Tatyana Ali: Willow Smith Is ‘Unbelievable’

[Ale]

VIDEO

http://www.accesshollywood.com/tatyana-ali-willow-smith-is-unbelievable_article_41748?__source=rss|rss2|music

Tatyana Ali may be a little older than 10-year-old Willow Smith, but the former “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” beauty, now 31, is a big fan of Will Smith’s little girl.

“She is unbelievable,” Tatyana told Access Hollywood Live’s Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Tuesday of Will Smith’s daughter. “Both Willow and Jaden.”

Tatyana admitted that Willow’s summer pop music smash is a song she embraced as her own.

“I love ‘Whip [My] Hair.’… Here I am, much older than her, but that was my anthem! It’s about confidence and self esteem,” Tatyana raved.

Tatyana had high praise for how Will and Jada have raised their kids.

“I think they’re so grounded, like they’re still children, but so talented and so unafraid and when you hear the things that their parents tell them, about being themselves and picking out what they want to wear, and expressing themselves — that’s something,” she said.

The actress said she’s not surprised to see that Will has turned into such a good father because he doted on her like she was his little sister when they filmed “Fresh Prince.”

“It’s actually kind of a natural because he’s a very nurturing person and he was definitely an older brother to me,” she said. “So it’s real natural… the way he is with his kids.”

Tatyana returns to her first television series since “Fresh Prince” – TV One’s “Love That Girl!” on Jan. 21, playing a divorcee who moves back to Southern California looking for a better life and love. In real life, Tatyana, a Harvard graduate, is also open to finding love.

“I’m kind of dating-ish, single-ish, just minding my P’s and Q’s and checking out all around,” Tatyana said when Billy asked about her love life.

“I don’t really get asked on dates very often,” she revealed. “I don’t know why that [is]. I’m kind of a homebody nowadays. Maybe I’m just not out mingling.”

[Ale]

Another interview to Tatyana. Here's what she said about FPOBA and Will:

KT: Now while your on the Fresh Prince subject, I have to take it back so what was your favorite thing about being on that show and do you have a personal favorite episode?

Tatyana: I think that when we were rehearsing we had so much fun. We laughed till we cried all the time. Literally, like tears would start rolling down. Especially Alfonso, he cried after the last show.

KT: Aahh.

Tatyana: We would laugh so much. We were working really hard, but it was so much fun and I enjoyed it so much. It was a really good group of people to grow up with they really did take care of me. I would say that laughing as much as we did. My favorite episode there were a lot of good ones and to be honest since I was so young when I did it I can’t remember all of them. Sometimes I’ll catch it on TV or YouTube clips.

I saw an episode the other day on YouTube where Alfonso and I were wearing choir robes signing. I cannot for the life of me remember being in that choir room.

KT: Wow. Lol. Tatyana chimes in lol.

Tatyana: I think it’s a long time ago and I was young. We had so many episodes so some of them I cannot remember. I think one of my favorite episodes would have to be when I first sang on the show. That was really meaningful because I was really afraid to do it. I guess that would be one of them and when Will gets trapped in the basement during the earthquake with Tisha Campbell.

KT: Oh, yes! LOL. Me and Tatyana lol for a while on that one.

KT: I love both of those actually I was just watching that clip earlier on YouTube. It’s funny you should say that. lol.

Tatyana: Oh reallly? That was hilarious.

KT: So Will Smith has been really supportive and your old castmates with the new sitcom?

Tatyana: He’s been amazing, actually when I started my production company he’s been a real mentor to me and supportive all throughout.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-headlines-in-nashville/on-the-record-with-tatyana-ali

[VIsqo]

Nice interview, Im so glad they still stay in touch.

[KevTastic]

I'll take her out on a date. Hell i'll cook for her.

[Ale]

More interviews..

Tatyana Ali Talks New Sitcom, 'Love That Girl!', Advice From Will Smith & Willow's 'Whip My Hair'

Tatyana Ali’s new sitcom, Love That Girl! is the first chance The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum has had the opportunity to play an adult character on a regular series in primetime television. And the 31-year old is also stretching her wings behind the scenes— she's a producer of the show. VIBE caught up with Tatyana to discus Love That Girl!, advice she got from Will Smith, and what she thinks of Willow Smith’s Whip My Hair. —Ronke Idowu Reeves

VIBE: While watching Love That Girl! and seeing you as Tyana Jones, I don’t think of Ashley Banks at all. What are the differences between the two characters?

Tatyana Ali: Oh really? Thank you! Well, they are totally two different people. Ashley was reserved and needed guidance to set her free. Tyanna’s is the exact opposite she needs people to hold her back. Whatever it is that she thinks she’s after, she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. There’s courage in her that I admire and I wish I had myself.

How involved were you with creating the character of Tyana, she’s a young divorcee and very independent.

All of [show creator] Bentley [Kyle Evans', and executive producer] other series had male leads—Martin, Jamie Foxx, but he wanted this one to be female driven show. That’s what immediately attracted me to the show. So, he came to me with the pilot script already written. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a character like Tyana. She’s well-rounded, dynamic and a little bit of everything. She’s multidimensional those characters are far and few in between so I jumped at the chance to play her.

What can viewers expect to see this season on Love That Girl!

There’s gonna be everything from clowns to stripper poles. It’s a lot [laughs.] Tyanna’s trying to find herself and we have a lot of funny dating episode. There’s a lot of comedy in it but a lot of real heart and emotion too.

Will Smith began as the star of Fresh Prince and ended up being a 'Big Willie' producer of the show. Now you're wearing both star and producer hats on Love That Girl! What’s that like?

I’m going thru a lot of stuff that I saw Will go thru, the worry and the exhaustion. I didn’t understand it when I was little but now I totally get it. It’s a lot to take on but I’ve been prepared for it. Hopefully the show will be on for a long time if it means something to people. So it matters what we say, what we do and the stories that we are telling. I put in a call to Will while we were shooting because there’s a lot of responsibility involved.

What advice did Will give you?

Will told me was that essentially there should always be a moral to every story that we tell. A lot of time you want it to be funny and you’re concerned about the comedy. And spend a lot of time going thru jokes and adlibs. And our writers are on stage with us while we’re filming and they’re changing jokes last minute. But heart of the show and what really grips people is that lesson, that moral, that thing that’s true. What the character is going thru. That’s why people love sitcoms, characters might make mistakes but they find out what’s right and wrong at the end of every storyline.

Do you keep in touch with others from The Fresh Prince cast?

Yes we all keep in touch. I’m really close to Karyn Parsons; she played Hillary on the show. We see each other for holidays and birthdays. And Will has always been a mentor to me, especially when I first decided to start my production company four years ago. He’s a great teacher.

Any chance any of the actors from Fresh Prince will ever make guest appearances on Love That Girl?

I would love that. We just shot the first thirteen episodes of Love That Girl! and we’ve talked about it. That would be fun and everybody on Fresh Prince are all incredible actors in their own right. It would be amazing.

And speaking of Will, what did you think of his daughter Willow’s pop hit 'Whip My Hair'?

Omigod, I loved it! And as old as I am I like, 'Whoo hoo!' [laughs] First of all Willow sounds amazing, she’s so cool. But she was cool since she was a baby. And that song is so positive in a cool way. It’s about confidence, having self-esteem and not caring what other people think. And everybody needs hear that any age.

For some reason, Willow's song and video took me back to your pop singing career.

Uh, yeah right. But I have to tell you I was not as cool as Willow. I’m not as hip. I don’t think I’ve ever been [laughs.]

http://www.vibe.com/content/tatyana-ali-talks-new-sitcom-love-girl-advice-will-smith-willows-whip-my-hair

Edited January 12, 2011 by Ale

[Ale]

Tatyana Ali Remembers 'Fresh Prince'

Q: Any chance of a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion?--Catherine Merriman, Loudonville, N.Y.

A: "I think we'd all be into it," says Tatyana Ali, a.k.a. Ashley Banks. "We've actually talked about what would've happened to our characters after all this time."

Ali, 32, currently plays a divorcee on TV One's Love That Girl! "I'm definitely a lot more sophisticated than I was on Fresh Prince," she says.

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/personality-parade/2011/01/30/tatyana-ali-fresh-prince.html

Edited January 31, 2011 by Ale

[VIsqo]

she is still hot!

[Turntable]

word, so fine

[Ale]

Tatyana Ali talks new show, Music Career, Ashley Banks & Will Smith's advice!

[Turntable]

grr