Carter is 65 years old as of 2026, born on May 30, 1961. His zodiac sign is Gemini.
Carter first stepped onto a Broadway stage at nine years old, beginning a career that would span Broadway, television, and music well into adulthood.
He now works behind the scenes in theater as a community leader, channeling the same love for the stage he developed as a boy in New York.
Ralph Carter Ethnicity and Nationality
Carter holds American nationality, born and raised in New York City. He is African American.
His background in the Black theater community of New York City shaped his values and his approach to storytelling on stage and screen. Both his Broadway career and his role on Good Times reflected the cultural awakening of African American arts in the 1970s.
Carter has spoken publicly about the importance of authentic representation in media. He credited his Good Times co-stars John Amos and Esther Rolle as mentors who significantly influenced his perspective on that mission.
Ralph Carter Height and Weight
Ralph Carter stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is approximately 1.68 meters. His reported weight is around 165 pounds, or 75 kilograms.
Carter has been described as having a lean, compact build suited to his stage work. His dark brown hair and dark brown eyes were defining features throughout his career in front of the camera.
His physical presence on the small screen carried natural energy that made Michael Evans one of the most memorable characters in the Good Times cast.
Ralph Carter Education
Carter attended Lincoln Square Academy in New York City, where he and Laurence Fishburne were classmates and close friends.
His formal theatrical training began on the professional stage itself, starting at age nine. Early Broadway productions gave him hands-on experience that no single school curriculum could replicate.
Carter has credited the actors and directors he worked alongside in the 1970s as his true educators in the craft of performance.
Ralph Carter Career
Early Broadway Career
Carter made his Broadway debut at just nine years old in the musical The Me Nobody Knows in 1970. The show was one of the earliest rock musicals on Broadway and gave voice to the lives of inner-city American youth.
After The Me Nobody Knows, Carter appeared in several more productions. These included Tough To Get Help, and two Galt MacDermot musicals: Dude and Via Galactica, both of which played in the same Broadway season.
His work in Dude earned Carter the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer. That recognition pointed to the breakout role that was soon to come.
Breakthrough: Raisin and Good Times
Carter’s career-defining early stage work came with the Broadway musical Raisin, adapted from Lorraine Hansberry’s classic drama A Raisin in the Sun. He played Travis Younger and earned widespread critical acclaim for the performance.
Raisin won Carter the 1973 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer and the 1974 Theatre World Award. He also received a nomination for the 1974 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, making him one of the youngest performers ever recognized in that category.
Television producer Norman Lear took notice. In February 1974, Carter joined the cast of Good Times, the CBS spin-off from Maude starring Esther Rolle as Florida Evans. Carter played Michael Evans, the youngest and most politically minded of the Evans children, across all six seasons of the show through 1979.
Good Times became a landmark series in American television history. It was one of the first primetime shows to center a Black working-class family and deal with real social issues facing that community. Carter appeared in all 133 episodes, and his character grew from an outspoken boy of 12 into a young activist adult over the show’s run.
During the series, Carter also developed a music career. Mercury Records signed him at the height of the show’s popularity, grooming him for teen-idol status.
In 1975, he released the album “When You’re Young and in Love,” which included two singles that charted on the US Dance chart. “Extra, Extra (Read All About It)” peaked at No. 12, and the title track “When You’re Young and in Love” reached No. 10.
Carter even performed “When You’re Young and in Love” on an episode of Good Times, with his TV character Michael singing the song on screen. He also performed it on Soul Train the same year.
Later Career and Recent Work
After Good Times ended in 1979, Carter stepped back from mainstream television and returned to his roots on stage. He developed a nightclub act throughout the 1980s and built a steady reputation as a baritone balladeer on the New York theater circuit.
In 1985, he released a second single titled “Get It Right,” extending his music career into the mid-decade. That same period saw Carter performing in stage productions and nightclub shows across New York.
In 1989, Carter reunited with former Good Times co-star John Amos on stage in the production of “Pass is the Pass” by Richard Wesley. That collaboration showed the ongoing bonds between Good Times cast members and Carter’s continued commitment to live theater.
In 2005, Carter appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death with the Classical Theatre of Harlem. That same year, he appeared as a commentator on the PBS show Character Studies. He made an appearance on Soul Train in 2007 as well.
In 2006, Carter joined former castmates Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis, and Janet Jackson at the BET Awards for a Good Times reunion. That same year, the full cast accepted the TV Land IMPACT Award for the show’s cultural contribution to American television.
Carter reunited again with the Good Times cast in 2016 on the Steve Harvey show. His most recent acting credit came in 2024 when he played Pastor Evans in CHAAW: Chapter 3 – Christmas Time Is Here, a faith-based film that also starred Jimmie Walker and BernNadette Stanis.
Ralph Carter Discography
Carter released his debut album “When You’re Young and in Love” in 1975 through Mercury Records. The album produced two charting singles: “When You’re Young and in Love,” which peaked at No. 10 on the US Dance chart, and “Extra, Extra (Read All About It),” which peaked at No. 12.
In 1985, Carter released the single “Get It Right,” his last known solo music release.
In 2024, Carter served as producer and co-writer on Stuck in the Mud, the debut album by blues outfit Christopher Wyze and The Tellers, showing his continued involvement behind the scenes in music.
Ralph Carter Awards and Recognition
Carter won the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer in 1973 for his role in Dude. The following year, he received the 1974 Theatre World Award for his performance as Travis Younger in Raisin.
His work in Raisin also earned a 1974 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
These awards came when Carter was still only 12 years old, making them among the most remarkable early-career recognitions in Broadway history. To this day, few child performers have matched that level of stage recognition.
In 2006, Carter and the Good Times cast accepted the TV Land IMPACT Award. The award recognized the show’s role in delivering entertainment and enlightenment while offering authentic humor that reflected reality.
An annual scholarship has also been established in Carter’s name through the Louise W. Pilgrim Life Academy, designed to support underrepresented student groups in the arts and to promote diversity in the performing arts profession.
Ralph Carter Wife
Carter married his first wife, Lisa Parks, on February 5, 1987. He had first met Parks in 1982 at a Christmas party. She was the younger sister of his close friend Larry Parks.
The couple had two sons together before divorcing in 1992. After his separation from Lisa Parks, Carter met River York.
Carter and York became engaged on December 2, 1994, and married on December 20, 1994. The couple still lives together in New York City.
Ralph Carter Children
Carter has five children total from his two marriages. With his first wife Lisa Parks, he has two sons: Michael Ralph Carter, born on March 10, 1988, and James, born on September 8, 1989.
With his second wife River York, Carter has three children: a son named Phoenix, born on September 15, 1995, a daughter named Jessica, born on April 23, 1997, and a daughter named Vivica, born on July 5, 1999.
Carter named his first son Michael, the same name as his beloved Good Times character.
Ralph Carter Net Worth
Ralph Carter’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. His income stems primarily from his work across television, Broadway theater, and music over more than three decades in the entertainment industry.
The bulk of his early earnings came from his 133 episodes on Good Times, one of CBS’s most-watched programs during its six-season run.
Good Times continues to air in syndication and has reached new audiences through streaming platforms, generating ongoing royalty income for the cast.
Carter’s Broadway career also contributed to his financial foundation, with stage work ranging from his 1970 debut through multiple productions across several decades. His 1975 album and disco singles added music royalties to his income during the height of his fame.
In recent years, Carter has remained active in the arts through his leadership role at AUDELCO, where he serves as a vice president. He also contributed as a producer and co-writer on a 2024 music release.
Ralph Carter Social Media
Ralph Carter is largely private and does not maintain verified public social media accounts. Multiple sources confirm he prefers a low-profile life away from the media spotlight.
Fans can find updates about Carter and his ongoing work through the AUDELCO website, which covers the organization’s theater awards and events in the Black theater community where Carter remains active.
An unofficial fan page exists on Instagram at @ralphcarterfanpage, though this is not operated by Carter himself.
The Bottom Line
Ralph Carter appeared in 133 episodes of Good Times from 1974 to 1979, making his portrayal of Michael Evans one of the defining performances in 1970s American television history.
His stage work came even earlier, with a Tony nomination at age 12 for Raisin and a Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer, credentials that few adult actors ever match.
Carter returned to acting in 2024 with his role as Pastor Evans in CHAAW: Chapter 3 – Christmas Time Is Here, reuniting with Good Times alumni. He continues to serve as a vice president of AUDELCO, championing African American theater in New York City.
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