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.
Filmography
all 82
Movies 54
TV Shows 28
self 17
Voice 2
Perimeter (2024)
The Holiday Proposal Plan (2023)
Giving Hope: The Ni'cola Mitchell Story (2023)
It Snows All the Time (2022)
Vanished: Searching for My Sister (2022)
A Picture Perfect Holiday (2021)
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2021)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (2020)
The Reason (2020)
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race (2020)
Christmas Hotel (2019)
Deadly Match (2019)
Jingle Belle (2018)
Christmas Everlasting (2018)
Doe (2018)
Fancy Nancy (2018)
Fancy Nancy (2018)
Wrapped Up In Christmas (2017)
The Good Nanny (2017)
Hollywood Darlings (2017)
Second Sight (2016)
Zoe Ever After (2016)
Dancing Man the Documentary (2015)
Supermodel (2015)
Fatal Flip (2015)
November Rule (2015)
Light Girls (2015)
Comeback Dad (2014)
Locker 13 (2014)
The Divorce (2014)
A Very Larry Christmas (2013)
The Last Letter (2013)
Dear Secret Santa (2013)
23rd Psalm: Redemption (2013)
Radio Disney Music Awards (2013)
24 Hour Love (2013)
Second Generation Wayans (2013)
Home Again (2012)
The Eric Andre Show (2012)
Dysfunctional Friends (2012)
Pete Smalls Is Dead (2010)
2nd Stand Up to Cancer (2010)
Love That Girl! (2010)
Mother and Child (2009)
Stand Up to Cancer (2008)
Hotel California (2008)
Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above (2008)
Yes We Can (2008)
The List (2007)
Glory Road (2006)
100 Greatest Kid Stars (2005)
Back in the Day (2005)
Domino One (2005)
Nora's Hair Salon (2004)
National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze (2003)
Half & Half (2002)
Fastlane (2002)
The Brothers (2001)
Brother (2000)
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano (2000)
Teen Choice Awards (1999)
Jawbreaker (1999)
The Magic Hour (1998)
The Clown at Midnight (1998)
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Fakin' Da Funk (1997)
Fall Into Darkness (1996)
Kidz in the Wood (1996)
In the House (1995)
Living Single (1993)
Getting By (1993)
Name Your Adventure (1992)
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1992)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)
The More You Know (1989)
Wow, You're A Cartoonist! (1988)
Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)
Brains & Brawn (1958)
The Great American Celebrity Spelling Bee
Buppies
Catch 21
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1979-01-24 (45 years old)
Birth NameTatyana Ali
Birth PlaceBrooklyn, United States of America
SpouseVaughn Rasberry
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsTatyana M. Ali, Tatyana Marisol Ali
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
- Tatyana Ali
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