With a career spanning 35 years, Tatyana Ali is best known to millions worldwide, for playing Ashley Banks in the iconic comedy series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Born in Brooklyn, NY, she is a Broadway-trained actress, singer, producer, activist and Harvard University graduate.
Ali is co-founder of HazraH Entertainment, a production company dedicated to creating quality content for underserved communities. The company was a production partner on the Martin Lawrence executive-produced sitcom “Love That Girl!” the first original scripted program on the TV One Network. HazraH Entertainment also produced the acclaimed web series “Buppies” for BET .com.
Ali has appeared in numerous television, film and theatrical projects over her career, which began at four years old, including “Sesame Street,” the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway production of Fences, “The Young and the Restless” and Disney’s Glory Road. The five-time NAACP Image Award winner, Harvard Aspiring Minority Business Leader and Black Girls Rock! honoree was named one of most beautiful women in the world by People Magazine en Español and People Magazine.
She holds a gold record for her 1998 debut album Kiss the Sky, which included the hit singles “Daydreamin’” and “Boy You Knock Me Out” and joined both the *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys world tours. In 1999, her recording of “Precious Wings” for The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland soundtrack won a GRAMMY Award for "Best Musical Album for Children." In 2013 Ali released the independent EP “Hello.”
Ali is a fierce advocate for youth and education. During the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, she served as a surrogate for President Obama, speaking to communities across the country about the importance of voting. She did the same grass roots work for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016. She has hosted the United Negro College Fund's “Empower Me” Tour three years in a row, been a spokesperson for the Millennium Momentum Foundation for eight years and is actively involved in Black Girl’s Rock and the Step Up Women's Network, organizations dedicated to educating and mentoring young women.
She resides in California with her husband and son.
