Ashley Versher had just returned from an audition when she caught up with us for an interview. With her hair styled in an afro, the actress is gorgeous, wearing little to no makeup, and complements her look with a delicate chain necklace and hoop earrings. Ashley plays Tessa George, a bank teller who experiences a frightening situation when she encounters single mother Janiyah, played by award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, in the Netflix thriller, Straw. The San Francisco native talks about the film’s message, her costars, including the one who made her laugh the most, and her directorial projects as a self-taught filmmaker. Read more.
Q: Your character’s emotions seem to teeter on fear and judgment when encountering Janiyah, and what unfolds at the bank? How would you describe Tessa?
A: I think it’s very interesting (laugh). I think something people have taken away from the movie that I think is incredibly important to take away— is that everybody is going through something. We get to witness what Tessa goes through, along with everyone else in the bank, but maybe we don’t think about it so much— what she is going through. But maybe that’s more of my job (laugh). For me, I really like to look at her as a person who’s going through this (frightening situation)— That if anyone were in that situation, it would be terrifying to have someone pull a gun on you. A lot of times, we find our workplaces to be safe spaces, but not for those spaces to turn into a danger zone. Tessa leans on Nicole (Sherri Shepherd), the bank branch manager, a lot throughout the story, but there are some disconnects, as we obviously see in terms of what Tessa’s thinks should be happening or handled. It was my job to tell the story from that viewpoint, and I think that also helped the audience to lean in further and feel an even deeper sense of empathy for Janiyah. You need all of those balances. I think everyone in the bank scene balances it out so that you’re really consumed by her (Janiyah’s) experiences, and you feel so deeply for her. I think it’s important she (Tessa) comes off the ways she comes off (laugh).
Q: You worked with a talented cast led by Taraji, who filmed her award-worthy performance in four days. In what ways did the two of you connect? How was it also to work with Teyana Taylor and Sherri Shepherd?
A: You don’t have a lot of time (laugh), so I think the connection is showing up and feeling really confident and prepared, and I think that was for me. Obviously, Taraji is phenomenal and someone to aspire to. “She’s just incredible!” For me, that connection coming in was feeling grounded and feeding off her energy and what she brings to the character, which was incredibly fun. Acting is a form of play. Even though this is a very serious film about some very real and serious issues, she gives off a lot of that (good) energy on set, which is exciting and unexpected because it was my first time working with her, so I didn’t know, but I really enjoyed that (the acting experience). It made me look up to her even more than I already had, if that’s possible (laugh). I think through the story, through the deep passion for acting, and through the care and wanting to tell this story through the best of our abilities, it does these individuals (characters) justice. These are all real people that exist in the world. It is our job to shine a light on their experiences.
Q: What do you say to streaming audiences who think this is another struggle movie about black women? What’s different about the film that changes the narrative?
A: That’s a big question. You know, I don’t like to tell people what to think in general (laugh), although my nephew might differ in that opinion… that’s my job, though (as an aunt…laugh). I think, in general, in life, it is really helpful and productive to approach things with a great sense of curiosity (and if we can stand in that). A lot of times…that tends to be uncomfortable, but it is something that is really important to me and something that I try to do. If you come to this film with that sense of curiosity, if you come to this film wondering why this story is told the way that it is told, and why these varying things happen, why other people feel so deeply moved by the story! Perhaps if we view it in that light, it will provide us with a wealth of information. I think that, as people have said, a lot of our stories as black people have been in a state of erasure, which is crazy and awful and can be sad, so I feel empowered to be a part of a story, expressing things that people, who look like my experience. Also, the stories are for everyone because it’s not a singular experience because people are experiencing a great sense of loneliness. People are experiencing a lack of friendship, family, and togetherness. Belonging is a basic human need, and I think if you watch the film, you can see that Janiyah doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere, which is why it goes so horribly. That’s what I have to offer in regard to that answer.
Q: How do you check in with yourself and your ‘strong’ friends?
A: Yeah, I have a personal struggle with the word “strong.” It’s very connected to the strong black woman ideology, so I don’t know how helpful that word is for me. I know for some people, it is. I like to think “powerful” is a great word. But to answer your question, “It’s hard!” I have learned so much about this recently in my own life. It’s really hard to be vulnerable with each other. A lot of times, our friendships have been established years ago. So, the state in which that friendship was established has a strong effect on how that friendship lives and breathes over time. It’s hard to morph that. Some people say that tragedy and trauma are the only things that truly change people, which is sad and maybe morbid. I’ve been on my own quest for vulnerability, trying to sit in the discomfort of sharing it with the people who are very close to me. I think the more that I do that, the more it seems to me the people around me seem to feel more and more comfortable to do that (too). There’s so much that we (people) in general experience… so much judgment. We judge people every day all day. I think when it comes to sharing, you are having a hard time, or you’re in a tough spot, or something traumatic is happening. It’s difficult; it feels like everything is sort of against you at that moment, but maybe our own journey into vulnerability, openness, and honesty about our experiences (with the people), and it’s important that you feel safe with those people you’re sharing with, maybe that’s what helps. That’s what I have seen to help.
Q: ‘Straw’ is a thriller, so there are heavy moments throughout the film, but which actor on set made everyone laugh?
Co-host La Trisha had her theory before Ashley answered. Saying the obvious is “Sherri Shepherd because she’s a comedian,” but she says, “Something’s pulling me toward Taraji.”
A: I would say Taraji (laugh). Sherri was so locked in, and that was really cool. Taraji is hilarious! She’s very funny. I would just love to see her in more and more comedies. Her sense of “play” is so on the surface, and it’s a little intoxicating, and you know, everybody’s different…you work as an actress how you work. For me, I’m saying, “Oh, God, I have to step over here because she’s making me laugh,” and then we have to go back and do this scene (laugh), but she’s an incredible light.
Q: The movie’s ending was a complete surprise. What do you hope people take away from that scene in particular?
A: Hmmm… I know that it was really hard to watch. It was sort of a mixture of sadness. I know people experience a lot of sadness and grief at the end of the film, and I think that’s okay. I think grieving is great. I think taking away the reality of our existence as black women…maybe thinking a little bit more deeply and statistically about that, I can always say, “Check on your friends,” which is always true. I think there is something about really taking the time to evaluate “truth” and our experiences as black women in America. Yeah.
Q: In addition to this film, you are a director and have produced several short films. Are there any new projects on the horizon?
As a self-taught filmmaker, Ashley is also passionate about supporting young filmmakers of color. She works closely with Made In Her Image, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women, girls, and non-binary youth of color in film and media.
A: I am working on my next short film. It’s exciting. It’s all about friendship and vulnerability. I try as a filmmaker— the stories I tend to engage or write are connected to my current life experiences and what I’ve sort of been going through or sorting through. It’s about three women who have been friends for 20 years. That’s kind of what I can say about it.
Q: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the name Tyler Perry?
A: I was going to say Black (laugh). I love being Black. That’s what comes to mind. Black people. Black Culture. All of our particularities. Things that make us so amazing, glorious, glamorous, and lively. Tyler is from Louisiana, and part of my family is from New Orleans, so I grew up going there a lot as a child. My whole childhood was black, black, black. School, church, everywhere was black, and I’m so grateful for that. I think about the first time I saw his (Tyler’s) plays, and it was a reflection of black culture. Everyone has an opinion, but culture is so multi-faceted. It’s like a rainbow. How exciting to see somebody’s breadth of work that is expressing that and painting with all these colors.
Q: Why should people continue to watch and support the film Straw?
It can be a challenge to watch. I get that, but I think it’s important to challenge ourselves. We grow in those spaces, so why not.
In addition to STRAW, Ashley can currently be seen as one of the stars in the hit Netflix series “Beauty in Black,” where she plays ‘Lena,’ a passionate lawyer.
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Credit: Jared Schlachet
