
Tatyana Ali
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1979-01-24 (46 years old)
Place of Birth
Long Island, New York, USA
Tatyana Ali
Biography
Tatyana Marisol Ali (born January 24, 1979) is an American actress and singer. She's best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
At the age of four she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street. In 1985, as a 6-year-old, she began her acting career as a regular performer on the PBS children's educational program Sesame Street.
She went on to perform in many productions in her native city, New York, including the Broadway show Fences--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show Orfeo del Campo. When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time.
At age 11, she moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and not long afterwords landed her breakthrough role as Ashley Banks, Will Smith's character's cousin, on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996).
While filming The Fresh Prince, she also had side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka The Mickey Mouse Club), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990), and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
Her vocal talent was featured on several episodes of Fresh Prince in later seasons, prompting the show's star Will Smith to ask her if she would seriously consider pursuing a musical career. She ultimately decided, for the time being, to continue to concentrate on her acting career. In the series' final season, however, she performed several songs, and she began to be cleaned for her musical debut, the culmination of which was her debut album Kiss The Sky in 1998. It was certified gold in early 1999, only months after its release. "Boy You Knock Me Out" featuring Will Smith—which peaked at No. 3 and is her biggest hit to date.
She made an appearance on Smith's album Willennium on the track "Who Am I" with MC Lyte. In early 2008, she performed on the song "Yes We Can", a will.i.am project supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. She also appeared in the subsequent music video, which garnered coverage on the "What the Buzz" segment of ABC's World News Now. In January 2014, she released an EP titled Hello.
Apart from her musical career, she continued to land roles in films such as The Brothers, Glory Road, and Nora's Hair Salon (and its sequel), among others. From 2009 to 2010 she produced and starred in the BET web series Buppies.
She was on recurring status on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Roxanne from 2007 to 2013. She starred in the TV One original series Love That Girl! as Tyana (whose name was derived from Ali's given name). In 2013, she co-starred as Maya in the BET comedy Second Generation Wayans, alongside Craig Wayans and Damien Dante Wayans.
In 2011, she received the Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Heritage Organization in Los Angeles.
Acting
The Fesh Pince of Blair
as Ashley Banks
(2023)
Giving Hope: The Ni'cola Mitchell Story
as Ni'cola Mitchell
(2023)
The Holiday Proposal Plan
as Sonny Kravitz
(2022)
Vanished: Searching for My Sister
as Jada Stallworth/Kayla Davis
(2021)
A Picture Perfect Holiday
as Gaby
(2020)
(2020)
The Reason
as Macey
(2019)
Christmas Hotel
as Erin
(2019)
Deadly Match
as Professor Savoy
(2018)
Christmas Everlasting
as Lucy Toomey
(2018)
Doe
as Rachel Hutton
(2018)
Jingle Belle
as Belle Williams
(2017)
The Good Nanny
as Monica Thorne
(2017)
Wrapped Up In Christmas
as Heather Nash
(2016)
Second Sight
as Clara
(2015)
November Rule
as Leah
(2015)
Light Girls
as Self
(2015)
Supermodel
as Lauren
(2015)
Fatal Flip
as Roslyn
(2015)
Dancing Man the Documentary
as Self
(2014)
The Divorce
as Victoria
(2014)
Locker 13
as Lucy
(2014)
Comeback Dad
as Nima
(2013)
Dear Secret Santa
as Jennifer
(2013)
The Last Letter
as Jillian
(2013)
23rd Psalm: Redemption
as Stacey Wayne
(2013)
24 Hour Love
as Simply
(2013)
A Very Larry Christmas
as Nicole
(2012)
Dysfunctional Friends
as Alex
(2012)
Home Again
as Marva Johnson
(2010)
Pete Smalls Is Dead
as Cocktail Waitress
(2010)
Privileged
as Talia
(2009)
Mother and Child
as Maria
(2008)
Hotel California
as Jessie
(2008)
Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above
as Lilliana
(2007)
The List
as Cynthia
(2006)
Glory Road
as Tina
(2005)
Back in the Day
as Alicia
(2005)
Domino One
as Laeticia Richards
(2004)
Nora's Hair Salon
as Lilleana
(2003)
National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze
as Claire
(2001)
The Brothers
as Cherie Smith
(2000)
Brother
as Latifa
(2000)
(1999)
Jawbreaker
as Brenda
(1998)
The Clown at Midnight
as Monica
(1997)
Kiss the Girls
as Janell Cross
(1997)
Fakin' Da Funk
as Karyn
(1996)
Kidz in the Wood
as Rita
(1996)
Fall Into Darkness
as Sharon McKay
(1992)
The Jaleel White Special
as Ramona
(1988)
Crocodile Dundee II
as Park Girl
(1988)
Wow, You're A Cartoonist!
as Child Cartoonist
(1987)
Eddie Murphy Raw
as Singing Child
Crew
(2018)
Jingle Belle
Executive Producer