Ashley Judd born April 19, [ 2 ] is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna Judd. Her acting career has spanned more than three decades, and she has become heavily involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism. Judd made her television debut in with a guest role on Star Trek: The Next Generation and her film debut in 's Kuffs. Her parents are Naomi Judd , who later became a country music singer and motivational speaker, and Michael Charles Ciminella, a marketing analyst for the horse racing industry.
Ashley's paternal grandfather was of Sicilian Italian descent, and her paternal grandmother was a descendant of Mayflower pilgrim William Brewster. When Judd was born, her mother was a homemaker.
Judd's parents divorced in when she was four. The following year, Judd's mother Naomi returned with Ashley to Kentucky , where Judd lived for most of her childhood. She briefly tried modeling in Japan during a school break. At the University of Kentucky , she majored in French and minored in anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She joined the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma. Judd spent a semester studying in France as part of her major.
During this time, she worked as a hostess at The Ivy restaurant and lived in a Malibu rental house. Around that time, she returned East to Williamson County, Tennessee , where she lived near her mother and sister. She made her feature film debut with a small role in 's Kuffs. Believing that this role would shape the rest of her career, Judd was extremely nervous before the audition, nearly getting into a car accident en route.
Dickerson that Judd created the resonance of this character: "The resonance, those moments, was not contrived. It was just a matter of creating the scene and trusting that it was worth telling. In , she co-starred with Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean and Marilyn , where she recreated the photo shoot for the centerfold for the first issue of Playboy. The same year she had a supporting role in the thriller film A Time to Kill.
