Tatyana Ali is best known for her role as Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But, despite her young age, her career began much earlier than that. In fact, she has spent 40 years on screen, and her fans have really seen her grow up and flourish. Since her time on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended, Tatyana is best known for roles in shows including The Young and the Restless, Fancy Nancy, and Love That Girl.
With a career spanning 40 years, Ali has had a very interesting life. Although she will always be known as Ashley Banks, there are many other stand-out tidbits about her. Here are 7 interesting facts you didn’t know about Tatyana Ali.
1. Tatyana Ali Got Her Start On Sesame Street
Ali may have only been 10 years old when she was cast in her breakthrough role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air but was an actor long before that. In 1984, she appeared on Sesame Street at the age of 5. Between 1984 and 1997, she appeared in 12 episodes of the show, which helped to showcase her talents at such a young age. That led to her taking on roles in TV shows such as Star Search and The Cosby Show, as well as movies including Eddie Murphy Raw and Crocodile Dundee II.
2. Ashley Banks Is Her Most Notable Role
At the age of 10, Tatyana Ali was cast as Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was a role that she would become best known for. She appeared in 146 out of the 147 episodes, and her character was the youngest of the Banks. Due to her young age when she was cast, viewers got to see the star grow up on the screen. She went from 10 to 16 years old by the time the show ended.
Towards the end of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ali began showcasing her singing ability on the show. This led to Will Smith encouraging her to pursue a music career following the end of the show. She further released the album Kiss The Sky in 1998, which featured Smith on the song Boy You Knock Me Out.
3. She Wrote The Song Make Up Your Mind
In one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith’s character tries to further Ashley’s music career by finding her a manager and live performance opportunities. Ashley sings a song called “Make Up Your Mind”, which became incredibly popular among viewers. What most fans don’t know is that Tatyana Ali wrote the song. This episode also mirrors what would happen in real life following the show ending when Will Smith helped start a music career.
4. She Plays 2 Characters In The Bel Air Universe
There are many great characters in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, all played by great actors. But you might be surprised to know that Tatyana Ali plays two of them. Tatyana is best known for playing Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But she also bagged a role in Season 2 of the reboot series Bel-Air. In the show, she plays the character of Mrs. Hughes, who is Ashley Banks’ English teacher. It is great to see Ali return to the universe in a way that connects her with her previous role.
5. Tatyana Ali Is A Harvard Graduate
Following the end of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1996, Tatyana Ali continued her studies and graduated high school in 1997. She then went on the attend Harvard University and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and Government. She later mentioned during an appearance on The Chase that her major was Political Science.
6. She Was Part Of Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign
With a major in Political Science, it isn’t surprising that she chose to get involved with politics following her graduation from college. During Barack Obama‘s successful Presidential campaign in 2008, Tatyana Ali traveled across the United States as a spokesperson for the campaign. She also spent time on college campuses helping with voter registration drives.
7. Tatyana Ali Became A Mother At 37
Ali began dating Dr. Vaughn Rasberry, an assistant English professor at Stanford University. The pair announced that they were expecting their first child in 2016. She gave birth to Edward Aszard Rasberry at the age of 37. The couple got married later in the year and went on to have a second child.
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