Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968) is an American actress and activist. She comes from a family of performing artists as the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna Judd. Judd's acting career has spanned more than three decades, where she made her television debut in 1991 with a guest role on Star Trek: The Next Generation and her film debut in 1992'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. Her elder half-sister, Wynonna Judd, is also a country music singer. After college, Judd moved to Hollywood, where she studied acting and worked as a hostess before moving back to Tennessee. Judd's acting career includes recurring roles on the NBC drama Sisters, leading roles in numerous thrillers, and appearances in critically acclaimed films like Frida. She has also worked in theater and received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in De-Lovely.

Judd is not only an accomplished actress but a dedicated global humanitarian and political activist. In 2004 she campaigned for Barack Obama's presidential run, and in 2016 she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA, the United Nations agency with responsibilities including sexual and reproductive health. In 2021, Judd endured a traumatic injury while hiking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she broke her leg and underwent surgery in South Africa. Judd is a Christian and has cited her faith as a motivation for her work in humanitarian efforts, including speaking out against Harvey Weinstein. In addition to her acting and humanitarian efforts, Judd has pursued higher education, earning a mid-career MPA degree from Harvard Kennedy School in 2010 and pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.