Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Sheri.
Hi Ashley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always had a love for the entertainment industry. I love music, dancing, and especially acting. Movies and tv were an escape for me because I was a very shy and quiet child who got picked on in school sometimes. I started singing in my choir at church, dancing on our praise team, and when the opportunity presented itself for Easter or Christmas I would participate in church plays. Same with school. I started off doing modern dance classes at Detroit Windsor Dance Academy but, eventually I told my parents that I wanted to start acting seriously. They started me in some acting and modeling classes at John Casablancas. Modeling took off for awhile for me. I did a couple of fashion shows and photoshoots but again, I eventually came back to acting. Throughout middle and high school, I took classes at Mosaic Youth Theater and Michigan Actors Studio. However, I took a break in college to focus on my studies and got a bachelors degree in Electronic Media and Film Studies. Minoring in Journalism. I thought I could be a broadcast journalist and that would help get me exposure to the industry. Really quickly after I graduated though, I realized that I should pursue acting full time so that’s what I did. In 2019, I started taking classes at Goteri Arts and auditioning. I booked a couple of short and independent films. One of which made me SAG Eligible, and in 2021 I moved to LA to pursue further. I booked a pilot, BET+ series and a couple of other independent projects. But I realized I wanted to create. I had already been doing content creation since 2020, (pandemic had everyone on TikTok) and wanted to combine that with my love for acting. And that’s where I am today. I just recently started my screenwriting journey. Trying to learn the craft to create my own projects.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. I think the biggest struggle as an actor is the constant rejection and demand. The industry is so fickle, you can go years without booking, and I have. Having to deal with insecurities of not being good enough and seeing friends book consistently is enough to make anyone want to quit. But God. Without Him man idk where I’d be. I did have to take a couple of breaks over the years to get my mental right, but God has truly kept me through it all. He’s really helped me realize my purpose and stick with it. That’s what brought me to the decision to create my own opportunities. There’s so many ideas I have and things I want to see produced that aren’t being made. This new journey of learning a whole new craft hasn’t been easy but I’m excited to see where God takes me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My chosen career is of course film/tv but we all know that most people in entertainment have day jobs. I work in law for my day job,
but my plan is to continue creating and learning. I plan and hope to write my first script next year and really take advantage of some of the resources I’ve come across. Right now I’m just reading and taking classes. Trying to take in as much information as I can.
I guess I would say what I’m most proud of is my strength and diligence. Never giving up in the face of adversity and constantly being able to pivot when one path isn’t working. But I really can’t take the credit for that because like I said God really has been with me through it all. And I think that’s what sets me apart. It’s what sets all of us believers an apart. Having God on our side.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
God of course. Like I said nothing would be possible without him. My talent, drive, and my support system come from him… but I do have a great set of friends and family.
Of course my parents have really been a huge help with getting me in classes, moving me to LA and supporting me financially on occasion, and just always being so supportive of my decisions. Love them for that.
My aunt Charlene was also a huge part of cultivating my love for the arts. She was a dancer and we danced together on the praise team and at DWDA. Even performed at the Music Hall together. But she ways ALWAYS taking me to plays, musicals, to the book store and library and even to see the Alvin Ailey dance troupe. She really exposed me to a lot of the arts and helped grow my creativity and imagination.
Then you have my best friends:
Aliyah has a gift for creating as well and would inspire and encourage me to keep going when I felt like quitting. I can’t tell you how many nights I cried on the phone to her or just talked her ear off about ideas I had and she would always listen.
Jillian though, that’s my dog. We really were in the acting and creating trenches together lol. We met on set of a short film back in 2019 and have been inseparable since. We’ve done classes together, pitch emails, multiple content creation ideas and she was a huge part of my faith journey. I truly think God has something special planned for us.
Love them!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theashleysheri
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17qsh9kLFy/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theashleysheri
