Tatyana Ali opened up in a sit-down interview with E! News Daily Pop on April 6 about Tia Mowry‘s revelation that she and her twin sister Tamera Mowry previously auditioned for the role Ali won on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Ali, who played Ashley Banks on the hit ’90s sitcom from 1990 through 1996, said she was unaware of the twins’ audition until she read Tia’s initial interview with Buzzfeed.
“I did not know about that until I read it in their interview. I know Tia and Tamera and their brother and their mom and dad. It was kind of a small group of people at the same time, kids, especially kids of color who were in television and doing our thing.”
Ali also revealed that although she, Tia, and Tamera would often audition for the same roles, they never had any animosity toward each other.
She said, “But I think they’re of the same mindset that I am, even seeing them in auditions over the years: ‘What’s for you is for you, and what’s for me is for me.’ We can walk in and out of rooms being like, ‘I hope you get this girl!’ And Tamera has said to me, ‘I hope you get this too!’ Either one of us, it’s a win for all of us. We’ve always been like that, so I think that’s cool.”
Several fans expressed how Ali was destined to play Ashley Banks, while one mentioned that it was a “good thing” that the Mowry sisters didn’t get the part.
“I’m sorry but that role was always for Tatyana Ali. She was meant to be Ashley Banks.”
“Good thing they didn’t get it because “Sister, Sister” would not have happened….”
“Well I can’t imagine anyone playing Ashley except Tatyana.”
“I’m sorry for that [role] was always for Tatyana Ali she was meant to be the Ashley Banks in fresh prince of bel air.”
Last month, Tia revealed during an interview that she and Tamera initially auditioned for the role of Ashley Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and stated that they might not have had their own show if one of them had landed the role. She said, “I was going in for Tatyana Ali. My sister and I both auditioned for that role, but we didn’t get it. But we’re glad we didn’t get it, because we probably wouldn’t have done ‘Sister, Sister.'”
“Sister, Sister” ultimately ran from 1994 to 1999.
