Tatyana Ali is officially the second Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum to compete on Dancing With the Stars — but is she planning a sitcom reunion in the ballroom?
“Maybe I can get people to come to the audience,” Ali, 47, exclusively told Us on Wednesday, September 2, at the Dancing With the Stars post-cast reveal event, hinting that she might be able to lure former costar Will Smith to cheer her on from the crowd alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, who is a cohost on the series.
Ali confessed, “I don’t know. We’ll have to tag team, see what we can do.”
The actress played Ashley Banks on the hit NBC series from 1990 to 1996. Smith, 57, played the lead character, Ashley’s cousin from Philadelphia named Will Smith, who moves to Bel-Air, California, to get out of trouble and live with his relatives.
Ribeiro, meanwhile, portrayed Ashley’s older brother, Carlton Banks. James Avery played their father, Will’s uncle, Philip Banks, while both Janet Hubert and Daphne Reid filled the role of their mother, Vivian Banks, from seasons 1 to 3 and seasons 4 to 6, respectively.
The cast also included Karyn Parsons as the eldest sister, Hilary Banks, Ross Bagley as the youngest child, Nicky Banks, and Joseph Marcell as butler Geoffrey.
While Ali couldn’t promise a Fresh Prince reunion on season 35 of DWTS, she told Us she couldn’t be happier to be reunited with Ribeiro, 54, after playing siblings for six seasons years ago.
“I’m excited to be on stage with him and just you know the cast, the rehearsals,” Ali said of her former costar, who won season 19 of DWTS in 2014. “I’ve heard that he comes to the camera blocking as a host. He takes that on. That’s what I’m excited about.”
The actress added, “How often do you get to do that? The last time I worked with him, I was 17 years old. Yeah, it’s amazing.”
Ali also revealed that Ribeiro has been helping her and pro partner Jan Ravnik decide on their team name, telling Us that he suggested “Tatyan.”
While Ali is ready to see Ribeiro more frequently as she prepares for the competition series, Ravnik, 31, exclusively revealed that he’s never seen their TV show — but he has a good reason.
“I’m gonna be honest. Yes, I was growing up in Europe, so even I didn’t grow up with YouTube,” Ravnik explained. “I didn’t grow up with any of the TV.”
The Slovenian dancer noted that he was very “behind” when it came to pop culture, revealing that he didn’t get his first phone until he was 16.
“I’m living under the rock,” Ravnik joked about his childhood. “But I am doing research right now, so I’m watching.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC and Disney+ with a two-night event beginning Tuesday, September 15, at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.
