Tatyana Ali facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tatyana Ali
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Ali in 2012
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| Born |
Tatyana Marisol Ali
January 24, 1979 North Bellmore, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Vaughn Rasberry
(m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | R&B |
| Labels |
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Tatyana Marisol Ali (born January 24, 1979) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Ashley Banks on the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. She also starred as Tyana Jones in the series Love That Girl! and had a repeating role as Roxanne on the show The Young and the Restless. In 2023, she played the main role in Giving Hope: The Ni'Cola Mitchell Story.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Tatyana Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York. Her family background is mixed. Her father is from Trinidad and has Indian roots, and her mother is from Panama and has African roots.
A Look at Her Career
Starting Out on TV
Tatyana Ali began acting when she was just six years old in 1985. She was a regular on the PBS children's show Sesame Street. She even appeared with famous jazz musician Herbie Hancock. He used her voice to show how his special music machine worked. Tatyana also appeared on Star Search, where she sang a song called "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
Becoming Ashley Banks
Her big break came in 1990 when she was cast as Ashley Banks. This was a main role on the popular NBC TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She played this character for the show's entire run, from 1990 to 1996.
Singing and Music
Tatyana showed her singing talent on Fresh Prince in later seasons. Will Smith, the show's star, encouraged her to try a music career. In 1998, she released her first album, Kiss the Sky. It quickly became a popular album.
Her song "Daydreamin'" was a big hit in 1998. Another song, "Boy You Knock Me Out", featured Will Smith and was very popular in the UK. She also released an EP (a shorter album) called Hello in 2014.
More Acting Roles
Besides music, Tatyana Ali continued acting in movies like The Brothers and Glory Road. From 2007 to 2013, she had a regular role on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. She also starred in the TV One series Love That Girl! and the comedy Second Generation Wayans.
In 2011, she received the Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Heritage Organization. In 2016, she had a legal disagreement with Warner Bros. about a TV show idea, but the case was later dismissed.
Her Personal Life
Tatyana Ali went to Harvard University and graduated in 2002. She studied African-American Studies and Government.
She was also involved in politics. She traveled around the United States to support Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. She helped with voter registration drives at college campuses.
In 2016, Tatyana married Vaughn Rasberry, a professor at Stanford University. They met online. The couple now has two sons.
Filmography
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Eddie Murphy Raw | Eddie's Sister | |
| 1988 | Crocodile Dundee II | Park Girl | |
| Wow, You're a Cartoonist! | Child Cartoonist | Video | |
| 1997 | Kiss the Girls | Janell Cross | |
| Fakin' da Funk | Karyn | ||
| 1998 | The Clown at Midnight | Monica | |
| 1999 | Jawbreaker | Brenda | |
| 2000 | Brother | Latifa | |
| 2001 | The Brothers | Cherie Smith | |
| 2003 | National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze | Claire | |
| 2004 | Nora's Hair Salon | Lilleana | |
| 2005 | Domino One | Laeticia Richards | |
| Back in the Day | Alicia Packer | ||
| 2006 | Glory Road | Tina Malichi | |
| A Warm Place | Clair Andrews | Short | |
| 2007 | The List | Cynthia | |
| 2008 | Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above | Lilleana | |
| Hotel California | Jessie | ||
| 2009 | Mother and Child | Maria | |
| 2010 | Pete Smalls Is Dead | Cocktail Waitress | |
| Privileged | Talia | Video | |
| 2011 | Geo n Rat | Det. Erica Anderson | Short |
| 23rd Psalm: Redemption | Stacey Wayne | ||
| 2012 | Dysfunctional Friends | Alex | |
| Home Again | Marva Johnson | ||
| 2013 | 24 Hour Love | Simply | |
| The Last Letter | Jillian | ||
| A Very Larry Christmas | Nicole | ||
| 2014 | The Divorce | Victoria | |
| The Black Bachelor | Herself | Short | |
| Locker 13 | Lucy | ||
| Comeback Dad | Nima | ||
| 2015 | Save for Now | Woman | Short |
| November Rule | Leah | ||
| Supermodel | Lauren | ||
| Teachers | Ms. Faith Mayfield | Short | |
| 2016 | Samaria | Audrey | |
| 2017 | Graham: A Dog's Story | Stella | |
| 2018 | Doe | Rachel | |
| 2020 | The Reason | Macey | |
| 2022 | It Snows All the Time | Technologist |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–97 | Sesame Street | Tatyana | Guest: Seasons 16 & 18–19 & 23 & 28, Recurring Cast: Season 17 & 21 |
| 1987 | Star Search | Herself/Contestant | Contestant: Season 5 |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Michelle | Episode: "Life After Death" |
| The Cosby Show | Girl | Episode: "Shall We Dance?" | |
| 1990–96 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Ashley Banks | Main Cast |
| 1992 | Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? | Herself | Episode: "Episode #2.1" & "#2.45" |
| 1993 | Getting By | Nicole Alexander/Vanessa | Guest Cast: Seasons 1–2 |
| 1994 | Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Laura/Connie | Episode: "The Tale of the Quicksilver" |
| 1995 | Soul Train | Herself/Guest Host | Episode: "KRS-One/Dehorah Cox/Shaggy" |
| In the House | Ashley Banks | Episode: "Dog Catchers" | |
| 1996 | Living Single | Stephanie James | Episode: "Whatever Happened to Baby Sister?" |
| Kidz in the Wood | Rita | TV movie | |
| Fall Into Darkness | Sharon McKay | ||
| 1997 | 413 Hope St. | Kai | Episode: "Heartbeat" |
| 1998 | All That | Herself | Episode: "Tatyana Ali" |
| 1999 | Live & Kicking | Episode: "Episode #6.17" & "#6.19" | |
| The Pop Zone | Episode: "Episode #2.5" | ||
| 2002 | Fastlane | Shelly | Episode: "Girls Own Juice" |
| 2003 | Half & Half | Olivia | Episode: "The Big ... Episode" |
| 2005 | The Greatest | Herself | Episode: "100 Greatest Kid Stars" |
| 2006 | Child Star Confidential | Episode: "Primetime Princess" | |
| 2007 | Boulevard of Broken Dreams | Episode: "Jonathan Brandis" | |
| On the Lot | Episode: "First Sight" | ||
| E! True Hollywood Story | Episode: "Will Smith" | ||
| 2007–13 | The Young and the Restless | Roxanne | Regular Cast |
| 2009 | Catch 21 | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" |
| 2009–10 | Buppies | Quinci | Main Cast; also executive producer |
| 2010 | Running Russell Simmons | Herself | Episode: "You Only Live Once" |
| 2010–12 | Love That Girl! | Tyana Jones | Main Cast: Seasons 1–3; also producer |
| 2011 | Unsung | Herself | Episode: "Deniece Williams" |
| Pastport | Episode: "Panama" | ||
| 2013 | Anderson Live | Herself/Co-Host | Episode: "Episode #2.82" |
| Second Generation Wayans | Maya | Main Cast | |
| Dear Secret Santa | Jennifer | ||
| 2014 | The Daily Helpline | Herself/Co-Host | Episode: "Tatyana Ali" |
| 2015 | The Chase | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Episode #5.2" |
| Key & Peele | Heresa | Episode: "Hollywood Sequel Doctor" | |
| Fatal Flip | Roslyn | TV movie | |
| 2016 | Zoe Ever After | Ashley King | Recurring Cast |
| Second Sight | Clara | TV movie | |
| 2017 | 90's House | Herself | Episode: "The One With the Big Finale" |
| American Koko | N'Shay | Episode: "The Stig" | |
| Nanny's Nightmare | Monica Thorne | TV movie | |
| Wrapped Up in Christmas | Heather Nash | ||
| 2018 | Hollywood Darlings | Tatyana | Episode: "Big White Lies" |
| The Bobby Brown Story | Sarah Flint | Episode: "Part One" | |
| Christmas Everlasting | Lucy | TV movie | |
| Jingle Belle | Belle Williams | TV movie; also producer | |
| 2018–22 | Fancy Nancy | Mrs. James (voice) | Recurring Cast: Seasons 1–2, Guest: Season 3 |
| 2019 | College Dating App | Professor Savoy | TV movie |
| Christmas Hotel | Erin | TV movie; also producer | |
| 2020 | Entertainment Tonight | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "Episode #40.58" |
| 2021 | A Picture Perfect Holiday | Gaby | TV movie |
| 2022 | Wheel of Fortune | Herself/Celebrity Contestant | Episode: "Curtis Stone, Haley Joel Osment and Tatyana Ali" |
| RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Herself/Chakra 7 | Contestant: Season 2 | |
| Vanished: Searching for My Sister | Jada/Kayla | TV movie | |
| 2023 | See It Loud: The History of Black Television | Herself | Episode: "Keeping It Real" |
| Bel-Air | Mrs. Hughes | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| Giving Hope: The Ni'Cola Mitchell Story | Ni'cola Mitchell | TV movie | |
| The Holiday Proposal Plan | Sonny Kravitz | ||
| 2024 | Perimeter | Connie Dawn | Main Cast |
| Abbott Elementary | Krystal | Episode: "Panel" & "Smith Playground" | |
| After Midnight | Herself | Guest Appearance, Episode: June 3, 2024 |
Discography
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
UK |
UK R&B |
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| Kiss the Sky | 106 | 47 | 41 | 6 | ||||||||||
| "—" means it didn't chart or wasn't released there. | ||||||||||||||
Extended Plays (EPs)
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Hello |
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| All I Have |
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Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
BEL |
FRA |
IRL |
NL |
NZ |
UK |
UK R&B |
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| "Daydreamin'" | 1998 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | 3 |
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Kiss the Sky | ||
| "Boy You Knock Me Out" (featuring Will Smith) |
— | 68 | 56 | 32 | 19 | 77 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
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| "Everytime" | 1999 | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||||
| "Wait for It" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hello | |||
| "—" means it didn't chart or wasn't released there. | ||||||||||||||
Other Song Appearances
| Title | Year | Other Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Love The Way You Love Me" | 1999 | N/A | More! |
| "Precious Wings" | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | ||
| "Who Am I" | Will Smith and MC Lyte | Willennium | |
| "Getting Closer" | Kel Spencer | Wild Wild West | |
| "Candy Girl" | 2007 | Kanary Diamonds | Puro Fuego |
| "Wanna Groove" | 2009 | Inverse | So Far |
| "Move It, Shake It" | Just Matter and Nieve | Love N' Dancing | |
| "Bathtub Gin" | The Cherokee Rhythm Section | ||
| "Joy to the World" | 2013 | N/A | Dear Secret Santa |
| "Kiss the Sky" | 2015 | The Legacy of R&B Slow Jamz | |
| "He Loves Me" | 2016 | The Legacy of Nu Soul | |
| "Ghost Town" | 2017 | Music to Inspire | |
| "U Can Call (Jossy Remix)" | 2022 | 2pac | Youtube Release |
Awards and Nominations
Tatyana Ali has won and been nominated for several awards for her acting and singing.
- Caribbean Heritage Organization
- 2011: Won, Living Legacy Award
- NAACP Image Awards
- 1996: Won, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1997: Nominated, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 2010: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
- 2011: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl!
- 2011: Won, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
- 2012: Won, Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama – The Young and the Restless
- 2012: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl!
- 2013: Nominated, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Love That Girl!
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
- 1996: Nominated, Favorite Television Actress – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- Young Artist Awards
- 1991: Won, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1992: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1993: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1994: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1995: Nominated, Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series – Name Your Adventure
See also
In Spanish: Tatyana Ali para niños
