Ashley Blaine Featherson Had 22 Survival Jobs Before Landing 'Dear White People'
Much like her character Joelle Brooks on the Netflix series Dear White People, Ashley Blaine Featherson knows what it's like to go unnoticed.
The D.C. native didn't spend the best four years of her life on an Ivy League campus like the fictional Winchester University but as a black woman breaking into Hollywood, she has uncovered ties to the best friend everyone needs that far outweigh their distinct college experiences.
Netflix
"There were parts of playing Joelle that were painful, whether it was the rejection she suffers or feeling like she's constantly overshadowed or not seen in the same light as her friends, or maybe [she] feels used," she reveals. "All of those things are things that I felt too at a point in my life, and some of them I felt while I was shooting, if I'm really honest."
Ashley is fresh out of a meeting by the time we connect for our chat. If she's running low on energy, there's no way to tell, as her vibrant aura fills the gap that looms between us. Once she begins to retrace her steps to success on the hit Netflix series, it feels as though we're in the same room, rather than coasts apart.
Having gravitated to the arts as a toddler, she's forced to take a pause when attempting to pinpoint the exact moment she felt called to act. "For some people, it's like they saw a TV show one day and decided that's what they wanted to do," she says after some thought. "It wasn't like that for me."
What does jump to mind is the time she begged her parents to hire her a local manager at the age of 14. Shortly after they conceded, Ashley nailed her first audition and went on to star in Runaway Home at D.C.'s renowned Studio Theatre. "That was the first time I started making a living from what I loved to do," she reminisces.
"I was the kid who was leaving school early for tech rehearsals."
Ready to shift her training to high gear, she set her eyes on Howard University's fine arts department. "There must be something special about this place," she remembers thinking as she took in the HBCU's long list of distinguished alumni, which touts names like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison to Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen.
"There wasn't a day that went by that somebody or something didn't inspire me," she muses of her time on "The Yard" as a musical theatre major. "Howard is a school of hustlers."
In that vein, she boarded a one-way flight to Los Angeles a mere eight months after graduating in May 2009. With roughly $1,000 saved up from a leasing consultant job she accepted out of college, Ashley was prepared to make the move--or so she thought. "In some ways, I might have been a little unrealistic about what it was going to take," she reflects.
Her first year in California was a turbulent one. Although she had a place to stay, thanks to her godsister's open doors, she admits she was homesick and that making ends meet was a constant struggle. Add a recent break up to the mix, and life on the West Coast wasn't as sunny as she had hoped. Despite securing an agent and a manager within five months, Ashley approximates taking on a total of 22 survival jobs up until 2014. "Honey, I've done it all," she punctuates, listing retail, telemarketing, and restaurant hosting as former sources of income.
"I was never trying to build any resume other than a performance resume so when or if a job no longer worked for me, or felt like it was becoming a deterrent from my actual purpose, I just quit and found another job."
While stress did sweep in, she opted to focus on the bigger picture rather than the pain of the process, which included tons of rejection. "I have never thought maybe, this isn't for me or maybe, I should move back home. Those have never been options for me," she affirms.
"I can never give up on what I'm purposed to do because that's the only reason why I'm here."
Frustrated by the dearth of opportunities afforded to black actresses, Ashley set out to create her own during a time several, including Insecure's Issa Rae, were turning to the web as an avenue to promote their talent. "We're in such a time where there's so many women that look like us on television that we almost forgot what it was just like five years ago," she reminds me. "When I moved to LA, Scandal wasn't even on TV yet. There was no Being Mary Jane. There was no Dear White People or Atlanta."
Taking a lesson from undergrad--"Howard taught me how important community is," she notes earlier--Ashley joined forces with fellow creative Lena Waithe (now the first black woman to win an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series) to birth Black & Sexy TV's Hello Cupid in 2013. "It takes a village," she says of the first season, which was shot within a month. "Had I just sat there and thought I was going to do this all by myself, I don't think we'd be sitting here talking about it."
The web series, which cracked the lid on colorism all while zooming in on friends Whitney (played by Ashley) and Robyn's foray into the online dating world, serves as a pivotal chapter in her career. "You can't wait for other people to give you an opportunity all of the time. You just can't," she stresses. "Hello Cupid gave me a platform that I didn't have prior to that and a fanbase that still rocks with me today."
Ashley Blaine Featherson in "Hello Cupid"
Within her tribe of friends, writer and director Justin Simien would blaze his own trail as well with his first feature film Dear White People. After reading the satirical take on race relations at a predominantly white institution, Ashley entered the running for Coco. Though the role ultimately went to Teyonah Parris, the Hello Cupid star was called back for Curls. Her character had few lines, but she gladly flew out to Minneapolis to take on the part as a firm believer in "What's for me is for me."
What Ashley didn't predict was that a little more than two years after winning the Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent in January 2014, Dear White People would be set to take on new life as a Netflix series, and she would be a critical player in its success. When Simien landed his deal with the streaming giant, she was, instead, navigating "a weird time" in her career. "I had just booked a pilot for CBS, and I was like, This is it, but it didn't get picked up so I was devastated," she explains.
One offer would change that. "Justin called me one day and was like, 'Are you ready?'" she says of the opportunity to return as a fuller, fleshed-out Joelle "Curls" Brooks, no audition required.
"As an actress, sometimes you feel like you have to jump through so many hoops," she sighs. "It's so much that people don't even know that goes into getting the part months before showing up on set so for Justin to excitedly look at me and tell me, 'This role is yours' was so rewarding. He was basically saying, 'I see you,' and I'll always cherish that."
As the ultimate confidant to protagonist Samantha White and just about everyone else in her circle, Joelle swiftly emerged as a fan favorite on the show, leaving a plethora of viewers anxious for a closer look into her world. "She's kind of the voice of the people," Ashley describes the gravitational pull of her character. "She says what people don't want to say, but she says it in a way that's palatable."
Now that Joelle's episode is lined up for Dear White People's second season, Ashley is most excited for fans to explore her backstory and witness her evolve in a way that's sure to stir conversation, something the series hasn't steered from since its premiere last April. "As an actress, one of the best gifts is to live vicariously through a character who can inspire millions," she says.
Like Joelle, there's more in store for Ashley, who stars in the sex-positive series Leimert Park released at Sundance this year. She's come to know that success in Hollywood isn't necessarily based on merit but with a desire to "ascend and keep growing" as a creative, she's more ready than she's ever been for what lies ahead.
"Your promotion can come at any time..."
"The way this business works, I can get a promotion today as soon as we get off the phone," she states. "There can be years where it doesn't make sense, and the next moment, it could all make sense, and you can understand that all those years of waiting and sowing seeds and sticking to your purpose can pay off in a way that's almost inexplicable."
For more Ashley Blaine Featherson, be sure to follow her on Instagram and catch her in the current season of Dear White People, now streaming on Netflix.
Featured image by Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
Originally published May 4, 2018.
Shanice Davis is a writer from New York, dedicated to illuminating women of color and Caribbean culture with her pen. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @alwayshanice.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Do You Want To Be A Wife? Or Do You Just Want To Have A Wedding?
Even though it’s my life, sometimes I look at it and totally trip out over certain things.
For instance, even though I am aware that both Hebrew and African cultures put a lot of stock in the name of a child (because they believe it speaks to their purpose; so do I) and I know that my name is pretty much Hebrew for divine covenant, it’s still wild that in a couple of years, I will have been working with married couples for a whopping two decades — and boy, is it an honor when they will say something like, “Shellie, we’ve seen [professionally] multiple people and no one has been nearly as effective as you have been.”
Yep, me. Little ole’ never-been-married-before me. Yeah, y’all better quit letting people tell you what you’re called to do in this world. That is between you and the One who made you.
Okay, but let me stay on track. When it comes to the engaged couples specifically, who have crossed my path, something that I believe I’ve said to each and every one of them (especially the bride-to-be) is — “You better enjoy every single minute of your wedding day because you deserve a big ‘ole party for all of the work that you’re about to do.” And then I look at the woman as intensely as I can and say, “And you? Remember, you are a bride for a day. You are a wife for the rest of your life.”
Why do I emphasize that point so much? It’s because those two things are not one and the same. Hmph. Let me tell it, a huge reason why 70 percent of divorces are initiated by women, however, is because a lot of them think that it is. And so, in the effort to do my part to help make marriages last longer and cause the divorce rate to go down, I think it’s important for more women to ponder if they really want to be a wife — or if they just want to throw a big party (a wedding), go on a trip (a honeymoon) and not much more than that.
Buckle in. This one might be a bit of a ride (for some, at least).
It’s Time to Stop “Living for the Fairy Tale”
GiphyIf you’ve been reading my content for a while (and if so, thank you), it will not shock you in the least that I’ve spent many years studying the origins of things as they directly relate to marriage. I know that the engagement ring is not about love but about a jewelry company that was about to go bust. So, they came up with the slogan “A diamond is forever” and then made some serious bank from it (you can read about that here).
I know that white wedding dresses have nothing to do with purity and virtue; in fact, women in the Bible often wore lots of bright colors during their more-than-one-day wedding celebrations. Actually, white comes from Queen Victoria making it famous back in the 1840s. I also know that a lot of people were pretty obsessed with evil spirits back in the day because things like wearing a wedding veil and bridesmaids wearing the same dresses were all about hiding from said spirits. Another pretty popular wedding day tradition? Well, I’ll just let you read Insider’s “Here's the horrifying truth about why grooms carry brides across the threshold,” if you’re interested.
And as far as marriage goes, don’t even get me started on the whole “I’m living for the fairy tale” narrative that gets pushed incessantly. I’ve said in other articles before that "fairy tale" literally means “a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures” and “an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief.” Who wants to live for childish stories that are incredibly misleading? And the ones that have a character like Prince Charming in it? The Bible literally says that “charm is deceitful” (Proverbs 31:30).
Know what else the Bible says? It states that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). So, what’s up with all of this wedding/marriage rhetoric that’s so popular and also, so… “silly” is the first word that comes to mind, “unrealistic” is the second and “unnecessary” is the third?
Why are there so many expectations, especially when it comes to the wedding day, that push folks to the point where a whopping 49 percent of couples end up going into debt right after jumping the broom — all because they wanted to live for the fairy tale and throw a big party that they basically couldn’t afford? SMDH.
It really is wild, just how much human nature tends to do things without even really knowing WHY it does it — even when it comes to marriage. And so, if you are someone who desires this type of union, be honest with yourself: what is your “why”?
When it comes to becoming a wife someday, WHY do you want to do that?
A man needing to spend three times his salary on an engagement ring, WHY?
When it comes to having a big traditional wedding, WHY is it necessary?
Marriage is a goal for you (and don’t get me wrong, marriage is a beautiful thing) — WHY is that the case?
When it comes to being married, WHY do you think it will better serve you than your single state?
Motivational speaker Eric Thomas once said, “When you find your ‘why’, you will find a way to make it happen.” And when it comes to something as big (and supposed to be lifetime lasting) as marriage, perhaps a big part of the reason WHY so many of them do not go the distance is because there aren’t enough “why” questions, on the front end, that are asked (which is why you should partake in premarital counseling before your wedding day). Oh, but there should be.
Because saying “why” you want a huge wedding is nothing more than “because I want to” or “why” you chose the man that you did is simply “I love him” — I’ve been doing this couples work thing long enough to assure you that those answers simply aren’t good enough. You need to know what it means to be a wife and why a marriage and a wedding are not the same thing…not by the longest country mile that you can imagine.
What It Means to Be a Wife
GiphyIf you’ve been reading my content for a while now, you know that I’m good for throwing some Scripture in; it’s a part of my foundation and I make no apologies for it. And so, when it comes to what it means to be a wife, the first word that’s used to define it in the Bible is “helpmate” (Genesis 2:18). A helpmate is a companion, a helper and someone who assists another individual — in this case, a husband.
While we’re here, a helper is not helping unless the help is actually needed and it’s good. Lawd, I can’t tell you how many wife clients I’ve had who have totally missed that part. So, what does “good help” look like?
- A good helper ASKS the person they are assisting what they need.
- A good helper does not try to control another person or make them do what they want.
- A good helper gets that needs can shift based on what is transpiring at any given time.
- A good helper makes things easier and less stressful.
- A good helper learns how to master good listening, effective communication, and wise timing.
And yes, in many ways, this is what it means to be a good wife. So, if you are someone who desires marriage, when it comes to what is required to be not just a wife but a GOOD WIFE, how much have you factored helping your man into the dynamic?
Not mothering him. Not bossing him around. Not trying to manipulate him into being a version of a husband that you would prefer. No, how much thought have you put into “Am I equipped to help another person be their best self? Am I ready to be supportive, encouraging, and nurturing? Was it even modeled to me, while growing up, to know what a proper helpmate looks like? Have I realized how much sacrifice goes into that type of role? Am I even selfless enough to be a consistent helper?”
I know this is probably gonna ruffle some feathers yet, you know something that I’m not big on? Women saying that their man should give them the “princess treatment.” Every time I hear that, the first thought that comes to my mind is “Fathers make their daughters princesses while men make their wives a queen” — and little girls are treated differently than grown women. And to that, Proverbs 12:4(NKJV) says, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.”
My point? There is a MATURITY that is to come from going from princess to queen. A queen does have more privileges, yet, at the same time, she also has way more responsibility. It’s not about sitting around and being catered to all day long. Queens have work to do — and it’s not always comfortable or pretty. Same thing goes for being a wife.
Y’all, I could go on and on (and on and on and on) about what it means to be a wife in a marriage. For now, I’ll just end this part of the article with, “If you’re not ready to help, each and every day of your relationship, you’re not ready to be a wife.” Plain and simple.
Weddings Are Not Marriages (and Vice Versa)
GiphySo, why do so many people jump brooms (I’m writing this with Black folks in mind first; jumping brooms is for us only), only to turn around and get divorced a few years later? Oh, I could go on and on as well about how a lot of people don’t have much integrity when it comes to the promises that they make. Listen singles, when you’re dating someone, pay very close attention to whether the person you’re seeing keeps their word — and if you do the same.
It makes absolutely no sense to keep letting someone slide when it comes to reneging now, only to act shocked when they do the same thing after saying “I do.” And while we’re here, being a man or woman of your word is a character issue. Maybe folks are not strong in character when it comes to this.
Yet another reason why folks will get all dolled up, stand before God, family, and friends, look someone straight in the eye, and promise to never leave, only to do just that, is because many people honestly don’t see past their wedding (and maybe their newlywed years). That is why you will hear so many people describe their perfect wedding day, down to the last detail, and yet, if you ask what their five-year plan for their marriage is, they have absolutely not one clue.
I mean, I get it — to a certain extent. A wedding is a big party where you get to dress to the nines, have people come to celebrate you and you get to have everything go your way — down to the font on the programs and reception napkins. Oh, but what a “trick” that can be if you think that your marriage is going to move like that, all of the time, moving forward. I liken it to The Bachelor franchise. Who wouldn’t feel like they are falling for someone when they’re able to live in a mansion with no bills, have fantasy dates that cost thousands of dollars, and a big ole’ rock that a famed jeweler donates?
Meanwhile, folks should watchUnREAL (the television series from several years back where some former producers of the franchise talk about what really happens behind the scenes) to get a reality check. To a certain extent, the same thing goes for marriage: while weddings produce this belief that marriage will be one big party where everyone focuses on you and everything goes your way, that isn’t even close to being the reality of being married.
Honestly, the real deal is 1) if you don’t want to learn how to love on a supernatural level; 2) if you don’t want your strengths to be refined and your weaknesses to be challenged; 3) if you don’t want to be held accountable in ways that you would never be if you remained single; 4) if you don’t want to compromise on a daily basis and, 5) if you don’t want to be challenged to become a truly selfless individual — marriage isn’t for you.
You’d be far better off just throwing a big ass party for yourself, just because (and no, I don’t mean marry yourself; you are already “one” with you; no need for that), and call it a day. Spare yourself and another person the heartache of divorce because…divorce is A LOT to go through.
Lawd, I can only imagine how much drama could be spared if folks simply took into their spirit that weddings ARE NOT marriages and marriages ARE NOT weddings. Weddings are a party to celebrate your union — yet your union? That requires daily energy, effort, and time. It’s not a party. It’s a relationship. BIG DIFFERENCE.
Please Don’t Get Married Until You’re Sure That You Want…BOTH
GiphyAnd this is why, whenever someone tells me that they are going to get married, I don’t immediately respond with, “Congrats! That’s awesome.” NOPE. The very first thing that comes out of my mouth is something along the lines of, “For real. Why?” WHY? Because, it never fails that, about 7.5 times outta 10, folks will be caught off guard and say, “What do you mean ‘why’?” and then follow that up with, “Because I’m in love” or…they don’t really know what to say at all.
Is being in love a good answer? I mean, it explains why you picked the person that you did; it doesn’t really explain why you are choosing to commit to them for the rest of your life, on a marital level, though. Are you getting married because you know that the two of you will make each other better people? Are you getting married because you want to raise your children in a two-parent dynamic? Are you getting married for biblical reasons like wanting to love like Christ loves his bride (the Church and the Church sent him through A LOT — Ephesians 5)?
Are you getting married because you think you’ve gone as far as you can in your evolution as an individual without the assistance of another? Are you getting married because you want to serve another person as they do the same for you (perhaps not in the same ways because you’re both different people)?
Is that asking the most? Chile, that’s not asking enough. I don’t care how much people mock marriage in the media by changing partners like they change cars or homes. I don’t care how much divorce has been normalized. I don’t care how much folks like to act like a husband is a 2.0 boyfriend (it’s not) and having a wife is a 2.0 girlfriend (it’s not) — marriage is special, sacred, and needs to be honored as such. A wedding should be seen as a happy occasion where two people publicly acknowledge what I just said…not simply a time to get a lot of attention and presents only to come home and go from heaven to hell in six months.
And honestly, that’s a bit part of the reason why I do what I do: it’s because I actually think the covenant of marriage is SO MAGNIFICENT that I want to make sure that people know, as much as possible, what they are signing up for — not an endless wedding; a very real relationship that will challenge them and mature them like nothing else ever will in this lifetime.
____
This was a lot. I already know. Still, it beats spending thousands of dollars on a wedding to stand before a chaplain only to spend thousands of more dollars several years later on a divorce lawyer and therapy while standing before a judge.
Weddings are awesome; you’ll get no argument from me there. Still, I think if I was to narrow all of this down into one statement, it would simply be this: “When it comes to marriage, if the thought of being a wife doesn’t excite you more than being a bride — wait. You’re not ready yet.”
Thank me later, sis. YOU WILL.
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Featured image by CoffeeAndMilk/Getty Images