If you have watched “Riverdale”, then you must admire how the teenage Josie remains rooted in her principles. The 32-year-old Ashleigh Murray plays Josie on the show and now that it has a spin-off “Katy Keene,” she is going to be in it. She is excited about playing Josie again in the new spin-off since she can relate with the character; she was also 19 when she moved to New York and still loves the place. Learn more about the actress through these few facts.
1. She had cystic acne
Most teenagers suffer from acne and Ashleigh was not spared. Hers was so bad that it resembled blisters, but the minute she got on birth control, within a month, she noticed a massive difference since hers was hormonal. Currently, the actress has flawless skin, but she has a strict beauty routine to maintain it that way. She washes her face with IS Clinical Cleansing Complex, tones with aloe vera, uses any serum and moisturizes with essential oils.
2. She was about to take a break from acting before being cast in “Riverdale.”
Ashleigh was determined to be an actress no matter what it took, so she moved from Kansas City to New York to achieve her dream. Unfortunately, it was not as easy as she had thought. The actress had to work four jobs to get enough money for rent since she was not booking any jobs. Still, her efforts were not enough, and she ended up being a few months late on rent and selling her possessions to get money for groceries. So she decided it was time to fully concentrate on getting a full-time job for at least a year to enable her to get back on her feet. However, just before taking the much-needed break, Ashleigh got the “Riverdale” audition which was going to be her last, and luckily she booked the role of Josie.
3. “Riverdale” was her first big audition in pilot season
Ashleigh came to know that there was a Warner Bros. office in New York during her audition for “Riverdale.” Barely an hour after the audition, the actress was told she was going to Los Angeles for testing. Without any money to go to a laundry mat, she had to beg to be allowed to dry her clothes since she had already washed them in a bathroom sink. The actress spent the entire night preparing, and the next morning Ashleigh almost missed her flight, and upon getting to L.A, she went to the wrong studio. Fortunately, she managed to go to the right one and was the last person to go in, but she forgot the words to her song halfway though they came to her later. She booked the role within two days of being in L.A, and to her, that was the craziest thing to happen in her life as she told Collider.
4. Why she loves playing Josie
Ashleigh loves the specific role of Josie because she gets to keep her hair natural which she admits is rare on television. The ability to remain her true self in the show is important to her. Additionally, she represents the same principle that Josie does and the character enables her to portray that black women are survivors and powerhouses too.
5. She fights for herself and others too
When Grace Saif was bullied so much that she had to deactivate her Instagram, Ashleigh Murray supported her saying she had experienced the same. However, unlike Grace, who could not stand up for herself, Ashleigh did. The actress had been insulted by people online for kissing Archie in the show. Later on when she and other castmates exposed Veronica on “Riverdale,” fans attacked Ashleigh and Shannon. She, however, put a stop to it, saying that people should learn to differentiate reality from fiction since she is an actor.
6. She learnt to stand up for herself from her mother and aunt
Being strong is not something that comes naturally to us; hence it must be instilled from an early age. Ashleigh is lucky that she was surrounded by women who knew what they wanted and followed their heart. Her mother was with her father until Ashleigh was nine, but they divorced so she could be with a woman because she is gay. Moreover, Ashleigh’s aunt is bisexual, and most of her relationships were with women. Ashleigh learnt to stick to what she believed in, no matter what. It is her aunt who taught the actress about feminism at the age of 11, according to Elle.
7. She was not confident in herself as a child
When Ashleigh was three, her mother asked her to sing in front of relatives during Easter Sunday. The relatives were so pessimistic about what Ashleigh was capable of, and that made the actress nervous. That experience resulted in Ashleigh developing stage fright every time she was supposed to perform because she thought her audience expected her to perform poorly.
8. Her resolution for 2020
While everyone else was writing down their resolution for the New Year, Ashleigh was not sure what hers was going to be; all she knew is that she needs to work on taking care of herself more. She, therefore, wants to be kinder to herself and prove that she can sing, to dispute those relatives who raised their eyebrows and crossed their arms, waiting to laugh at her.
9. She prefers a private love life
On Instagram, Ashleigh likes to flaunt the man in her life, although she does not even talk about him, so his name is still a mystery. She posted their happy time in Ireland where they had gone to attend their friends’ wedding. Fans could not help but comment on how the two looked so in love, kissing and looking into each other’s eyes.
10. She has been an Archie comics fan since she was a child
When Ashleigh was young, her aunt would not buy her any of the comics; thus, the actress had to read them as she stood in the grocery line. She was even ready to forego juice and chips to have her aunt buy the comics. Now that she gets to be a character from one of the comics, it must be quite fulfilling for her.
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