Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
Growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, Ashley knew she was destined to be in front of the camera and took to acting at a very young age while in preschool. Ever since her first role as a caterpillar in a local school production, she caught the acting bug and dedicated her life to her craft. After graduating from high school, Ashley attended and graduated from Ole Miss with a BFA in acting. After being scouted by agents and managers, Ashley made the big move to Los Angeles in 2009 where she began auditioning and taking extra gigs to pay the bills. Ashley got her first big break on FX’s “Justified with a strong character arc throughout the final season. From there Ashley continued booking gigs and stared as the co-lead in Lifetime’s BABYSITTER BLACKBOOK, and later went on to portray the evil ‘Rebecca’ in Lifetime’s THE HOUSE SITTER. Ashley has also worked on popular series including NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” FOX’ “9-1-1-: Lone Star,” ABC’s “The Middle.” ABC’s “Scandal,” as well as NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” to name a few.
When Ashley isn’t busy in front of the camera, she loves spending time with her husband, Dr. John Roberts, as well as working out regularly by hiking or taking aerial yoga. Ashley is also a fierce advocate for animal shelters, and has a white rescue cat named Posey Parker, named after one of her favorite actors
Hi Ashley, welcome to OLC! Love your name by the way. So can you share your experience working on Hallmark’s “A Taste of Love” and what drew you to the role of Linda?
Aw, thank you for saying that and thank you for having me! I have always wanted to work for Hallmark so this has been just magical and when it comes to the role of Linda.. I love playing the villain:) I find it’s so fun to find the humanity in characters that you aren’t supposed to “like” because in truth no one is the villain in their own story.
With a diverse acting career spanning various genres, how do you approach preparing for different roles, from your character in “The Act” to Linda in the Hallmark film?
Oh how I loved my time on The Act 🙂 With every role no matter the genre or network I just prepare by remembering to find the humanity as long as my character is real to me how I will act in a moment is genuine and then you’re no longer “Acting” You’re just existing in that moment and time as that character. So for me genres kinda fade away and you’re just playing that moment in truth and then it always fits right where it’s supposed to.
You got to work with some amazing people on that series, including Joey King who we love and Patricia Arquette, what was the experience like working with the both of them?
Aren’t they absolute goddesses? These women are beyond talented and I feel so incredibly grateful to have been able to bookend such an amazing series. All I can really say is how impressed I was just watching them work. It never for a moment felt like anything other than reality and I do remember how seamless it all was. From “action” to “cut” the lines around the world they created just fell away and we were all there. Long story short working with them was magic and they are both absolute legends
Given your background and early start in acting, how has your journey from Tupelo to Los Angeles shaped your perspective as an actress?
That’s such a good question cause I suppose it can have so many answers but the main one for me is my roots shape who I am as a person. Growing up in the south weirdly comes into play in so many of the roles I’ve done which I find fascinating. I love being able to bring little pieces of where I come from into parts I play. If there is even a chance I can make a role have a southern accent I will always do it. There’s something so comforting when the “Yall” comes out:)
“A Taste of Love” centers around family, romance, and culinary adventures. How did you connect with the themes of the film, and did you draw upon any personal experiences for your role?
Family is very important to me. For me with this role I drew on people I know who didn’t leave home. How beautiful that choice can be and WHY people choose it. Linda stayed, she ran her family’s business and Taylor left to pursue her dream. In real life I’m a lot like Taylor. There’s a lot of stigma on people staying near home or moving away to “Spread your wings” when I was approaching my role I really pulled from my friends who stayed and WHY and let that bleed into how I approached each interaction. The big thing for me as a person was I kept coming back to what my family told me when I left home “You can always come home Ashley” that has been such a beautiful comfort to me as I went out and found myself. In a lot of ways you’re watching that exact moment I had with my parents play out in the course of this movie and although that wasn’t what my character was going through it did tie to the heart and the point of the film so since I had been through that in my own life it made my end moment with Taylor and acceptance of each person doing their own journey and how there is room for everyone hit very deeply for me.
Having worked on both television series and films, what do you find most challenging and rewarding about each medium?
The aace for TV is so much faster than it is for films. I personally love it but a lot of my friends have struggled with feeling like they don’t get to “play” on set. Which is true, but I’ve always disagreed with that in my core. I’m not there to play, I’m there to work and I love working! Film has always felt like summer camps to me. When I go on location for a film it’s so much fun! You’re away and this cast and crew become your best buddies for 3-4 weeks normally and then more than likely you don’t see most of them again. You say goodbye to your character and you move on to the next. With TV it’s unique. You might be with this cast and crew for a large portion of your life. For those lucky enough to be on a long standing show your crew and cast become your family… you might be with them day in and day out for the next year or 5 years or 9 years and sometimes beyond. Film NORMALLY isn’t this way. You come on, you make magic and you let it go. TV I have found lives on and we grow so attached to these characters so for me the most challenging and rewarding thing about these two mediums is accepting both for them for the magic they hold and not trying to make one into the other.
Your character Linda seems to play a significant role in the protagonist’s journey. Can you tell us more about the dynamics between Linda and Taylor in the film?
Short story they are rivals and all that comes with that. Long story Linda in many ways is a mirror of all Taylor left behind. Rivalry is powerful. Ego gets involved and in a lot of ways with us as humans and we are watching EGO Drive both Taylor and Linda. Lindas a little nastier I won’t lie but in that it pushes Taylor to want to stay and compete which leads to her rebounding with her family and with Jacob and she ends up reconnecting with HER roots in the process. I think people always look at ego as a bad thing and it can be and if I’m honest in my character it brings out the worst but in Taylors because of this rivalry and competitive nature it brings her to this beautiful place and that might not have happened if ego hadn’t gotten involved.
“Loveuary” on Hallmark is known for heartwarming stories. How do you think “A Taste of Love” contributes to the romantic and uplifting spirit of Valentine’s Day?
Oh how I love “Loveuary” its so charming and magical.. I think “A Taste of Love ” kinda has it all, there’s romance between Taylor and Jacob but more than anything I think its the beauty of family. Often in this month we get swept away with valentines and romantic partners if you have them or if you don’t. But what I really resonated with when it comes to family was my parents were my very first valentines. I remember my mom making cards with me or my dad giving me and my sister candy on the day. So for me when I heard we were airing during “Loveuary” I just felt it was a perfect fit.
Outside of acting, you’re an advocate for animal shelters. How did your passion for this cause develop, and how do you balance your advocacy work with your busy acting career?
I have always loved animals- in fact when I was really little I lost a kitten and I was so devastated I decided I wanted to be a vet and have an adjoining shelter attached so any time a kid lost an animal they could go next door and save a new life and never have to feel that pain. I decided against that path because although beautiful in theory it’s an important life lesson and I realized my heart couldn’t be a vet.. but it could play one on tv 🙂 I think that love for animals just carried on with me from there. My husband and I have three cats and they are our whole lives haha I love working with rescues- I admire them so much. They do so much good and it’s an honor to get to help in any way I can so when it comes to balancing it doesn’t ever feel like I am. I just look forward to doing more and more.
Your career has included both dramatic roles and comedies. Which genre do you find more challenging, and how do you navigate the differences in tone?
There’s a saying I have heard time and time again “A comedic actor can do drama but a dramatic actor can’t always do comedy” That always kinda stuck with me and I never really understood why until you strip it away and start breaking that statement apart. I think comedy is definitely harder in some ways. There’s so many levels and elements that go with it. You could be doing multi- cam or single cam all have a difference in the way it’s played. It’s about rhythm. But at the core of it I think that statement is incorrect. Yes comedy has more parts to it versus drama in which you strip everything away and just connect to the truth of the moment.
But in reality you’re doing the same for both. At the core it’s about the humanity in both of them. One can’t really survive without the other. Both are so beautiful I could never pick one I prefer more. But my favorite thing of all is when you can find a blend in both worlds. Because in reality none of us are living in a purely comedic or dramatic world.
With a background in fitness activities like hiking and aerial yoga, how do you incorporate wellness into your lifestyle, especially considering the demands of your profession?
I love working out, and always feel better after. Yoga has the ability to center me and clear my mind. I love heat induced workouts like sculpts and hot yoga. It keeps my body strong which allows me to have the energy and the stamina to do what I love. If I’m ever feeling overwhelmed I get out in nature. I can hike for 20 mins and the stress is gone. There’s something so awe inspiring about being in the mountains and just feeling the energy around you. Hiking isn’t really about exercise for me it’s more what I do for my mental health to balance and reconnect.
