Life after sitcom is never easy. Just ask anybody who appeared in Diff'rent Strokes. Tatyana Ali, however, has moved on to a different episode of her life following the 1996 cancellation of the long-running Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The
changes are many: a singing career, a stint at Harvard (to study anthropology), and a move to the big screen in this year's The Brothers.
Ali has avoided becoming a National Enquirer headline by building on her talents. The Long Island, N.Y., native first decided she wanted to be an actress when, at age 4, she bugged her mother to take her to a Sesame Street audition. Casting agents saw something valuable: Ali appeared for four years on the popular public television show.
In 1987, the 8-year-old landed her first movie role in Crocodile Dundee II. She's one of the kids who plays with Paul Hogan in the park. The following year, Ali joined the cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play Fences, honing her acting chops opposite James Earl Jones and Billy Dee Williams. When she was 11, she landed the role of Ashley Banks in Fresh Prince and moved out to Los Angeles.
Although Ali had won two singing rounds of Star Search when she was 7, the Fresh Prince cast only discovered her vocal ability when an episode called for her to belt out Aretha Franklin's "Respect."
"She's almost as talented as I am!" declared multimedia phenomenon Will Smith. He put a contract where his mouth was, helping the youngster sign a deal with Michael Jackson's label MJJ Music.
"[Will] never told me he was doing this," Ali said. "I think he kept his distance to let me explore and go through this whole experience alone, and really feel like it was mine - not like someone was holding my hand."
Nevertheless, Tatyana received some heavyweight help on her 1998 debut album, Kiss the Sky. Producer Rodney Jerkins, who helped guide TLC to success, wrote the ballad "Yesterday" with R&B singer Kelly Price. But the single that took off was "Daydreamin'," built around a hook taken from Steely Dan's "Black Cow." It went to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B singles chart.
Ali deferred entry into Harvard to promote her album and tour with 'N Sync. Musical success came at a price - she broke up with her longtime boyfriend, actor Jonathan Brandis (seaQuest DSV). But she's ready to return to the limelight. Sharp-eyed video watchers will have seen her as Sisqo's romantic foil in the "Unleash the Dragon" clip, and she's repaid Smith's attention by guesting on his Willennium album.
The Brothers is Ali's first starring role since the 1996 TV movie Kidz in the Wood (although she had a cameo in 1997's Kiss the Girls). Ironically, in the family drama her character, Chere, feels that she doesn't need a man because she wants to concentrate on her college studies. "Probably now I would make a horrible girlfriend because I'm always traveling," Ali said, "so I'd never do that to anyone."
Her life should stay busy. Thanks to the success of The Brothers, Ali is slated to appear in a possible sequel next year and may release a second album. Don't expect to see her at a supermarket checkout anytime soon.
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