Ashley Judd was born April 19th, 1968 in Los Angeles and raised in Kentucky. The Judds’ were very poor and suffered a nomadic life in numerous run-down homes across Kentucky. It wasn't unusual that they went without the comforts of electricity, running water, or a phone. They got by on growing their own garden vegetables and making their own soap to cut expenses. Ashley retreated into a fantasy world in those years and often would engross herself in books and make-believe she was this character or that. Over the span of thirteen years, Ashley bounced around twelve different schools in Kentucky and California. Then, Naomi (her mom) and Wynonna (her sister) hit the big time in the country music business.

With her mother’s newfound fame and money, Ashley could finally afford an education. She studied French at the University of Kentucky and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1990. She toyed with the idea of volunteering with the Peace Corps in Africa, but decided to take her sisters advice and take tinsel-town by storm. Her confidence and positive attitude allowed her to by pass what most new comers to Hollywood must endure, hurry up and wait syndrome. Not Judd, she was signed with the first agency she went into and landed a part in “Kuffs” starring Christian Slater. The part wasn't the one she had originally wanted because she refused to do a nude scene. However, the producers were so impressed with her graciously worded rejection that they granted her a less scandalous role so she could obtain her Screen Actors Guild membership.

She quickly landed her next job. It was a recurring role on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Next was the coming-of -age film that won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, “Ruby in Paradise.” Ashley also won an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of the title character in the film.

Judd has succeeded to build a solid reputation for herself in Hollywood. As a supporting actress she has garnered excellent reviews for her performances in “Smoke” as a crack-addict, “Heat” as Val Kilmers wife, and “A Time To Kill” as Matthew McConaughey’s wife. She has been equally successful with her starring roles. She received rave reviews for her performance opposite Luke Perry in “Normal Life” in 1996 and was awarded an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the young Marilyn Monroe in HBO’s “Norma Jean and Marilyn.”

Her star status continued to grow with a starring role opposite Morgan Freeman in “Kiss the Girls,” and with Vince Vaughn in “The Locusts.” However, her latest flicks haven’t been as successful. 1998’s “Simon Birch” was a box office disappointment, “A Prayer for Owen Meany” was put on the video shelf early, and 1999’s “Double Jeopardy” had critics criticizing.

Judd has recently purchased her dream house. It is a hundred-year-old home in Tennessee and she has big plans for its renovation. Judd says of her home “I’m modeling it after C.S. Lewis’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia’, with cubbyholes and secret passageways, old gun cabinets and medicine chests built of chestnut.” Ashley wants her dream home to be this way all because it was the first book that was ever read to her as a child, and she wants her house to be a magical place.