Tabyana Ali

Tabyana Ali (born January 28, 2002) is an American actress and author. She was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, but later moved to California with her mother to begin a career in the entertainment industry. She appeared in guest roles in various television shows, including New Girl, Shimmer and Shine (2019) and The Big Show Show (2020), in addition to the Black horror film Horror Noire (2021). In 2022, she took over the role of Trina Robinson in the soap opera General Hospital. She became popular with viewers partly as a result of Trina's supercouple romance with Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Chavez), with the two appearing on the cover of People and the characters being compared to the original General Hospital supercouple Luke and Laura. Ali has released her first book, My Flower Child, in 2020, and her second, My Super B, was published in 2023. In January 2024, San Antonio declared January 13 as "Tabyana Ali Day" in honor of her achievements.

Early life Tabyana Ali was born on January 28, 2002, in San Antonio, Texas. She attended Hidden Forest Elementary and later Trinity Christian Academy. She attended acting classes and had auditions and, in 2013, was associated with her first agent. Ali initially used the name "Tabyana Ford" when she began her career. One of Ali's first onscreen appearances was as a contestant in the game show Win, Lose, or Draw. In 2017, Ali appeared in A Kid Called Mayonnaise. She revealed the book was about the bond and shared experiences of a mother and her daughter, explaining that it was intended for "mothers and daughters everywhere of all ages". That same year, she portrayed Regina in the Black horror film Horror Noire.

Ali screen-tested with Donnell Turner (pictured), who portrays Ali's character's father in General Hospital.

In March 2022, it was announced that Ali would become the third actress to portray Trina Robinson in the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Following news of the recast, fans of the soap opera sent Ali messages of support on Twitter and welcomed her to the soap, as did Mikayla, who tweeted "You got this" to Ali. In response, Ali wrote "I'm so grateful to have this opportunity! Thank y'all for the warm welcoming. I'm so happy to be in this position". She called the audition process "exciting" and "full circle", as she had previously auditioned and had been shortlisted for Trina when she was 16 but lost to Mikayla. Ali screen tested with Donnell Turner, who portrays Trina's father Curtis Ashford, which she appreciated as he encouraged her "so much". Ali joined the soap at a "critical moment" due to Trina being framed for sharing a sex tape of her two friends. Since Ali has taken over the role, Trina's other storylines have included her relationships with Rory Cabrera (Michael Blake Kruse) and Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Chavez) and having the people close targeted by a serial killer, as well as the Greenland Ice Princess storyline where Spencer and Trina thwart a deadly plan to wipe out much of the Earth's population via a deadly pathogen. Ali became popular with fans and received fan art of herself, which she created a dedicated email for. Ali has said that she and Chavez have stronger ties due to their connection outside work, explaining that they have a "special" dynamic due to understanding each other on a "very deep level". My Super B was published in paperback and revolves around a young superhero with a "supportive" mother. Ali has also sold a short film, which is also in post-production. In January 2024, Ali's hometown, San Antonio, declared January 13 as "Tabyana Ali Day" (also known as "Love Without Walls Day") in honor of her achievements. Ali has said that she loves food and enjoys going out to restaurants to eat the local cuisine when she visits her family in San Antonio.

Filmography + List of acting roles Year Title Role Notes 2014 Win, Lose, or Draw Contestant Game show guest role 2015 New Girl Jo 1 episode (season 4) 2017 A Kid Called Mayonnaise Malone Television series 2019 Shimmer and Shine Leelee Voice role (2 episodes) 2020 The Big Show Show Becca 1 episode 2021 Horror Noire Regina Black horror film 2021 Stuck Together Alana Kirby 1 episode 2022–present General Hospital Trina Robinson Regular role 2024 Empire Waist Honor Supporting lead role