Star Biography

With a career spanning 40 years, New York-born Tatyana Ali is a Broadway-trained actress, singer, writer, entrepreneur, activist and Harvard University graduate.

Ali has appeared in television, film and theatrical projects throughout her life, including "Sesame Street," the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway production of "Fences," the iconic comedy series "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Young and the Restless," Disney's "Glory Road" and a growing collection of holiday and dramatic films for Lifetime TV. She can currently be seen recurring on ABC's award-winning hit comedy series "Abbott Elementary." She has also produced numerous projects for television and digital networks, including "Love That Girl!," the first original scripted program on the TV One Network.

A five-time NAACP Image Award winner, Ali is the founder and CEO of Baby Yams, a quilted goods company that donates a portion of its proceeds to support grants and scholarships for Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas. After experiencing maternal health disparities firsthand during the birth of her eldest, Ali became a Black maternal health advocate, writing op-eds, speaking across the country and testifying before the U.S. Congress.

During the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, she served as a surrogate for President Obama, speaking to communities across the country about voting as an imperative and working to promote the Affordable Care Act.

She holds a gold record for her 1998 debut album "Kiss the Sky," which included the platinum-selling single "Daydreamin'" and "Boy You Knock Me Out," and joined both the *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys world tours. In 1999, her recording of "Precious Wings" for "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" soundtrack won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Musical Album for Children. In 2013, Ali released the independent EP "Hello." Her live music Christmas EP, "All I Have," produced by conductor Damien Sneed, is available to stream on Spotify.

Most recently, Ali authored "Aszi and the Octopus," a children's book about her son's love of the ocean and the imaginative power of Black joy. The book was released by Scholastic.

Ali resides in California with her husband and two sons.