Tatyana Ali

While Tatyana Ali might have begun her career as a regular performer on Sesame Street, her big break came when N.B.C. cast her as Ashley Banks on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the cousin of Will Smith’s character. Fans quickly fell in love with the caring, mature Ashley, a character in sharp contrast to Smith’s kooky, fun-loving character.

Fresh Prince not only allowed Ali to demonstrate her acting skills, but her musical abilities as well. After Fresh Prince ended and after graduating from Harvard,  the former child star focused on a music career, keeping busy by releasing albums in 1998 and 2014. Today, Ali has returned to acting, most recently in the Hallmark Christmas film Christmas Everlasting in 2018.