A versatile actor, comedian, singer, and model,Erica Ashsteadily built up an impressive resume of movies and TV shows during her career, which was cut short due to her unfortunate passing. Erica Ash’s first film role was in the 2001 Japanese comedy,All About Our house, before her first official TV role in the sketch comedy series,The Big Gay Sketch Show, where she showed her comedic excellence before landing a role in season 14 alongside atalented cast onMad TV.
After that, Erica Ash’s career began to take off, finding roles in a variety of projects, which included thehilarious mockumentary series,Real Husbands of Hollywood, as well asUncle Drew,Outlaw Johnny Black,In Contempt, andLegacies. Despite her tragic passing, Erica Ash left her mark throughout her career, particularly when it comes to comedy.
Uncle Drew
Cast
Uncle Drew is a Sports Comedy film written by Jay Longino and directed by Charles Stone III. Starring Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, and Lil Rel Howery, Uncle Drew chronicles the story of an underappreciated coach for a Basketball team that finds himself entering a tournament after being taunted by a rival.
Erica Ash portrays Maya inUncle Drew, the love interest of Lil Rey Howery’s Dax and the granddaughter of NBA player Nate Robinson’s Boots, who is a former teammate of the titular character.Uncle Drewis a silly premise and a silly movie, andErica Ash perfectly understands that, leaning into the absurdity of everyone around her.
Outlaw Johnny Blackis an underrated western comedy film, directed by Michael Jai White, who also stars as the titular character. Touted as a spiritual sequel to the 2009 blaxploitation action comedyBlack Dynamite,Outlaw Johnny Blackis quite funny throughout its runtime, telling the story of a man hell-bent on taking revenge for the death of his father while posing as a preacher in a small mining town. There is a lot to love in the film, and the committed performance by White is commendable.
Outlaw Johnny Blackwas actually the final role for Erica Ash, who plays Bessie Lee.
Outlaw Johnny Blackwas actually the final role for Erica Ash, who plays Bessie Lee. Her character has some hilarious moments with Outlaw Johnny Black, as it is clear that she is physically attracted to him. It’s sad to think that the film was her last role, but it was also a memorable performance,showcasing once more how great of a talent she was as a comedian.
Skin in the Game
Skin in the Game follows a fifteen-year-old named Dani who is abducted into the dark world of human trafficking. Without immediate police assistance, her mother and a former sex worker embark on a desperate quest through suburban America to rescue her before time runs out.
Low budget for sure, but still satisfying from a narrative perspective,Skin in the Gameis a solidly written thriller about a mom who enlists the help of her estranged friend Lena to find her teenage daughter after she was abducted. Full of twists and turns, and character revelations,Skin in the Gameis a delight for fans of small-scale thrillers, with something a bit more thematically heavy to say.
Erica Ash is a delight as the lead Lena inSkin in the Game, a successful pivot from her mostly comedic roles. As Lena has to confront her past while helping her friend,Erica Ash has to dig deep into what makes Lena tick, and she does an admirable job. It’s a showcase for the versatility of Erica Ash as an actress, as it is one of the more serious roles of her career. That doesn’t stop her from turning out a great performance.
In Contempt
In Contempt is a legal drama set in a bustling New York City legal aid office. Released in 2018, the film follows Gwen Sullivan, an outspoken attorney with a deep commitment to her work and clients, showcasing her as a highly skilled public defender within her district.
Unfortunately cut short after only one season,In Contemptwas a good legal drama series for BET that explored injustices within the American legal system. Following Gwen Sullivan, a passionate, opinionated attorney who becomes one of the most popular public defenders in her district,In Contemptshowed a lot of promise during its run, diving into some tough topics, while discussing them in earnest.
Erica Ash is tasked with carryingIn Contempt, portraying Gwen Sullivan in all ten episodes of the series. Despite her comedic background, she puts in a terrific performance that leans to the more serious side of things, and she doesn’t miss a beat in the process. Gwen Sullivan is a strong, well-defined character andErica Ash plays her with refreshing authenticity, making it one of the best performances of her entire career.
Violet
Violet is a drama film directed by Justine Bateman, featuring Olivia Munn as the titular character. The film explores Violet’s internal struggles as she grapples with a critical inner voice dictating her decisions, leading her to question her life choices and push for personal transformation. Justin Theroux and Luke Bracey co-star, contributing to the film’s intimate examination of self-doubt and self-discovery.
Actress Justine Batmen made her directorial debut withViolet, an ambitious and poignant look at how a person views themselves, showing the distinct difference between the private and public life of someone.Violetstars Olivia Munn as a successful film executive who makes fear-based decisions to avoid the worst possible scenarios and has grown to not quite be herself after listening to “The Voice” in her head for most of her life.
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Erica Ash doesn’t get a lot of screen time inViolet, playing a character named Lila. Despite having a very minor role,Erica Ash is always great with the time she is given on screen in any project, and she does the same here. It might not be the most involved role of her career, but it is a worthy project for her to be on, acting alongside some other great actors.
Running for four seasons on The CW,Legacieswas the second spin-off of the network’simmensely popular series,The Vampire Diaries. It followed the fifth and final season ofThe Originals, this time focusing on Hope Mikaelson, the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson from the former series. It doesn’t necessarily hit the mark the same wayThe Vampire Diariesdoes, butLegaciesis still a great addition to the franchise, featuring all the teenage drama that The CW does so well.
2009-2017
2013-2018
Legacies
2018-2022
Erica Ash only appears in four episodes of Legacies,playing Veronica Greasley, mother of Milton Greasley who is a vampire and one of the show’s main characters. Her grandfather was the founder of Triad Industries, an organization tasked with keeping the supernatural world a secret from the public. She is great, though, with her small role, having some pivotal moments during her appearances.
Mad TV
Mad TV is a sketch comedy television series that aired on Fox beginning in 1995. Inspired by Mad magazine, the show features a variety of comedic sketches and parodies. The one-hour program ran on Saturday nights, showcasing an ensemble cast in humorous takes on pop culture and current events.
Initially premiering in 1995,Mad TVwas a successful sketch comedy show that ran for 14 seasons and acted as the first big break for a number of actors like Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Orlando Jones, Alex Borstein, and Simon Helberg.Mad TVwas a bit of an antidote to SNL at the time, featuring a more diverse cast of actors and edgier humor than its competitors, making it one of the more enjoyable sketch shows during its run.
Mad TVwas the first major project for Erica Ash, who joined the cast in the 14th and final season. Playing a number of characters in various sketches, Erica Ash showed just how funny and talented she was as a performer, setting the stage for her developing career that would soon take off. Sketch comedy often requires actors to be versatile in their ability to play a variety of characters and Erica Ash excelled at it.
The Big Bendtells the story of two families who meet in the remote Texas desert and circumstances force them to test the boundaries of marriage, friendship, and parenthood as they struggle to survive. Often funny and incredibly poignant,The Big Bendis an authentic look at family, and features some truly gorgeous cinematography, capturing the desolate nature of the desert. It’s not a very well-known film, but it is something special.
Erica Ash plays a pivotal role inThe Big Bendas Georgia Talbott, wife of Mac Talbott, who is one of the two families in the movie, along with their children. Georgia Talbott is often disconnected from those near her, andErica Ash does an incredible job conveying that feeling with every look she gives, an excellent performance full of subtle body language.
Real Husbands of Hollywood
Real Husbands of Hollywood is a semi-scripted comedic series created by Kevin Hart and BET Networks. It offers a satirical take on reality television by following a group of Hollywood men navigating their surreal lives, showcasing humorous scenarios often inspired by traditional reality show tropes.
Real Husbands of Hollywoodis a hilarious fake reality show that pokes fun at all the actual reality shows that share a similar name, often satirizing the tropes associated with the genre. Starring Kevin Hart, Nelly, Nick Carter, and more, as fictionalized versions of themselves,Real Husbands of Hollywoodwas one of the best BET shows during its run. With a showcase of comedic talent and a plethora of hilarious storylines, the series deserves its place alongside other popular mockumentaries.
With a showcase of comedic talent and a plethora of hilarious storylines, the series deserves its place alongside other popular mockumentaries.
At the time ofReal Husbands of Hollywood, it was the biggest role of Erica Ash’s career, following her success onMad TV. She plays Bridgette Hart in a recurring role in the series, the ex-wife of Kevin Hart. Her comedy chops were on full display during her appearances,making her an excellent foil to Kevin Hart’s “character” on the show. It’s one of the best performances of her career.
Running for four seasons on Starz,Survivor’s Remorseis a genuinely great dramedy series revolving around the basketball player, Cam Calloway, who signs a professional contract and moves his family to Atlanta.Survivor’s Remorseunfortunately flies under the radar compared to many other prestige TV shows on HBO and FX, but it is one of the best, as it delivered compelling characters and stories throughout its run.
Survivor’s Remorseis the longest running role of Erica Ash’s career as she plays Mary Charles “M-Chuck” Calloway, half-sister to Cam Calloway. M-Chuck is often funny throughout the series, which Erica Ash obviously excels at, but there are many heartfelt, poignant moments that revolve around her. Just as she nails each comedic scene, she does an incredible job with the more heavy moments that her character is involved in. It’s arguably the best performance ofErica Ash’scareer.
