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AN INTERVIEW WITH ASHLEY JOHNSON
Interview by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor for Radio Free Entertainment
September 20, 2006
Many TV fans remember Ashley Johnson from her role as Chrissy Seaver on the classic sitcom Growing Pains. Since then, she has appeared in a slew of television guest spots and feature film roles, including a scene-stealing turn in What Women Want, with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. She also has an extensive background in voiceover work, guest starring on Teen Titans and King of the Hill, and bringing to life the character of Gretchen on Disney's long-running animated series Recess.
In this exclusive interview, Ashley was nice enough to talk about some of her earlier work, fill us in on her upcoming film Fast Food Nation, and give an update on her musical pursuits. Fast Food Nation hits theaters on November 17, while her latest film, Nearing Grace, in which she stars with Gregory Smith and Jordana Brewster, is now playing. Be sure to check her out in both!
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The Interview
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RadioFree.com: If I remember correctly, your character Chrissy on Growing Pains was a baby one season, then suddenly a 6-year-old the next, when you stepped into the role...
ASHLEY: Yeah...She all of a sudden grew up like 5 years, and everybody else was the same.
Did anyone find that odd, or did they figure that no explanation was needed?
I think it was one of those things where people did want an explanation. [laughs] Like, "Wait, what just happened to the baby?" But I think people, after a while, just stopped asking questions.
It seems like something you couldn't get away with nowadays. Do you follow any current TV shows that are heavily dissected?
Sometimes I do. I mean, I don't really watch that much TV...I don't really get caught in shows a lot.
You've done a lot of voiceover work. How did you first get involved in that?
I don't even remember how it happened. It was just something that I started when I was younger, and it [was] a great side job.
What has been your favorite voice role to date?
I've been working on Teen Titans, and that's really fun. But I think my favorite thing was King of the Hill. The people on that are just hilarious.
Do they improvise their lines much?
Oh, yeah. They definitely go off the page a little bit. Everybody on that show is so funny.
One of your longest running voice roles was Gretchen on Disney's Recess. How did you come up with that distinct voice? Is it just a matter of looking at the character?
Kind of. Sometimes you just kind of come up with it on your own. They give you the drawing and then you just look at it and [think], "Okay, what would they [sound] like?" But I think with [Gretchen], they kind of had an idea of what they wanted.
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What is your role in the upcoming film Fast Food Nation?
I play a fast food worker in Colorado Springs. If you've read the book, a lot of it takes place there. And she sort of goes through a big journey throughout the movie. She's been working in a fast food restaurant, but she just doesn't feel right there. And her uncle comes to town and she meets these college students, activists, and sort of makes this huge transition in her life about what she really believes in, and what she wants to do with her life. And it's funny and heartwarming at the same time.
Who plays your uncle?
Ethan Hawke.
As someone who's been acting since she was a kid, I assume you've never worked at a fast food restaurant yourself. But did you have any sort of experience with that industry prior to shooting this movie?
I did plenty of research before I worked on this. But prior to reading the book, which I read when it came out, before I knew that they were going to make it a film, I ate fast food all the time. And so I think that I have a little experience with that--at least with the food. [laughs]
Should we expect this to be a satire, and not a documentary like Super Size Me?
Yeah. And I think [director/writer] Rick Linklater had the same idea, too. He wanted to write something that was kind of funny. And I think there is definitely a seriousness to it. It has a darker tone, but I think a lot of it is really funny. But I think everybody's going to have a different opinion of it.
You mentioned earlier that you play guitar and piano. Either you were being modest, or the internet rumors are wrong, because there's word that you also play the violin, cello, harmonica, and drums...
[laughs] I dabble. I was in a music school for violin and piano, and I had already played guitar. So I think it's like one of those things, if you learn like one instrument or two instruments, you just kind of can't really stop. And so I sort of play them all, but not super well, all the other ones. I dabble with the cello, and kind of play the harmonica, but not really. It's so funny, the stuff that gets on the internet. And I do play drums, but that's not my main instrument.
Are you still playing in a band?
I used to be in a band with my sister, but we're not really doing that anymore. But I am in a band called Soul Puppet. And this is pretty new. They've been an established band for a while, but they needed a piano player, and so they asked me a couple months ago. So we're just recording right now, but we'll probably be playing out in like small clubs. [laughs]
Will you sing as well?
Yes. But not main vocals.
What kind of music do they play?
Do you know The Band, [who sang] "The Weight"? [sings] "Take a load off, Annie..." You know that kind of music? It's kind of like that. Like I guess classic rock, in a sense. It's got like a rootsy feel to it. It's not pop music in any sense.
Have you ever found information about yourself on the internet that made you think, "Where did that come from? That's not even true."
Someone told me that I [was congratulated] on my singing career and that I'm making a new album. And I was like, "Really? I didn't know I was making on album. That's awesome!" [laughs]
And speaking of information about yourself on the internet, we read that your nickname is Dasher. Where did that come from?
Oh, that's so funny! How does that happen? That's just what I've had since I was little. I mean, my sister and my brother have just always called me that. I don't really know why. Maybe because I ran around a lot.
Well, that's a wrap! Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview.
Thank you!
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