Tatyana Ali shot to fame as the adorable tween Ashley Banks on the hit series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for six seasons on NBC and during that span, Ali spent her formative years growing up in the public eye.
The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which is streaming on Hulu, wrapped in 1996. Thanks to a 15-second TikTok of Ali, her former co-star Will Smith and singer Doechii dancing to her hit song “Anxiety” — recreating the iconic dance from The Fresh Prince — the crew from the ‘90s hit show is back in the spotlight.
@willsmith Waited 35 years for this dance to trend. Ib: @Mimii
♬ Anxiety – Doechii
First for Women spoke exclusively with Ali, who is not only happily married with two boys, but she’s also running her own business and still putting her acting chops to good use in front of the camera.
FIRST For Women (FFW): You and Will Smith have gone viral on TikTok! You are also on the fast track to setting a new record (over 100 million views and counting) as having the most views. What is your reaction to the public’s response?
Tatyana Ali: I didn’t even know that—WOW that is amazing. To be honest, I was so excited to hang out with Will and see him. I had no idea it would turn into all of this. We decided to do the dance one night because we saw people were doing it on social media and we thought, “Hey, this could be fun to do.”
Then Doechii’s [the singer of “Anxiety”] team reached out and asked us if we wanted to collaborate. That video came together in a very short period of time, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
FFW: Take me behind the scenes on recreating the dance, because you and Will Smith filmed the original one on the second episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which you shot right after the pilot aired.
Tatyana Ali: I don’t jump as high as I used to when I was 11, which is when Will and I did the original dance (laughs) I tried to add some hips with a little twist to it. It was natural to work with him again and he has a great team of people who have been working with him for years.
FFW: Millions of people are doing their own versions of the dance on TikTok. Do you watch them?
Tatyana Ali: I know. It’s crazy, especially since we did this so many years ago, but there is also something about that song that allows you to let go of your anxiety in a freeing way and, in that one moment, feel good. I do the dance in my house too.
FFW: Do you think it’s even more popular in 2025?
Tatyana Ali: In all honesty, it was magic when we did it. I can’t explain how and why people began doing it or why it resonates now but I remember as a kid and when we were all together, it was a vibe. It symbolized the energy we all had together. We knew we had something magical and when we put our minds to it, we knew anything was possible. I think it also represented a fun time to play and be silly.
FFW: Speaking of Will Smith, how would you describe your friendship?
Tatyana Ali: He has gone from being a big brother to being overprotective and is now a great mentor. Professionally he taught me a lot, especially when I wanted to start producing. Will is my family, and I care about him very much.
FFW: What was the greatest advice Will ever gave to you?
Tatyana Ali: The greatest advice Will ever gave me was never be afraid to be a free agent. I have used that throughout my life because you never know what is going to happen. For example, you think you have your team, or you think you have something but then you find yourself alone. Will’s words were, never be afraid of anything because there are so many possibilities in front of you.
FFW: Are you surprised The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air still has a large following and has attracted many different generations of fans?
Tatyana Ali: It is miraculous as a performer and as an artist. I mean you put stuff out there and you don’t know how people are going to react to it. You want to do things that are meaningful and make people laugh. You want people to feel free in those moments where there is a lot of uncertainty. Doing that show was such a gift.
FFW: Do you keep in touch with any of your other Bel-Air co-stars?
Tatyana Ali: Yes, I do. I see Jospeh Marcell (Geoffrey Butler) from time to time. I do a lot of work with Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks) and Scholastic. Karyn is such an incredible author. I also still talk to Alfonso Riberio (Carlton Banks), so yeah, we are in contact.
FFW: While that series put you on a global map, you started your professional career on Sesame Street and then went on to perform on Broadway and Off-Broadway with the late James Earl Jones and Billy Dee Williams. Tell us about that.
Tatyana Ali: Yes, I am from New York and grew up in Long Island. I started acting when I was four years old and when I auditioned for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it was from New York. When I got that part, we all moved to California. It was a wild ride.
FFW: You had two working parents but they did not have careers in show business?
Tatyana Ali: My parents are not stage parents or have a theatrical background, but they always believed in us and would constantly tell us to keep going. When I got those stage roles, my mom told me to be a sponge and just learn and that’s what I did in rehearsals. That period had such an impact on me, I am feeling it now as I talk to you.
FFW: How so?
Tatyana Ali: Everything I know about acting and performing was formed in those years. I learned what it means to have an audience with you as you are telling the story. Hearing the reactions right away, hearing the quiet and the laughter when they find something funny.
FFW: After Bel-Air wrapped in 1996, you went on to have a successful career in Hollywood, which some child actors cannot do.
Tatyana Ali: I often think about that. I definitely had rough patches where you go into casting, and they expect to see a little girl and you are not that small kid anymore. You try to let them know you are available for other parts because you want to keep growing.
But there were valleys. I stuck with it because I made a choice, I was going to do this. I get just as much satisfaction performing in a small theater as I do on a big TV show or a film. To me, the process of developing a character and creating their world is amazing. The rehearsals are my favorite part. I love that phase so much and every role is special.
FFW: How did you get through the rough patches and rejections?
Tatyana Ali: No one sees the “no” and rejection responses. They only see the “yes;” I got the part. I talk to young people all the time about this. I tell them it’s what you do with the “no.” During the hard times, when there weren’t parts for people like me, I turned my attention and focused on my craft. I got better. I did the work to improve at what I do, whether it is comedy, drama or anything in between. When I wasn’t getting parts or people were not saying yes, I turned my attention to books, studying and building. I also took this opportunity to learn about becoming a producer, which is something I love to do.
FFW: That studying paid off because you went on to get your degree from Harvard.
Tatyana Ali: Yes, I did! I took four years out and went to Cambridge. I always wanted to go to college because it was a dream of mine. I would sit on the set studying my script and then read my textbooks because I really enjoyed school. Although I studied Government, I always knew I wanted to be an actor.
FFW: Shifting back to your acting career, you recently appeared in three episodes of the hit show, Abbot Elementary?
Tatyana Ali: The cast is incredible. Quinta Brunson was wonderful to work with and I give her so much credit for the many hats she wears. It really is her show! The writing is fantastic and it’s always exciting when they invite me back!
FFW: You are also the creator of a company called Baby Yams. What was the motivation behind this concept?
Tatyana Ali: The motivation and inspiration come from personal experience. After I got married, I wanted to start a family. My first pregnancy started out healthy but all of that changed when I got to the hospital and my son had a very traumatic birth. My son ended up in the NICU for four days because of what happened in the hospital.
When I got pregnant again, I was terrified and I didn’t know what to do. I took to social media to search for a community by posting messages about my story. I found a group called Black Mamas Matter Alliance, which is all about mental health and they invited me to speak.
I was about two months pregnant, and the audience was made up of doulas and other experts who know Black women are three to four times more likely to die in the U.S. than their white counterparts. They have been fighting for equal medical treatment for a long time. While I was pregnant, I was also traveling all over the place where I continued to learn about this area and as I was building an education, I wanted to share my own experience. It was during this time; I found great comfort in sewing.
FFW: How did you start on the path of becoming a business owner?
Tatyana Ali: I had been given body butter as a gift, and they were wrapped in this beautiful West African fabric. I took the fabric and other cotton to make a quilt, which also became a stroller blanket for my baby. Everywhere I went, people stopped me to ask me where I got it. It became a conversation starter. I was also working with a midwife and that too was a whole different experience.
FFW: When did you launch Baby Yams?
Tatyana Ali: Last year I started the business and made 50 blankets, and each one tells a story. I personally design them and get the fabrics from a woman in Ghana. After we sold out last April, I gave 100% of those profits to be used for small grants so midwives and doulas can get their education to help others.
FFW: What’s behind the vision for each design?
Tatyana Ali: Yes. These are my own creations and people can find them at babyyams.com. I do pop-up events where I sell the quilts in person, and each quilt has its own pattern that contains a blessing. One is called Abundance. One is called Joy, and one is called Peace. They each have their own color waves and are designed to bring happiness. Many people have been buying them as gifts, for baby showers or for their home. I even started a blog called The Yam House Diaries, to help expand the community.
FFW: Who taught you how to sew?
Tatyana Ali: My dad is a sewer. He is from Trinidad and where he comes from, if you rip your pants, you have to sew them back together. My grandmother on my mom’s side sewed on a machine and sewed a lot of house items like pillows.
FFW: How did becoming a mom change you?
Tatyana Ali: Oh, that is a good question. I think it ordered my steps. When I was younger, I didn’t know what the important things were and how to prioritize. When I became a mom to my two boys, my whole world changed.
Everything centered around them and for them. They come first no matter what and they ordered my steps. I am also a working mom and that lasered everything in my life. I became razor-focused about everything meaning if it is not important and good for them, I do not have time for it.
FFW: What do you still hope to accomplish?
Tatyana Ali: I really want to build Baby Yams and The Yam House Diaries because I stepped out on faith with it, and it encompasses everything right now. Making this successful is my mission right now and I really want to see what I can do with it because these blankets have so much meaning and bring a lot of smiles.
