Acting Career

In 1959, Elizabeth had her first appearance on Broadway, playing the role of Esmeralda, in the play “Dirty Hands”. Later on, after understudying the lead roles in Broadway's "Roman Candle" and "Mary, Mary", she won the role of "Mollie" in the delightful comedy  “Take Her, She’s Mine”, for which she earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. This performance also garnered her a Theatre World award and launched her career.  Elizabeth also received a nomination in 1963 for her work in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park”, where she played the role of Corie Bratter and played opposite of Robert Redford. Her third Tony nomination, this time for Best Actress, was for the role of Maggie in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.

Elizabeth’s success in Broadway led her to receive some interesting offers for films. Her first role was in the film adaptation of the bestselling Harold Robbins book “The Carpetbaggers” in 1964; a story which was generally thought to be inspired by the life of Howard Hughes. This debut was not well received by critics, but still, Elizabeth managed to get additional movie roles. In fact, Elizabeth has been featured in major motion pictures for over five decades, including early roles in “Ship of Fools”, and “The Third Day”, both produced in 1965. Other film credits include “The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker” (1971), “Rancho Deluxe” (1975), “Coma” (1978), “Paternity” (1981), “Dragnet” (1987), “Vampire's Kiss” (1989), and “Windows” (1980). Her most recent film roles were as Diane Freed in “Happiness” (1998), and as Marge in the 2007 film “The Cake Eaters”.

Ashley appeared often appeared on television throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. She played the role of Kate in “Sandburg’s Lincoln”, a six part miniseries which ran on NBC and had guest parts in many different television shows including “The Two Mrs. Greenvilles”, “Ben Casey”, “Route 66”, “Sam Benedict”, “Stoney Burke”, “The Six Million Dollar Man”, “Family”, “Miami Vice”, “Mission Impossible”, “Murder She Wrote”, and many others.

Burt Reynolds was a man who opened other doors for Elizabeth on television. Having worked with Burt on the film “Paternity” in 1981 and after appearing as a guest star on Reynolds’s series, “B.L. Stryker” in1989, Elizabeth got a permanent role on Burt’s next project, “Evening Shade”, playing Aunt Frieda Evans. Elizabeth continued to work on the show from 1990 until 1994.  For her performance in this role, Elizabeth garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Being involved in movies, TV shows and Broadway plays, Elizabeth has changed her appearances many times over five decades; but always proves to be an actress worth watching.