Ashley Williams (actress)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ashley Williams
Williams in 2011
Born (1978-11-12) November 12, 1978 (age 45)
EducationBoston University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present
Known forGood Morning, Miami
Spouse
(m. 2011)
Children2
RelativesKimberly Williams-Paisley (sister)
Brad Paisley (brother-in-law)
Websiteashleywilliams.work

Ashley Churchill Williams (born November 12, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for starring in the television series The Jim Gaffigan Show on TV Land and in the NBC series Good Morning Miami. Williams played Victoria on the CBS series How I Met Your Mother opposite Josh Radnor. She has starred in more than a dozen different television pilots over the years and done over 150 episodes of television in addition to television movies for The Hallmark Channel, Lifetime Television, and ABC Family. She has worked in studio and independent films, regional theater, Off-Broadway, and on Broadway.

Early life and education[edit]

Williams was born in Westchester County, New York, the daughter of Linda Barbara, and Gurney Williams III, a freelance health and science writer. She is the younger sister of actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley and is sister-in-law to country music star Brad Paisley.[1][2]

Williams attended Rye High School in Rye, New York. In May 2001 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre.[3]

Career[edit]

Williams made her acting debut in a non-speaking role in the 1993 drama Indian Summer, which also featured her sister Kimberly. She then spent from 1994 to 1996 playing teenage Danielle Andropoulos on the soap opera As the World Turns.

Williams starred in the television series Good Morning, Miami (2002–2004).[4] Since then she has also appeared in episodes of Psych, How I Met Your Mother, multiple episodes of E-Ring, multiple episodes of Huff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, multiple episodes of Side Order of Life, The Mentalist, Monk, C.S.I., Royal Pains, multiple episodes of Saving Grace, Love Bites, The Protector, Retired at 35, and multiple episodes of Warehouse 13. Williams also had a guest-starring role on American Dreams, playing singer Sandie Shaw and performing Shaw's 1964 hit "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" on American Bandstand.

In 2007, she starred in the Off Broadway play Burleigh Grime$[5][6] and appeared as Victoria, a cupcake baker, on six episodes of the television series How I Met Your Mother; a role she reprised in the concluding seasons of the show.

In 2010, she starred in the made-for-TV Lifetime movies, Patricia Cornwell's The Front and At Risk, which premiered on the channel on April 17, 2010. She also won an on-line straw poll conducted by the How I Met Your Mother production staff as to which ex-girlfriend of Ted Mosby, the show's main character, is the fans' favorite. Her character, Victoria, won 128 to 117 over Robin Scherbatsky.

In 2011 and 2012, she played the role of Claire in a film adaptation of Something Borrowed opposite Kate Hudson, John Krasinski, and her college roommate Ginnifer Goodwin, and she also reprised her role as Victoria on How I Met Your Mother.

She made her Broadway debut in John Grisham's A Time To Kill playing law student Ellen Roarke, on September 28, 2013, with the opening night on October 20, 2013. She had previously worked at the Williamstown Theater Festival, and also worked as the understudy for both Rachel Weisz and Gretchen Mol opposite Paul Rudd in the world premiere Off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute's play The Shape of Things. She performed both lead female roles multiple times during the run.

In 2015 and 2016, Williams starred as a fictionalized version of comedian Jim Gaffigan's real life wife in The Jim Gaffigan Show on Comedy Central, a sitcom about a couple raising their five young children in a two-bedroom New York City apartment which also starred Michael Ian Black and Adam Goldberg.[7]

She wrote, directed, and starred in a short film, Meats, about a pregnant vegan who wrestles with her newfound craving for meat. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020.[8]

Personal life[edit]

Williams married independent film producer Neal Dodson on May 29, 2011.[9] They have two sons.[10][11][12] In the summer of 2016, Williams was two months pregnant and suffered a miscarriage.[13] She partnered with the Human Development Project to speak publicly about the experience, in hopes of reducing the stigma of miscarriage and encouraging more women to talk openly about it.[14] Williams is a certified birth doula.[15][16]

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2004 The List Short film
2007 Numero Dos Ashleigh Short film
2009 The Eight Percent Laura Short film
2010 Heterosexuals Rhonda
2011 Scents and Sensibility Elinor Dashwood
Margin Call Heather Burke
Something Borrowed Claire
2012 Hearing Voices Short film
2013 Sequin Raze Rebecca Short film
2014 Lovesick Felicia
A Most Violent Year Lange
2016 Six LA Love Stories Robin Butterman
2020 Meats Lane Short film; wrote and directed
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1994–1996 As the World Turns Danielle Andropoulos Recurring role
2002 Dawson's Creek Lory Glory Episode: "Swan Song"
2002–2004 Good Morning, Miami Dylan Messinger Main role, 39 episodes
2003 American Dreams Sandie Shaw Episode: "High Hopes"
2004 Snow Sandy Brooks Television film (ABC)
2005 Monk Darlene Coolidge / Theresa Scott Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding"
2005–2006 E-Ring Beth Wilkerson Recurring role, 6 episodes
2006 Amy Coyne Amy Coyne Television film (Fox)
Huff Alyssa Recurring role, 8 episodes
Him and Us Nina Television film (ABC)
2006–2014 How I Met Your Mother Victoria Recurring role (seasons 1, 7–9), 15 episodes
2007 Imperfect Union Ronnie Television film (TBS)
Making It Legal Julie Television film (ABC)
Psych Trish Connors Episode: "Forget Me Not"
Montana Sky Willa Mercy Television film (Lifetime)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Laura Kozlowski Episode: "Haystack"
Side Order of Life Becca Main role
2008 Night Life Jenny Television film (Fox)
Snow 2: Brain Freeze Sandy Brooks Television film (ABC Family)
Novel Adventures Lizzie McKenzie 8 episodes
2009–2010 Saving Grace Amanda Dewey Recurring role, 5 episodes
2010 The New Adventures of Old Christine Store Clerk Amy Episode: "Sweet Charity"
At Risk Stump Television film (Lifetime)
The Front Stump Television film (Lifetime)
Untitled Adam Carolla Project N/A Unsold television pilot
2011 Retired at 35 Lilah Fabricant "Stuck in the Meddle"
Bird Dog Gail McGrath Television film (TNT)
Love Bites Bridget Episode: "Too Much Information"
The Protector N/A Episode: "Rats"
Warehouse 13 Sally Stukowski 4 episodes
The Mentalist Anna Dugan Episode: "The Redshirt"
2012 The Wedding Band Denise Episodes: "End of the World as We Know It", "99 Problems"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Debbie Hicks Episode: "Stealing Home"
Royal Pains Sydney Bartlett Episodes: "You Give Love a Bad Name", "About Face"
2013 Christmas in the City Wendy Carroll Television film (Lifetime)
2014 The Good Wife Christina Barrett Episode: "We, the Juries"
2015–2016 The Jim Gaffigan Show Jeannie Gaffigan Main role, 2 seasons
2015 October Kiss Poppy Summerall Television film (Hallmark)
2016 Love on a Limb Aimie Roarke Television film (Hallmark)
2017 Girls Ginny Episode: "All I Ever Wanted"
Christmas in Evergreen Allie Shaw Television film (Hallmark)
2018 Instinct Nora Cecchino Episode: "Wild Game"
FBI Alexis Moran Episode: "Family Man"
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa Allie Shaw Television film (Hallmark)
Northern Lights of Christmas Zoey Hathaway Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
2019 Holiday Hearts Peyton Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy Allie Shaw Television film (Hallmark)
2020 Chris Watts: Confession of a Killer Shan'Ann Watts Television film (Lifetime)
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater Maggie O’Donnell Television film (Hallmark)
2021 The Good Doctor Hannah Palmer Episode: "The Uncertainty Principle"[10][17]
Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday Meg Television film (Hallmark)
Sister Swap: Christmas in the City Meg Television film (Hallmark)
2022 Two Tickets to Paradise Hannah Holt Television film (Hallmark)
Amber Brown Aunt Pam Main role
Five More Minutes: Moments Like These Kaitlyn Morrison Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
2023 Notes of Autumn Television film (Hallmark)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Karger, Dave (September 13, 2002). "Good Morning, Miami". Fall TV Preview. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 28, 2006. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  2. ^ "Linda Williams, Mother of Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Has Died". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  3. ^ "Ashley Williams: Overview". TV.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  4. ^ "CNN.com - Ashley Williams: 'Good Morning, Miami' - Oct. 4, 2002". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  5. ^ Isherwood, Charles (June 14, 2006). "Burleigh Grime$: A Vengeful Financier and His Clueless Apprentice". Theater Review. The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  6. ^ Jones, Kenneth (13 June 2006). "Burleigh Grimes, Wall Street Comedy With Music, Opens June 13". Playbill. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  7. ^ "TV Land releases extended scene from new comedy "Younger" featuring Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff" (PDF) (Press release). Viacom. December 4, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  8. ^ "Menu for Sundance Film Festival 2020 short film MEATS".
  9. ^ "'How I Met Your Mother' Cast: Where Are They Now?". Us Weekly. 2021-04-03. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  10. ^ a b "Ashley Williams Welcomes Son Gus". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  11. ^ Lewis, Hilary (2014-07-30). "Ashley Williams, 'All Is Lost' Producer Neal Dodson Expecting First Child". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  12. ^ "It's a Boy! Ashley Williams Welcomes Son Odie Sal". PEOPLE.com. 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  13. ^ Murtaugh, Taysha (2018-11-28). "Hallmark Star Ashley Williams Speaks Out About Her Heartbreaking Miscarriage". Country Living. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  14. ^ Williams, Ashley (September 9, 2016). "I Need to Talk About My Miscarriage". Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  15. ^ "An Interview With Ashley Williams" (Interview).
  16. ^ "Ashley Williams's Blog: Why I Decided to Have a Home Birth". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  17. ^ "Countdown to Christmas 2020 Preview: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater". Hallmark Channel. Retrieved 2020-11-10.

External links[edit]