
Cast
Tatyana Ali
Acting
Cast
Tatyana Ali
Known for
Acting
Born
1979-01-24
From
Long Island, New York, USA
Also known as Tatyana M. Ali, Tatyana Marisol 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 Smithâwhich 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.

Jawbreaker
as Brenda

Kiss the Girls
as Janell Cross

Crocodile Dundee II
as Park Girl

Glory Road
as Tina

Brother
as Latifa

Fakin' Da Funk
as Karyn

Mother and Child
as Maria

Home Again
as Marva Johnson

Jingle Belle
as Belle Williams

Supermodel
as Lauren

Fatal Flip
as Roslyn

Christmas Hotel
as Erin

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion
as Self

Eddie Murphy Raw
as Singing Child

Comeback Dad
as Nima

Pete Smalls Is Dead
as Cocktail Waitress

National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze
as Claire

The Reason
as Macey

The Brothers
as Cherie Smith

Vanished: Searching for My Sister
as Jada Stallworth/Kayla Davis

Wrapped Up In Christmas
as Heather Nash

Back in the Day
as Alicia

The List
as Cynthia

November Rule
as Leah

Locker 13
as Lucy

Dear Secret Santa
as Jennifer

Doe
as Rachel Hutton

Fall into Darkness
as Sharon McKay

Christmas Everlasting
as Lucy Toomey

The Good Nanny
as Monica Thorne

Dysfunctional Friends
as Alex

Light Girls
as Self

The Last Letter
as Jillian

The Clown at Midnight
as Monica

Nora's Hair Salon
as Lilleana

Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
as Self

Domino One
as Laeticia Richards

Second Sight
as Clara

Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?
as Linda Nelson

Privileged
as Talia

Giving Hope: The Ni'cola Mitchell Story
as Ni'cola Mitchell

Deadly Match
as Professor Savoy

23rd Psalm: Redemption
as Stacey Wayne

The Jaleel White Special
as Ramona

Hotel California
as Jessie

Kidz in the Wood
as Rita

Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above
as Lilliana

24 Hour Love
as Simply

The Divorce
as Victoria

The Holiday Proposal Plan
as Sonny Kravitz

A Very Larry Christmas
as Nicole

A Picture Perfect Holiday
as Gaby

Wow, You're A Cartoonist!
as Child Cartoonist

Dancing Man the Documentary
as Self