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Ashley Judd Profile |
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Birth Date: April 19, 1968
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Birth Place: Granada Hills, California, USA
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Birth Name: Ashley Tyler Ciminella
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Height: 5'7"
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Ashley Judd Wallpaper |
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Biography |
Although Ashley Judd is the daughter of Naomi Judd and
half-sister of Wynonna -- the mother and daughter group that
make up the country duet the Judds -- it's apparent that
Ashley has managed to make a successful name for herself
with acting. With a blockbuster and big Hollywood roles
under her belt, the acting Judd is only at the beginning of
what can be a huge movie career.
Things weren't always so peachy for the youngest Judd,
living in several rundown Kentucky homes with her dirt-poor
family. Even without the comforts of what can be considered
the bare necessities, such as running water, electricity, or
a telephone, the Judd girls still found ways to keep
themselves entertained. While Wynonna and her mother sang on
the front porch, Ashley would immerse herself in books,
acting out the different characters in the stories. Ashley
attended 12 schools in 13 years, until her sister and mother
made it big in the country music industry.
When Judd graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1990,
she initially thought of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer in
Africa. Her sister Wynonna advised her to pursue an acting
career, and next thing Ashley knew, she was in LA, trying
out her luck as an actress. She didn't need much luck, since
the first agency she waltzed into immediately signed her.
The same thing happened with her first audition; she got the
part in the movie Kuffs, albeit not the part she was
originally aiming for.
Judd then moved to the small screen with a recurring role on
Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well the part of Swoosie
Kurtz's daughter on the NBC series Sisters from 1991 to
1994. In 1992, she had a role in the made-for-TV movie Till
Death Do Us Part and two years later, she appeared in the
Roundabout Theater's revival of Picnic, which was her first
time working on Broadway. Judd's return to the big screen
was marked by a starring role in Ruby in Paradise, winner of
the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival.
Judd also earned an Independent Spirit Award for her role as
Ruby. It was all uphill from thereon.
Even though Judd was mostly in supporting roles in films,
her acting was more than merely supportive, and did not go
unnoticed. She was Stockard Channing's druggie daughter in
Smoke, Val Kilmer's strong wife in Heat and Matthew
McConaughey's wife in the southern courtroom drama A Time to
Kill. Then came Judd's Emmy nominated performance, not as
merely the wife of a big time actor -- she played the young
legendary Marilyn in the 1996 HBO biography Norma Jean and
Marilyn.
In 1997 Judd co-starred with Morgan Freeman in Kiss the
Girls, which raised her status as an actress. The huge box-
office success of Double Jeopardy, in which she played a
housewife framed for the murder of her husband made up for
the box-office duds Judd was involved with, namely Simon
Birch (1998) and A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Naomi Judd says that the men swarmed towards her daughter
when she was growing up, which is not hard to believe for a
woman with such natural beauty, country girl charm,
intelligence and incredible appeal. Recently married to
Scottish race-car driver Dario Franchitti, Judd has been
romantically involved with Robert De Niro (who worked with
her in Heat), Matthew McConaughey and Michael Bolton.
Judd recently starred in the box-office disappointment Eye
of the Beholder, portrays an Oklahoma mother in the just
released Where the Heart Is, and will begin filming for
Animal Husbandry this summer. It's obvious that Ashley Judd
has made it big on her own, not needing the last name Judd
to increase her profile or acclaim as an actress. She made a
point of this, by refusing to appear in the autobiographical
movie about the Judds, starring Naomi and Wynonna (she did
the narration for the film), as well as Kenny Rogers' 1993
Rio Diablo which her mother starred in. Ashley has proved
that success is in more than just a name. |
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Other
Information |
Turned down a larger role in Kuffs (1992) because she was
asked to do nude scenes. She responded, "My mother worked
too hard for me to take my clothes off in my first movie."
Hobbies: running, rock climbing, mountain hiking, yoga,
gardening, cooking
She attended 12 schools in 13 years before college. She was
a sister of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and was elected
to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she
majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art
history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few
credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive
cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
Mother and half-sister are country singers Naomi Judd &
Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and
sister's tour bus for $10 a day.
Her father, Michael Ciminella, a marketing specialist in the
horseracing industry, divorced Naomi Judd in 1972.
Was named one of "The 50 Most Beautful People In The World"
by People Magazine. (1996, 2000 & 2002)
Known to be a avid fan of the University of Kentucky
Wildcats basketball team, once not showering because she
felt it would jinx them. For a cheerleading scene in her
movie Someone Like You... (2001), she uses the Wildcats'
cheerleaders' cheer routine, and thanks them in the credits.
Dated Robert De Niro
Dated Matthew McConaughey
Her mother, Naomi Judd, has publicly objected to many of
Ashley's movies because they contain either profanity,
nudity, sex, or violence.
Was named after Ashland, Kentucky, and is an
eighth-generation Kentuckian
Replaced Jodie Foster for the lead in Double Jeopardy
(1999).
Is fluent in French.
Could have had Pamela Anderson's role on "Home Improvement"
(1991), but wanted to concentrate on making it in the movies
instead. She later starred in Where the Heart Is (2000),
which was directed by Matt Williams, the producer who wanted
her on the sitcom.
She had a role in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers
(1994), but it was left on the cutting room floor.
Dated Michael Bolton.
Fractured her right ankle when she was thrown from a horse's
saddle in Franklin, Tennessee. She was hospitalized for two
days. [23 November 1993]
Named one of the "25 Most Intriguing People" by People
magazine. [1999]
{2000) Voted one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the
World" by People Magazine.
A self-proclaimed feminist
She is an etymologist
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People
Magazine in 2002.
Ranked #20 in FHM Magazine's 100 "Sexiest Women in the
World." (2002)
Worked as a waitress at the trendy 'Ivy' restaurant while
studying the Sanford Meisner technique of acting at
Playhouse West in Los Angeles.
Measurements: 34B-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
She was Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Kentucky
Modeled her "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" t-shirt for
the Ms. Foundation and Ms. Online (ms.magazine.com), as have
Whoopi Goldberg, Camryn Manheim and Margaret Cho.
Bakes chocolate chip cookies as a means to relieve stress.
Turned down the role of Catwoman in Catwoman (2004) so she
could star as Maggie in 'Tennesse Williams' ' "Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof" on Broadway.
Models a Hello Kitty t-shirt with the words "Handle with
Care" printed on the front. Proceeds go to the Youth Aids
Foundation. (2003)
Her first screen kiss was with Wil Wheaton on "Star Trek:
The Next Generation" (1987).
Introduced Gloria Steinem at the March for Women's Lives in
Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2004.
Drove from Memphis to L.A. at the age of 22 to begin her
rise to fame.
Ashley was able to play both a teenager and a thirty year
old in the role of Vivian 'Vivi' Walker. Divine Secrets of
the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) )
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award
nominating ballot. (Her name was misspelled on the ballot as
"Ashey Judd" by the way.) She was suggested in the Worst
Actress category for her performance in the film Twisted
(2004/I), she did not receive a nomination however.
[1997] Becomes a vegetarian because a friend told her that
"you eat the animal's fear".
Is an enthusiast of the 'cockapoo' breed of dog (cross-bred
cocker spaniels and poodles). Has a dog named 'Buttermilk'
and a tabby named 'Buttercup'.
Publicly announced her engagement to racer Dario Franchitti;
they had been engaged since December 1999. (December 2001)
Married at Skibo Castle near Dornoch, in Sutherland,
Scotland, the same castle that hosted Madonna's wedding to
Guy Ritchie a year earlier. [April 2000]
Was good friends with Salma Hayek
Presented to the National Press Club on June 22nd, 2005 as a
spokesperson for Youth Aids International.
Worldwide Spokesperson for Youth Aids International.
Gave testimony to U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
"Stopping Cross Generational Sex and Sexual Violence To
Protect Young Women from AIDS in Developing Contries: A Call
to Action," June 23, 2005, as Global Ambassador for
YouthAIDS and member of the Board of Directors of Population
Services Inernational (PSI).
Though she only did two episodes of "Star Trek: The Next
Generation" (1987), her character was loved by fans. Her
image even appears on the Star Trek book 'End Game' (Star
Trek New Frontier, No 4) by Peter David.
Was once considered for the female lead in Million Dollar
Baby (2004).
Presented all the clues on the 'The World AIDS Crisis'
category on the 12/2/2005 episode of the "Jeopardy!" (1984)
TV show.
Visited Guatemala from 2 May 2006 to 5 May 2006, along with
Salma Hayek and Colombian singer Juanes, as part of a
Youth/AIDS campaign. |
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