Like several of her young co-stars in That ‘90s Show, Ashley Aufderheide hadn’t watched That ‘70s Show. After receiving an audition callback, she binged the show and fell in love with it. Young Entertainment reports that Gwen, the character Ashley auditioned for, was supposed to be ‘[a] petite powerhouse with pink hair’.
Ashley didn’t fit the profile, so they remodeled Gwen to fit the actor, which the Emergence star appreciated. Aufderheide landed her first on-screen role in 2014, playing Faith Stuart in Infinitely Polar Bear. By then, Ashley was used to the camera’s glare, having appeared in commercials since she was three.
Ashley’s mother had a successful career as a television show host in France
Ashley Aufderheide was born on 21st November 2005 to Jillian Hamilton and William Aufderheide. Jillian is African-American, and William is white.
Ashley likely inherited the performance bug from her mother, Jillian, who studied at Vassar College. Jillian’s bio on her website states that she won the Audelco Award for most outstanding female performer in a lead role for her appearance in the off-broadway musical Struttin.
She relocated to France, where she made history: she became the first Black American female to host more than five national television shows on M6, a national French TV network. Jillian paired musical theater performances and television show hosting.
An offer by the FX Network brought Jillian back to the United States. She worked as a correspondent on Breakfast Time and continued her role when the show moved to Fox and rebranded to Fox After Breakfast.
Jillian is the host of a podcast titled Cheating: When Love Lies. “Cheating: When Love Lies includes one-on-one interviews with cheaters, betrayed partners, therapists, lawyers, and people whose lives have been affected by cheating,” Jillian’s website reads.
“A consummate professional, Jillian is determined to present interviews that are non-judgmental, so [as] to reveal the many sides of this prevalent aspect of the human condition.”
Jillian told Ilyssa Panitz that people view the former theater star as something of a relationship expert. She explained:
“Almost a year after doing my first interview with a cheating husband, people now see me as someone they can talk to confidentially about their affairs. I feel very honored to be entrusted with this deeply personal information.”
Ashley Aufderheide’s father is a real estate agent who manages her career
William Aufderheide took over as his daughter’s manager in 2012. Per the job description on LinkedIn, William manages casting and communication with industry personnel and supports Ashley on set.
Ashley’s father is an experienced real estate agent with over 30 years of experience. He owned the real estate company Colorhaus Company from 1988 to November 2019.
William closed his company to work as a realtor at Michelle & Company in Westport, Connecticut. He picked up book writing in 2020 and released his first book, The Human Test, in December 2020. Ashley writes on LinkedIn:
“These books are my life calling. [It] took years to get here. Life is a journey and I hope to make your journey a bit easier and more fulfilling for you. My books are self-reflective and encourage you to become the better you, for you!”