Comprehensive information and links about Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968 in Granada Hills, CaliforniaAshley Judd is an American actress. Her father is Michael Ciminella and her mother and sister are country music singers, Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd, respectively. Her birth name is

Early years

Her early years were without the comforts of what can be considered the bare necessities, such as running water, electricity, or a telephone [1].

She attended 12 schools in 13 years before college. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa—with a bachelor's degree in French and four minors —from the University of Kentucky (UK) in 1990 [2].

In Hollywood, she studied with the well-respected acting teacher, Robert Carnegie, at Playhouse West (where Jeff Goldblum also teaches acting). Much of the philosophy of the school comes from the work of the late Sanford Meisner, one of the founders of the Group Theater.

Actress

Her television appearances include the role of Lieutenant Robin Lefler, a Starfleet officer, in two 1991 episodes of , but all the scenes she played in were cut from the final version of the film.

She found further critical acclaim in (1995).

By the end of the 1990s she managed to achieve significant fame and success as an actress. As a respected actor, she began to be offered leading roles in films that were bound to be successful at the box office, but still required acting skills, like

Personal life

Whenever her schedule allows, she regularly attends UK basketball games, frequently sitting next to Donna Smith (wife of UK Coach Tubby Smith), or in the student section. She allowed her alma mater to release a hockey calendar of her photos to help raise money for the team. She is frequently sought out for celebrity camera shots during televised games (much like Jack Nicholson with the Los Angeles Lakers or Spike Lee with the New York Knicks).

She married Scottish Indy Racing League driver, Dario Franchitti, in a Catholic ceremony at Skibo Castle, near Dornoch, Scotland, in 2001.