Ashley Peldon
Encyclopedia
Ashley Peldon is an American
television
and film
actress.
, New York
. Along with her sister Courtney
, she worked as a child actor
.
Although she was featured in a number of roles as a child and teenager, Peldon is perhaps best known for her role on the daytime soap opera
Guiding Light
. She was cast in 1988, at the age of 4, as Marah Lewis
, the daughter of popular couple Josh
and Reva Lewis
. Because of the positive audience response, she became the youngest entertainer to be put under contract on the show.
Peldon received an Emmy Award
nomination at 6 years of age, for her three years as Marah Lewis on Guiding Light. Peldon went on to appear in motion pictures such as The Lemon Sisters
opposite Diane Keaton
, Stella
opposite Bette Midler
, Deceived
opposite Goldie Hawn
, and the cult favorite, Drop Dead Fred
opposite Phoebe Cates
. More currently, she also appeared in Arthur Miller
's The Crucible opposite Winona Ryder
and Daniel Day-Lewis
and in Ghost World
with Scarlett Johansson
, among many other films. She completed the horror film Dimples, Sony Pictures' sci-fi drama Night Skies
, and the coming of age comedy Float. The native New Yorker also has numerous commercials, voice-overs, television series, and television films on her resume.
For two years Peldon appeared on the NBC
television series The Mommies
and has had key recurring roles on such television series as That 70s Show and The Pretender
. Peldon starred as "spoiled actress Amy King" in MTV
's comedy series Connected. She is also set to lead in the horror/comedy film 2001 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillys also starring her sister, actress Courtney Peldon
, and Robert Englund
.
from Skidmore College
in New York
. Her interest in child psychology originated from her dramatic role as the sexually abused youngster in CBS
TV's Child of Rage
when she was 7 years old.
In February 2008, Peldon directed an Allan Heinberg
play for TV Takes the Stage. The play starred Bonnie Somerville
and Melissa Sagemiller
.
She is a multiple and a six and three years consecutive nominee and award winner of a Young Artist Award at the Young Artist Awards:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress.
Early life and career
Peldon was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Along with her sister Courtney
Courtney Peldon
Courtney Peldon is an American television and film actress.-Personal life:Peldon was born in New York City, New York. Her younger sister Ashley Peldon is also an actress...
, she worked as a child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
.
Although she was featured in a number of roles as a child and teenager, Peldon is perhaps best known for her role on the daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
. She was cast in 1988, at the age of 4, as Marah Lewis
Marah Lewis
Marah Lewis is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. The character is the daughter of the popular supercouple, Josh Lewis and Reva Shayne...
, the daughter of popular couple Josh
Joshua Lewis
Joshua "Josh" Lewis is a fictional character on CBS's daytime drama Guiding Light. He was portrayed by Robert Newman from October 1, 1981 to December 1984, October 1986 to January 25, 1991, and August 30, 1993 to September 18, 2009.-Biography:...
and Reva Lewis
Reva Shayne
Reva Shayne O'Neill is a fictional character on the long-running CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light played by emmy-award winner Kim Zimmer from November 28, 1983 to July 1990...
. Because of the positive audience response, she became the youngest entertainer to be put under contract on the show.
Peldon received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination at 6 years of age, for her three years as Marah Lewis on Guiding Light. Peldon went on to appear in motion pictures such as The Lemon Sisters
The Lemon Sisters
The Lemon Sisters is a 1990 American film from Miramax Films directed by Joyce Chopra and written by Jeremy Pikser. The film was both a commercial and critical failure after being shelved for more than a year with extensive revisions.-Plot:...
opposite Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, Stella
Stella (1990 film)
Stella is a 1990 American drama film produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by Touchstone Pictures. The screenplay by Robert Getchell is the third feature film adaptation of the 1920 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty....
opposite Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Deceived
Deceived
Deceived is a 1991 American thriller film starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard.-Plot:Adrienne Sauders is happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack . They have one child together. Adrienne hears from a friend that she thought she saw Jack in town when he claimed to be on an out of town...
opposite Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, and the cult favorite, Drop Dead Fred
Drop Dead Fred
Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 American fantasy dramedy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema...
opposite Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates is an American film actress, model, and entrepreneur known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins.-Early life:...
. More currently, she also appeared in Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
's The Crucible opposite Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
and Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
and in Ghost World
Ghost World (film)
Ghost World is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Terry Zwigoff, based on the comic book of the same name and screenplay by Daniel Clowes...
with Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
, among many other films. She completed the horror film Dimples, Sony Pictures' sci-fi drama Night Skies
Night Skies
Night Skies was a sci-fi horror film that was in development in the late 1970s, but never actually made. Steven Spielberg conceived the idea after Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Instead, material developed at the time was used in Poltergeist and E.T...
, and the coming of age comedy Float. The native New Yorker also has numerous commercials, voice-overs, television series, and television films on her resume.
For two years Peldon appeared on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series The Mommies
The Mommies (TV series)
The Mommies is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1993 to June 1995. Produced by Paramount Television, the series ran for two seasons with a total of 38 episodes.-Synopsis:...
and has had key recurring roles on such television series as That 70s Show and The Pretender
The Pretender (TV series)
The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
. Peldon starred as "spoiled actress Amy King" in MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's comedy series Connected. She is also set to lead in the horror/comedy film 2001 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillys also starring her sister, actress Courtney Peldon
Courtney Peldon
Courtney Peldon is an American television and film actress.-Personal life:Peldon was born in New York City, New York. Her younger sister Ashley Peldon is also an actress...
, and Robert Englund
Robert Englund
Robert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
.
Current activities
In January 2007, Peldon graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in Child Psychology and FilmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
from Skidmore College
Skidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her interest in child psychology originated from her dramatic role as the sexually abused youngster in CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV's Child of Rage
Child of Rage
Child of Rage is a CBS Television movie made in 1992 starring Ashley Peldon and Mel Harris. The film is based on the true story by Beth Thomas, who suffered from reactive attachment disorder as a result of being sexually abused as a child....
when she was 7 years old.
In February 2008, Peldon directed an Allan Heinberg
Allan Heinberg
Allan Heinberg is an American film screenwriter, who wrote Young Avengers for Marvel Comics, and has been a writer and producer on The Naked Truth, Party of Five, Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and Grey's Anatomy.Heinberg's Young Avengers was a sales success for Marvel, though faced...
play for TV Takes the Stage. The play starred Bonnie Somerville
Bonnie Somerville
Bonnie Somerville is an American actress and singer. As an actress, she has had roles in a number of movies and television series, most notably NYPD Blue, Grosse Pointe, Friends, The O.C. and Cashmere Mafia....
and Melissa Sagemiller
Melissa Sagemiller
Melissa Sagemiller is an American television and film actress.-Early life and education:Sagemiller was born in Washington, D.C. to a political activist mother and a professional American football player father, who played in the NFL for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. She attended...
.
Awards and nominations
She was nominated in 1991 for a Daytime Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series for The Guiding Light (1952).She is a multiple and a six and three years consecutive nominee and award winner of a Young Artist Award at the Young Artist Awards:
- 1990 - Won for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Drama for The Guiding Light (1952)
- 1991 - Nominated for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series for The Guiding Light (1952).
- 1992 - Nominated for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series for The Guiding Light (1952).
- 1993 - Won for Best Young Actress Under Ten in a Television Movie for Child of RageChild of RageChild of Rage is a CBS Television movie made in 1992 starring Ashley Peldon and Mel Harris. The film is based on the true story by Beth Thomas, who suffered from reactive attachment disorder as a result of being sexually abused as a child....
(1992) (TVTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
). - 1994 - Nominated for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series for The MommiesThe Mommies (TV series)The Mommies is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1993 to June 1995. Produced by Paramount Television, the series ran for two seasons with a total of 38 episodes.-Synopsis:...
(1993) shared with Sam GifaldiSam GifaldiSam Gifaldi is an American actor, best known for the voice of Sid on Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!.-Filmography:- Awards/Nominations:-External links:...
, Ryan MerrimanRyan MerrimanRyan Earl Merriman is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in several feature films and television shows.-Background:...
, Shiloh StrongShiloh StrongShiloh Strong is an American actor, screenwriter, photographer and film director whose roles include "Zelos Wilder" from Tales of Symphonia, "David Scott" from Dinotopia, and "Grant" from Buck Naked Arson....
and Joey ZimmermanJoey ZimmermanJoseph Paul Zimmerman is an American actor and musician. He is sometimes credited as Joey Zimmerman, Joseph Zimmerman, J. Paul Zimmerman and J.P. Zimmerman....
and won for Best Actress Under Ten in a Television Series or Show for Shameful Secrets (1993) (TVTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
) tied with Ashley JohnsonAshley JohnsonAshley Suzanne Johnson is an American actress, best known for her two-season role as Chrissy Seaver in the TV show Growing Pains, and for her voice work in television series such as Teen Titans and Ben 10 Alien Force....
for PhenomPhenom (TV series)Phenom is an American sitcom about a tennis wunderkind that aired on ABC from September 14, 1993 to May 10, 1994. The series stars Angela Goethals, Judith Light, and William Devane.-Synopsis:...
(1993). - 1995 - Nominated three times, for Best Youth Comedienne in a TV Show and for Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV Series for The MommiesThe Mommies (TV series)The Mommies is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1993 to June 1995. Produced by Paramount Television, the series ran for two seasons with a total of 38 episodes.-Synopsis:...
(1993) and for Best Performance by a Youth Actress in a TV Mini-Series or Special for Without Warning (1994) (TVTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
). - 1997 - Nominated for Best Performance in a Drama Series by a Young Actress for The PretenderThe Pretender (TV series)The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
(1996). - 1998 - Nominated twice, for Best Performance in a Voiceover in TV or Film by a Young Actress for Cats Don't DanceCats Don't DanceCats Don't Dance is a 1997 animated musical comedy film, notable as the only fully animated feature produced by Turner Entertainment's feature animation unit . The film was distributed by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment...
(1997) and for Best Performance in a TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series by a Leading Young Actress for The Westing GameThe Westing GameThe Westing Game is a 1979 Newbery Medal winning novel by Ellen Raskin. It has been adapted into a movie, released under both the names The Westing Game and Get a Clue...
(1997) (TVTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
) as the main character Tabitha Ruth/ Turtle/ Alice Wexler. - 1999 - Nominated for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series by a Guest Starring Young Actress for The PretenderThe Pretender (TV series)The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
(1996).
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Sarah Frank | ||
| 1989-1991 | Guiding Light Guiding Light Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009... |
Marah Lewis Marah Lewis Marah Lewis is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. The character is the daughter of the popular supercouple, Josh Lewis and Reva Shayne... |
TV series |
| 1990 | Stella Stella (1990 film) Stella is a 1990 American drama film produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by Touchstone Pictures. The screenplay by Robert Getchell is the third feature film adaptation of the 1920 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty.... |
Jenny (age 3) | |
| 1991 | Drop Dead Fred Drop Dead Fred Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 American fantasy dramedy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema... |
Young Elizabeth | |
| 1991 | Deceived Deceived Deceived is a 1991 American thriller film starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard.-Plot:Adrienne Sauders is happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack . They have one child together. Adrienne hears from a friend that she thought she saw Jack in town when he claimed to be on an out of town... |
Mary Saunders | |
| 1991 | Molly Jeffers | Episode: "Return to Sender" | |
| 1992 | Day-O | Grace (age 4) | TV movie |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence | Claire Bowman | Episode: "Street Justice" |
| 1992 | Child of Rage Child of Rage Child of Rage is a CBS Television movie made in 1992 starring Ashley Peldon and Mel Harris. The film is based on the true story by Beth Thomas, who suffered from reactive attachment disorder as a result of being sexually abused as a child.... |
Catherine | TV movie |
| 1992 | Additional Voices | Episode: "The Evil Manta" | |
| 1993 | Boy/Girl (voice) | Episode: "Metal Fish" | |
| 1993 | Quantum Leap | Jessica Elroy | Episode: "A Tale of Two Sweeties" |
| 1993 | Shameful Secrets | Josie | TV movie |
| 1993-1995 | Kasey Larson | 29 episodes | |
| 1994 | Additional Voices | Episode: "Ariel's Treasures" | |
| 1994 | Without Warning | Kimberly Hastings | TV movie |
| 1995 | Cindy Bradford | TV movie | |
| 1995 | Black Scorpion Black Scorpion (film) Black Scorpion is a 1995 comedy-action film starring Joan Severance as the eponymous costumed crime fighter. Roger Corman was the executive producer, and it was originally released on the Showtime cable network as part of the Roger Corman Presents series.The film concerns the comic book style... |
Little Darcy | TV movie |
| 1996 | Jake's Women Jake's Women Jake's Women is a play by Neil Simon. It centers on Jake, a writer with a struggling marriage. Jake talks to many of the women he knows, both in real life and in his imagination, as he works to save his marriage... |
Young Molly | TV movie |
| 1996 | Ellen Ellen (TV series) Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas... |
Little Paige | Episode: "The Bubble Gum Incident" |
| 1996 | Ruth Putnam | ||
| 1996-1999 | Young Miss Parker | 10 episodes | |
| 1997 | Cats Don't Dance Cats Don't Dance Cats Don't Dance is a 1997 animated musical comedy film, notable as the only fully animated feature produced by Turner Entertainment's feature animation unit . The film was distributed by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment... |
Darla Dimple (voice) | |
| 1997 | Home Improvement | Diane | Episode: "Quest for Fire" |
| 1998 | Waking Up Horton | Amelia | |
| 1998 | Can I Play? | Girl with kitten | Short film |
| 1998 | With Friends Like These... With Friends Like These... With Friends Like These... is a 1998 film by Philip Frank Messina. It stars Robert Costanzo, Jon Tenney, David Strathairn and Adam Arkin, and features a cameo by Bill Murray.-Summary:... |
Marissa DiMartino | |
| 1998 | Teen Raksha the Wolf (voice | Video | |
| 1999 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Alisha | Episode: "Live Your Life" |
| 2001 | Tucker Tucker (TV series) Tucker is a television family comedy series that aired on NBC from October 2, 2000 to March 27, 2001.-Premise:Tucker's parents have divorced, and so he is forced to move into his despised aunt Claire's house, with her decidedly calmer airplane pilot husband Jimmy and strange cousin Leon. Originally... |
Juliette | Episode: "Kiss and Tell" |
| 2001 | That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979... |
Teenage Kitty | Episode: "Eric's Naughty No-no" Episode: "Backstage Pass" |
| 2001 | Ghost World Ghost World (film) Ghost World is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Terry Zwigoff, based on the comic book of the same name and screenplay by Daniel Clowes... |
Margaret | |
| 2001 | Undressed Undressed Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:... |
Tabitha | Episode: "5.37" |
| 2004 | Skin Walker | ||
| 2007 | Night Skies | Molly | |
| 2007 | Connected | Amy King | 9 episodes |
| 2008 | Dimples | Brittany | |
| 2008 | Float | Nicole | |
| 2009 | Aliens in the Attic | Additional Voices |