Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress, model and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She sang on various episodes of the show, including a heavily altered version of Aretha Franklin‘s “Respect” and the original song, “Make Up Your Mind” produced by Robert Jerald of N’Spyre Music Productions. Will Smith asked her if she seriously considered pursuing a musical career. Despite her singing ability, she concentrated on her acting career on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air the next few years. In the final season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1995–97), Ali began preparing herself for her musical debut. The result was the album Kiss The Sky, which was certified gold in early 1999. The album spawned the hit song “Daydreamin'”, released July 21, 1998, produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart.
She also performed the title song, “Sunny Valentine” along with Terrence Quaites for the indie film, Rockin’ Meera directed by Param Gill in 2005. She is also producing and starring in the BET web show, Buppies. She is currently on recurring status on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Roxanne.
Ali can be seen in the show, Love That Girl! on TV One. She stars as Tyana (which comes from the last five letters of her name). When asked if the character bears any similarities to her, Ali said in a CaribPress interview, “She’s a bit neurotic and I hope I am not quite like that.”
“One thing that I do love about her is that she is really multidimensional,” she went on to say in the same interview. “I think it’s nice to have a female character that is portrayed in (a) really holistic way.”
Ali also starred in Nora’s Hair Salon and Nora’s Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above. In 2011, Ali received the Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Heritage Organization in Los Angeles.
She is currently on recurring status on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Roxanne.