15 Things You Didn't Know About Tatyana Ali
You think you know Tatyana but you have no idea...
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A Long Way From Bel-Air - Learn more about actress/singer Tatyana Ali, who stole our hearts as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and then catch her in the new BET original film A Very Larry Christmas on Tuesday, December 9 at 8P/7C! (Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
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¡Hola, Tatyana! - Aside from English, Tatyana Ali can speak fluent Spanish and knows a few phrases in Hindi thanks to her Afro-Panamanian and Indo-Trinidadian roots. (Photo: Ilya Savenok/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ - Between Sesame Street and Bel-Air, there was Star Search. A 7-year-old Tatyana Ali knocked it out of the box and won not once, but twice! Even at such a young age, she commanded the stage with her charming presence. With her performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” there’s no denying she was destined to become a star!(Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank)
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Side Hustle - During her time on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Tatyana Ali took on side projects on shows like The Cosby Show, The All New Mickey Mouse Club and Are You Afraid of the Dark? among others.(Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank)
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A Breath of Bel-Air - Tatyana credits Will Smith, her Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star, with giving her a platform where she could express herself musically. Towards the end of the show, the two started recording and years later she shared the stage with N’Sync, Monica, the Backstreet Boys and more! She was living every '90s girl's dream.(Photo: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank)
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Celebrity High - Tatyana Ali and Kim Kardashian attended all-girls high school Marymount together in Los Angeles. Given the opportunity, Tatyana said she would ask Kim how she’s actually doing since reality TV doesn't always give you the full story.(Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd/WireImage)
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Harvard Grad - The multitalented singer and actress is also a Harvard grad. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies and government.(Photo: Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)
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Obama Girl - With her studies so focused on politics, it’s no surprise that Tatyana Ali traveled the U.S. as a spokesperson for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidental campaign. Her support continued during the reelection campaign in 2012.(Photo: Alberto Rodriguez/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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‘Good Hair,’ Don’t Care - In an interview with VladTV, Tatyana Ali opens up about her childhood experience with being labeled as a Black girl with "good hair." She admits she badly wished her hair was more like her mother’s so that she could style it the same way and not feel so alienated.(Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
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Home Again - In 2012, Tatyana nabbed the lead role in the Jamaican Canadian drama film Home Again. Due to certain restrictions, the cast couldn’t film in the story’s true setting of Jamaica, but it gave Tatyana a chance to spend time in her father’s home country of Trinidad. (Photo: REUTERS /ANDREA DE SILVA /LANDOV)
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