“The role is probably Ashley Park’s biggest to date.
However, she’s hardly new to the acting (or singing) world.
And, in 2021, she landed a role in “Girls5eva.”
Curious to learn more about this up-and-coming star of the stage and screen?
Here are the things you never knew about Ashely Park.
As she toldBroadway.com, she started dancing when she was just three years old.
“There’s videos of me in these sequined outfits,” she recalled.
Apparently, “The Sound of Music” was her favorite movie at the time.
“Neither of my parents are in show-business at all,” she toldInterview Magazine.
In fact, she even described her father as being “basically tone-deaf.”
As Park put it, “They have great showmanship as people.”
It seems that performing might run in Park’s family after all!
For years, Park was worried about being defined by her illness.
In fact, Park now understands that she became the person she is today because of the experience.
“My cancer experience is, I think, the reason I do theater,” she explained toBroadway.com.
It sounds like Park has really learned how to see the bright side of this incredibly challenging experience.
Shortly after graduating in 2013, she made her professional debut in “Mamma Mia!”
Then, of course, she landed the role of Gretchen in “Mean Girls.”
In short, she had a career that most musical theater actresses could only dream of.
As she explained toBUILD Series, she felt that her career trajectory was a dream come true.
And that’s exactly what she got to do.
It really doesn’t get much better than that!
Park was careful not to copy Chabert in her performance.
“Everyone knows Lacey Chabert as Gretchen,” she explained toInterview Magazine.
“I would never want to do an imitation of that.”
Instead, she started from scratch by looking at the script.
It’s no wonder Park earned herself a Tony nomination for the role!
And in 2021, Park was proud to join the cast of Adele Lim’s first feature film.
When she watched scenes of the project, she was blown away.
Can I self-tape it?'”
she recalled toHarper’s Bazaar.
Luckily, she found a window of time when she could audition in person.
But, she ended up being late and having to learn her lines on the subway.
She broke her rule for this audition and learned her lines on the train anyway.
Luckily, Park felt an instant connection with the character and was able to memorize her lines quickly.
As she toldWWD, “I felt so genuinely in tune with the thought process of the character.”
And the rest is history.
As for Park herself?
“I like to observe life the way she does,” she said.
It’s pretty clear that Park knows her “Sex and the City!”
As it turns out, Park was actually quite involved in the process of creating the song.
As Park toldVogue, Darren Star had initially suggested that Mindy sing her own song.
So, Park had approached her friend, songwriter Freddy Wexley, who helped them create the perfect song.
“It was very important to us that the song really is a story piece,” Park said.
“As the song is being sung, the characters are going through something.”
Since that first meeting, the pair have had a ball both on and off set.
As Collins toldGlamour, meeting Park was like meeting “a friendship soulmate.”
Could these two be any cuter?
We worked from home, canceled holidays, and cut back on socializing.
For Ashley Park, however, this was never really an option she was just too busy!
Then, she returned to New York to pack her things as she was moving apartments.
But Park stayed busy even after her final move.
Park certainly is busy, pandemic or no pandemic.
Her absolute favorite was “Friends.”
“I know every episode back and forth.”
And by the sounds of things, Park was also a huge Disney fan.
When asked about her childhood crushes, she replied, “Definitely Simba and Aladdin.”
Apparently, she even met an Aladdin look-alike at Disney world when she was still young.
As she toldBackstage, “I don’t remember a time when I hadn’t seen the movie.
It’s so ingrained in our generation’s rhetoric, especially among my friends growing up.”
“Now nerves have become second-nature,” she said.
“You know, being an actor is so masochistic.”
Pretty impressive if you ask us!
“I’m not a concert singer,” she explained toTown & Country.
Even if Park gets nervous, we would never know watching her perform!
One of the most exciting for Park is a comedy produced by Seth Rogan’s company.
As the actress explained toVogue, this was her first real leading role.
“It was the first time I was the number one on a call sheet,” she said.
“Even in Broadway, I haven’t been ‘the lead.'”
The project included a cast with three other Asian women and an Asian production team.
It sounds like this project will be hugely important for Park.
And we can’t wait to see what else she does next!
