Ashley Peldon

Ashley’s prolific resume and critically acclaimed performances rival the most seasoned professional. At the unprecedented age of six, Ashley was the youngest child ever to be nominated for an Emmy award, she also has two Youth in Film Awards, and one Young Artist Award already in her possession. Ashley’s most recent television work occurred on the hit Fox series, That 70’s Show. She was hired to portray young Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) in flashback sequences. Her performance and ability to replicate the character were so well received, she now has multiple episodes under her belt as she was asked back to reprise her role, and is now a recurring actor on the show.

Ashley is currently started work on two new feature films! One of the films is "2002 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillies" the "splatstick" sequel to the cult classic horror/comedy film, "2001 Maniacs" Ashley will star alongside her sister Courtney as Tina and Rome Sheridan, two spoiled reality tv stars who find themselves in a sticky situation when they encounter the "Maniacs!" Ashley is excited to be working with Robert Engulnd, Tom Green, and Lin Shaye is this film! Ashley also completed work recently on the films "Dimples" and "Night Skies". In "Dimples" Ashley got to hone her screaming chops in this exciting horror film. "Night Skies" starred Ashley opposite Jason Connery in this psychological thriller based on the Arizona Lights incident.

In Skin Walker, Ashley got to show off her transition from child actress into young adulthood in this starring role of Cindy, a Harvard freshman in the local L.A. club scene.

Ashley can be seen in the MGM feature film Ghost World, produced by John Malkovich and directed by Terry Zwigoff. Ashley portrays the overachieving rebel art student who challenges Thora Birch’s character by winning the affections of their teacher, played by Illeana Douglas. The rave reviewed film is in theaters now around the country and has won many prestigious awards.

Ashley recently made her theater debut in a play at the Hudson Theater, entitled Absolutely. She starred as the optimistic, free-spirited girlfriend who was searching for a more adult relationship. Ashley was thrilled to be directed by Gordon Hunt, the well-known director and father of Helen Hunt. The artistic director of this play was ER’s Noah Wyle and it was produced for the Young Playwright’s festival.

Ashley also starred in the films, With Friends Like These…, with Bill Murray, Adam Arkin, and Laura San Giacomo for Penny Marshall’s company, and The Adventures of Young Brave for Promark Productions. In With Friends Like These… Ashley portrays Amy Madigan’s daughter, and encourages her dad to pursue his struggling acting career. In the action packed film, The Adventures of Young Brave, Ashley conjures up an old Indian spirit, who first wreaks havoc in her life, but eventually befriends her and winds up helping her with her relationship with her dad.

Ashley is also the voice of teenage Raksha, the wolf, who helps guide Mowgli in Disney’s live action video, Jungle Book 2. This was an unusual film for Ashley to do since her voice went to a live action animal and she had to match the wolf’s “attitude” as opposed to “moving lips” with her dialogue. Ashley’s other feature films include the renowned drama by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis, and the popular animated feature Cats Don’t Dance, for Warner Brothers, opposite Scott Bakula and Kathy Najimy. In The Crucible, Ashley is Ruth Putnam, the wealthy landowner’s daughter whose speeches in the courtroom decry “witch” to Paul Scofield’s disbelieving judge. As the evil villainess Darla Dimple in Cats Don’t Dance, Ashley gets to really stretch her vocal cords as a “Shirley Temple” gone mad! Ashley has also had the good fortune to have worked alongside many well-known and talented actors and directors in her thirteen years of acting. Among these people are Goldie Hawn and John Heard, in their thriller film, Deceived, directed by Damian Harris, Bette Midler, who was her mother in Stella, directed by John Erman, The Lemon Sisters, which starred Diane Keaton and Elliot Gould as Ashley’s dad, and the children’s favorite, Drop Dead Fred, with Phoebe Cates as Ashley’s older self.

“ . . . not since The Exorcist have we seen a child give such an emotionally-charged performance as Ashley Peldon does in her mercurial and often scary portrayal of Catherine” the New York Daily News proclaimed after seeing Ashley in the CBS television movie, Child of Rage. Ashley won her first award for her convincing performance as this physically and sexually abused child, Catherine, where she screamed, raged with full-blown tantrums and had horrific nightmares. Mel Harris portrayed her foster mom and Mariette Hartley was her therapist, who tried to help Catherine with hours of extreme holding therapy.

Ashley has appeared in several made-for-television movies, including the Showtime production, The Westing Game, based on the award-winning book of the same name. Ashley plays Turtle, who solves the Westing mystery and uncovers all the family secrets. She got to play opposite major thespians such as Ray Walston, Diane Ladd and Sally Kirkland. In the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women, Ashley was thrilled to be directed by Glenn Jordan, and work opposite Alan Alda, Mira Sorvino, and Anne Archer as Alan and Mira’s daughter, who appears in memory to give her father sage advice.

Mel Harris and Ashley got to work together again as mother and daughter, in another television drama, The Secretary. In Shameful Secrets, the ABC movie, Ashley was again the victim of an abusive father, Tim Matheson, who also played opposite her in Drop Dead Fred. In Dayo, opposite Delta Burke and Elijah Wood, she got to have Elijah as her imaginary friend.

In 1988 Ashley was cast as Marah Lewis on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light. Due to overwhelming audience response, Ashley was put under contract to the soap at the age of four, making her the youngest performer ever to be put under contract in daytime television. After enjoying a two and a half-year stint on the popular soap, while also making films, Ashley headed out west and was signed by NBC for an exclusive series deal.

For the past few years TV audiences have been watching Ashley recur on the very popular NBC television series, The Pretender, as young Miss Parker. She appears in flashback sequences as actress Andrea Parker plays the adult version. Before that, TV audiences knew Ashley as Kasey Larsen from her two-year role on the NBC comedy series, The Mommies. Ashley has also guest starred on numerous television series, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, where she played a teenager growing up way too fast. For her friends at Chicken Soup, she also recorded an audio book of the short stories, Soup for the Teenage Soul III, now out in bookstores. Other appearances include Ellen, Quantum Leap, and Home Improvement, where her sister Courtney was recurring for three years as Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ girlfriend. In Bodies of Evidence for CBS, Ashley happily got to work alongside George Clooney.

When not working, Ashley enjoys running, reading, spending time with her friends, and raising her many pets, which include two dogs and two cats. She recently graduated college with a double major in child psychology and film. Ashley’s talent, success, and enjoyment in what she does are what has kept her a working actress for more than nineteen years.