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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We all love that Beyoncé's recent foray into country music has turned the world's attention back to the impact of Black legends and icons who were foremothers of the genre. All of the buzz around the superstar's take on country music (along with the fab TikToks of Black women getting their country glam on to prep for a possible country music tour), brings to the forefront stories of the amazing impact of women like Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Elizabeth Cotton, and Linda Martell. These women laid the groundwork for folk, country, and rock music way before any of us reached our mother's wombs.
I've loved country music since childhood and would rock, sway, and sing along to songs by The Neville Brothers, Patsy Cline, and Elvis. (Yep, I loved me some Elvis, honey. It was an admiration I inherited from my mom.). Back in the day, my friends and I would all enjoy the country music songs played at a popular hangout spot, the local skating rink. The DJ would go from 69 Boys, Brandy, and Usher to Billy Ray Cyrus ("Achy Breaky Heart), Dolly Parton ("9-to-5" and "I Will Always Love You,") and Shania Twain ("Man! I Feel Like A Woman.") Country music has always been part of my life's soundtrack.
Since it's Women's History Month, what a perfect time to highlight some of the other Black women who have been standing it the gap for years, doing this country music thing, and doing it well. Here are a few to add to your playlists this month and beyond.
The Boykin Sisters AKA The BoykinZ
Sisters Nylan, Nytere, Anale, and Alona took the country music world by storm on TikTok, drawing more than 480,000 followers and 10 million likes for their soulful country music swag. They've performed with Shania Twain on the Country Music Awards, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and have recorded with legendary country music producer Nathan Chapman. Each brings their own unique flavor to the group, from style to music abilities.
Rissi Palmer
She released her self-titled debut album with hit singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air,” and has since performed at The White House, New York's Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry. She’s also shared stages with country and pop music heavy-hitters including The Eagles, Charley Crockett, and Taylor Swift. Taking things to the advocacy level, she launched her own radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country and created the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund to support newbie country artists of color to reach their entertainment industry dreams.
C Brandon / Contributor/Getty Images
Yola
A U.K.-bred country music artist, this singer and actress was nominated for multiple Grammys for her 2019 debut album, Walk Through Fire, including Best Americana Album. Her 2021 album, Stand For Myself, mixes country and soul with intriguing and relatable visuals. She also magnificently starred as Rosetta Thorpe in the 2023 Elvis biopic, a film whose soundtrack was an American Music Award winner.
Mickey Guyton
A modern-day pioneer in her own right, Mickey Guyton was the first Black woman to be nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance category at the Grammy Awards in 2021, and, that same year, she became the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards. Her song, “Black Like Me,” released in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, added more to her legacy of being a leader and advocate in country music.
Brittney Spencer
This newbie artist in the game has given us strong previews of her talent, releasing two EPs and receiving Country Music Awards and Country Music Television award nominations. Elektra signed her to a deal in 2022, and this year, she released her debut album, My Stupid Life, which has been described by one Rolling Stone reviewer as “one of the most convincing country statements in a while.”
Reyna Roberts
The self-proclaimed "Princess of Outlaw Country," is serving soul, sass, and style with her music, with a debut album titled, Bad Girl Bible, Volume 1, sparking intrigue and fan support. Her more than 300,000 followers on IG rally behind her, as she campaigns for big-ticket performances that we are sure, will be in her future.
Chapel Heart
Sisters Danica and Devynn Hart have joined musical forces with cousin Trea Swindle as a country music trio, and found early viral success performing on “America’s Got Talent.” In 2021 the group was inducted into Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country,” and they’ve been honored as “International Group of the Year” as well as “International Song of the Year” for the single “You Can Have Him Jolene” in Scotland. They have been nominated for several British CMAs including “Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” for their second album release The Girls Are Back In Town.
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Featured image by Emma McIntyre / Staff/Getty Images