Ashley Versher | Actor, Director, Writer + Producer
Ashley is a creative specializing in acting, producing, directing, modeling and digital content. A series regular on Amazon Prime’s award-winning #LoveMyRoomie, she has also appeared in the Emmy-nominated, now Cleo TV series, Tough Love. She’s currently in post-production for the short-film, Brief Exchanges, for which she’s the writer, director and lead actress—marking her debut as a filmmaker. Ashley is also a classically trained violinist and is also trained in movement-based physical theater and devised ensemble work. Need we say more?
The Basics:
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Current city: NYC + Los Angeles
Alma mater: University of California, Riverside
Degree: B.A., Psychology
Very first job: Intern at Kaiser Permanente
Hustle: Actor, Director, Writer + Producer; Digital Content Coordinator, Made In Her Image
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
Sally Richardson-Whitfield—I find her career trajectory so impressive. She’s worked as an actor for many years and then transitioned into directing. I appreciate those who have curated interesting careers and who live full lives. To me, it’s those women who redefine what it means to “have it all,” which I think is important.
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
Oooo, that is so hard. I don’t think I have one. But I can say that I’m currently obsessed with The Farewell by Lulu Wang.
Where do you usually spend your alone time?
Any cool coffee shop. If they’re playing great music and the coffee is delicious—I’m there. It's a major bonus if the decor is on point, too. I also love going to the spa—Burke Williams in LA and Great Jones Spa in NYC.
A TV show you’d love to be cast in?
Downton Abbey! I know the show has ended, but I would have loved to be on it.
A favorite actor of yours at the moment?
Naomie Harris! She is all-around amazing, and I am grateful to be able to witness her work.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle, providing a summary of your roles and the work you do daily.
As an actor, it’s important to me that I’m constantly working on my craft. From voice warm-up to movement warm-up, my body is my instrument—so I really try to take care of it. Yoga is a great way to do this because the breath and the body are key. Additionally, I typically take classes to keep my muscles working and of course audition, which is fun and exciting.
I also recently launched a production company Little Black Girl From The Bay, and I’m proud to say we are in the post-production of our inaugural project: a short film called Brief Exchanges, in which I am the writer, director, co-producer and lead actor. So with that, my spare time is limited. As I said, we’re in post, so right now I’m reviewing footage, taking notes, and meeting with my editor, music supervisor, and the post-production team. At the same time, I’m preparing for the film festival submission process, and as crazy as it might sound, writing our next project.
Did you always know that you wanted to pursue a career in entertainment? What inspired you to start acting, and what has that journey looked like for you?
I think I always wanted to pursue a career in performing arts. I started as a musician. I play the violin. I was five years old when I started. And from there, I basically did everything I could do when it came to the performing arts. I always loved the way music tells a story, and that love expanded into theater, which led me to acting. Some years ago I was taking a journalism class at UCLA Extension, and an actress came into my class to speak about her career. I was just moved by listening to her story. It was kind of crazy because she wasn't saying anything partially heartfelt, but I was just pulled in. I had to talk to her, I had to know how to become an actor, I literally ran after her when she left my class. She was so kind and so helpful and that's how I got started—it was a wrap!
What was your introduction into the entertainment industry like? What were some of your first gigs, and what’d you learn from them?
Honestly, on one hand, I think my introduction was a bit harsh. In the theater world, things were so much easier. The people I met and worked with were warm and friendly and like-minded; theater felt like coming home—it still does. When it came to film and TV, it was quite different; it was just very difficult, and when you are green you just have so, so much to learn, and at the end of the day, so many of those lessons must be learned through experience.
My very first professional theater gig was in a small town called Rock Island, Illinois at Circa 21 Theater. It was amazing. I quit my corporate job at Kaiser Permanente, and for the first time, moved out of California to follow my dreams. I feel so lucky because I was really challenged by the experience, but it was also an opportunity to fall in love with acting and theater. The show was Buddy: The Buddy Holly story. I sang, danced, played the violin, and acted. I would do it all over again if I had to.
That job taught me how fun this career could be, which I hold onto, because it’s so easy to let fear creep in and crush your joy for what you do. I try to remember that I fell in love with acting, and that’s the relationship I try to maintain with my craft—with art.
How has being an actress influenced your experiences as a producer + director? What was it like for you to be on the other side of the lens?
Ha! It has made such a difference. As an actor, especially in the beginning of your career, you often work for free or for just a bottle of water—you can feel dispensable. And unfortunately you can also find yourself in unsafe scenarios, with no one available to advocate for you or your fellow actors. As a producer and director, it’s my top priority to make sure that the actors I am working with feel valued, heard, and safe. It is just so important.
I really love directing. I love working with actors, especially those obsessed with the craft—you know, a healthy level of obsession lol. They are just so in tune with themselves and so connected to the work and have some many unique ideas. I like to work collaboratively when I can, and being an actor means I speak their language.
How intertwined are your careers in modeling + acting? Do they typically go hand-in-hand?
Not very much. Modeling is something people kept pointing out to me as a possibility, so I just gave it a shot. Don’t get me wrong, I'm obsessed with fashion, and if I didn't work in entertainment, that's 100% what I would do, but acting and storytelling stole my heart.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
They have just made me a hustler. Every year I work a little harder—but also smarter. Every year my passion and my purpose get more and more clear, and I focus on that. They taught me to stay open, pay attention, and if you want to do something, you need to say it out loud to yourself and anyone who will listen, because you never know where opportunity can come from. And probably most importantly, I’ve learned that I have my own path, and my journey has to be different than anyone else's. If I am to walk in my purpose, I have to learn to respect this fact, which is hard sometimes.
What’s been your favorite project so far? What made it special to you?
Brief Exchanges. I know it’s my film, but I just loved the entire experience, and I learned so much. I feel so blessed by the team I was able to work with; my DP Tiffany Armour Tejada is a boss! The film is such a part of me, and will always be such a huge part of my artistic journey.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I don't think I can talk about being a woman without clarifying that I am a black woman. People see me as black before they see me as a woman. Being a black woman, I often find myself unnecessarily challenged. I find that it is very easy for someone to feel comfortable second-guessing me or for lack of a better word, Mansplaining. And because there is such a history of this sort of treatment, it’s really easy for me to second-guess myself, to question my instincts.
We can start with listening wholeheartedly, and I mean really listening—like the kind of listening they talk about in acting school: active listening. I think we have to listen to each other and hear what each other really needs. We need to listen to identify the ways in which we can actively and efficiently challenge the status quo.
We need to support each other wholeheartedly. There is more than enough room for all women. Feeling supported by women of color, and women in general, means so much to me. Those relationships have gotten me where I am, and I can tell you right now, those relationships will get me where I want to go.
Specifically, how has being a woman of color impacted your professional experience? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
You know, I love this question. I work with a nonprofit organization called Made In Her Image—our mission is to empower, teach and share tools of filmmaking with young women, girls and non-binary youth. I love this organization so much because it represents exactly what I think we need to be doing to be supportive and to create more inclusive work environments, inside and outside of this industry. I think we need to educate the youth. I think we need to challenge teenagers and college students. I think we need to share ideas of equality. I think we need to teach critical race theory. I think we need to address our history so that we can move forward and move away from the past and in a direction that makes room for everyone to stand on a level playing field. This might sound cliché, but I truly do believe that change starts with the children.
How would you describe the gender and/or cultural bias + discrimination in entertainment? What can we do to help change that, and have you seen any progress during your time in the industry?
I think I may have touched on this earlier, but as a person who identifies as a black woman, my experiences of discrimination are filtered through the lenses of racism and sexism. There are a lot of expectations about who I’m supposed to be, how I’m supposed to speak, what I’m supposed to know and not know, and how I’m supposed to carry myself and interact with others. But when I present otherwise, there is definitely a level of discomfort that other people experience, which often reveals itself through distrust and anger.
I am grateful that in this industry there has been such a boost and a push forward for inclusivity. I appreciate shows like Pose, and films like Moonlight and Roma. I think stories like these are so important to give people an opportunity who don’t know anything about certain cultures or certain lifestyles, or what it’s like to be from a certain socioeconomic background, or what it’s like to live in a country with civil unrest.
I think change can happen with education and shared knowledge. Exposure, exposure, exposure—I can’t say it enough.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I am so proud of myself for making the film Brief Exchanges. I know we are still in post-production, but I will always be proud of the work that I put in to get this done. At this point, I have a pretty clear idea of a lot of the challenges I was up against in the world of independent filmmaking, and knowing that I worked through those challenges—and knowing that I did the best that I could do—is everything.
If you could go back in time, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself?
Yeah—I would tell myself to calm the F down. Everything’s going to work out.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I am so inspired by Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Stella Meghie, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Lisa Langseth, Susanne Bier, and Lulu Wang. Their work and their stories just empower me.
Career and/or life advice for other babes (both inside and outside of your industry?)
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. I truly believe that you can do anything that you put your mind, energy and heart into. If you want to try something new, say it out loud to yourself to anyone who will listen, because that could make all the difference.
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