Biography
Ashley spent more than two decades as a Broadway star before becoming known to TV audiences playing the eccentric Aunt Frieda on "Evening Shade" (CBS, 1990-94). While still a teen-ager when she made her Broadway debut in 1959 in "The Highest Tree", she was a mere 22 when she won a Tony for "Take Her, She's Mine". A nervous breakdown, about which she later wrote in her book, "Postcards From the Road" (1978), almost derailed her career, but she …
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Career Milestones
| Cast as part of the ensemble of the CBS sitcom "Evening Shade", starring Burt Reynolds | ||
| Had recurring role on the NBC drama series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as the mother of detective Olivia Benson | ||
| Played recurring role of the mother of Richard Karinsky (Malcolm Gets) on the NBC sitcom "Caroline and the City" | ||
1959 | Broadway debut (as Elizabeth Cole), "The Highest Tree" | |
1959 | Off-Broadway debut (as Elizabeth Cole) in "Dirty Hands" | |
1960 | Made TV debut in "Dupont Show of the Month" | |
1961 | Became Broadway star in "Take Her, She's Mine"; won Tony Award | |
1964 | Film acting debut in "The Carpetbaggers" | |
1965 | Temporarily retired from acting | |
1971 | Made TV-movie debut in "Harpy" (CBS) | |
1971 | Returned to films in "Marriage of a Young Stockbroker" | |
1972 | Co-starred in the TV thriller "When Michael Calls" (ABC) | |
1974 | Acted in "Rancho Deluxe", directed by Thomas McGuane | |
1974 | Starred as Maggie in revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on Broadway | |
1977 | Starred opposite Richard Crenna in the NBC movie "The War Between the Tates" | |
1978 | Cast opposite Joel Fabiani in "Tom & Joanne" (CBS) | |
1981 | Had supporting role in "Paternity", starring Burt Reynolds | |
1983 | Portrayed a former lover of Peter O'Toole's titular "Svengali" (CBS) | |
1986 | Acted in the loose remake of "Stagecoach" (CBS) | |
1987 | Played the police commissioner in the film version of "Dragnet" | |
1989 | Acted in "Blues for Buder", a segment of ABC's "B.L. Stryker" starring Reynolds | |
1989 | Last major film for almost a decade "Vampire's Kiss" | |
1990 | Had role as Emma Frame Ordway on the NBC daytime serial "Another World" | |
1995 | Returned to Broadway in revival of "Suddenly Last Summer" | |
1998 | Resumed film career in the role of a divorcee chasing after the unhappily married Ben Gazzara in "Happiness", directed by Todd Solondz | |
2000 | Co-starred in the stage revival of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" | |
2001 | Portrayed Amanda Wingfield in the Hartford Stage revival of "The Glass Menagerie"; reprised role with slightly different cast at Houston's Alley Theatre | |
Awards
1962 | Tony Award for Actress, Supporting or Featured (Dramatic) |
1964 | BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer To Leading Film Roles in The Carpetbaggers |
1964 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Carpetbaggers |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in Evening Shade |