Ashley Anthony Walters (born 30 June 1982), also known by his stage name Asher D, is a British actor and rapper. He first rose to fame as a member of the UK garage group So Solid Crew who hit the top spot on the U.K. charts with their second single "21 Seconds". Walters is best known for portraying drug dealer Dushane in hit British crime drama Top Boy.
Ashley Walters | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Walters filming Truckers in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ashley Anthony Walters[1] |
| Also known as | Asher D |
| Born | 30 June 1982 Peckham, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels |
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| Children | 6 |
Walters has also had an active acting career. After gaining recognition in the early 2000s for his roles in Storm Damage (2000) Bullet Boy (2004), Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) and Life and Lyrics (2006), Walters achieved nationwide fame in the 2010s for his lead role as Dushane Hill in the British crime series Top Boy, and as Ronnie Pike Jr. in the Sky One police procedural series Bulletproof, which he co-created with Noel Clarke and Nick Love. He has also appeared in British TV shows such as Grange Hill, The Bill, Holby City, Doctor Who, Silent Witness and the 2015 BBC police programme Cuffs.
Early life
editWalters was born in Peckham, south-east London,[2] to Jamaican parents. He was raised by his mother, Pamela Case, a local government officer.[3] He attended St. George's CE Primary School, Camberwell, from the age of four. He then went on to Pimlico School, now known as Pimlico Academy. He completed his GCSEs, receiving good grades in all 10 subjects.[4]
In July 2001, following an argument with a traffic warden, Walters was found to be carrying a loaded Brocock air pistol modified to fire live ammunition. He was arrested and, in 2002, jailed for 18 months, in a young offenders' institute. Having spent the previous nine months in custody, he subsequently served an additional nine months to complete his sentence.[5][6]
Music career
editWalters joined the group So Solid Crew.[citation needed]
After the group split, in 2006 he recorded In Memory of the Street Fighter, featuring the single "Andrea". He released a studio album in 2008 entitled The Appetiser, a 12-track album produced with Laurence Ezra. In early 2012, Walters signed a recording contract with the independent record label SK Records. His single "How You Like Me Now" was released on 29 July 2012, followed up by "Your Love" released on 12 November 2012, featuring vocals from Alesha Dixon.[7]
Acting career
editWalters is also an actor, appearing under his full name, Ashley Walters. He appeared on television as Omar in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and as Andy in Grange Hill, both at the age of 14.[8] He appeared in Saul Dibb's 2004 feature film Bullet Boy, where he played Ricky, who had just been released from prison and back into living a normal life, a role for which Walters was named Best Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards. He also appeared in 2005's Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
In 2006, he played the role of Wolf in the film Stormbreaker, and Danny in Life and Lyrics, for which he has received many plaudits. In 2007, he starred in WΔZ, alongside Selma Blair and Melissa George, and in Sugarhouse. He played Lacey in the BBC Three drama pilot West 10 LDN. He played the character Billy Bond in five episodes of the fourth series of BBC TV drama Hustle. He also appeared in the MTV series Top Buzzer and played the role of Al B in the 2006 production House of 9, alongside Dennis Hopper.
Walters performed on stage in 2002 at the Royal National Theatre in Roy Williams' Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads[9] and in 2008 at the Royal Court Theatre in Levi David Addai's Oxford Street.[10] Another feature film, Tuesday (2008), sees him playing a jewel thief. He appeared in Bola Agbaje's play Off the Endz at the Royal Court Theatre during February and March 2010.
He made appearances in ITV's police drama The Bill and firefighting drama London's Burning. His Grange Hill history and autobiography was referenced by the comedian Stewart Lee on 16 March 2009, on the BBC Two show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle in the episode themed on "Toilet Books". Walters also appeared on BBC TV in 2009's adaptation of Andrea Levy's Small Island and as Jack Holt in the short-lived drama Outcasts in February and March 2011.
For the BBC Learning project "Off By Heart Shakespeare", Walters delivered one of Shakespeare's best known speeches — "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" from Romeo and Juliet.[11] In October 2011, Walters starred in the Arjun Rose slasher Demons Never Die. From 31 October 2011, he played Dushane in Channel 4's four-part drama Top Boy. In February 2012, he played Chris in the BBC drama Inside Men. In 2013, Walters reprised his role as main character Dushane in the second series of Top Boy.
He managed to get in trouble with the producers on the first day of filming Doctor Who episode "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS" when he tweeted a picture of himself in his costume in his trailer with the word "space". The picture was immediately removed.[12]
In 2017, Walters received the British Urban Film Festival honorary award from Lisa Maffia & Sheila Nortley at the BT Tower in London for 25 years outstanding contribution to film and television. Walters reprised his role in 2019 as Dushane in Top Boy again following its revival on streaming service Netflix, appearing in the third series that year, the fourth series of the drama in 2022 and the fifth in 2023.
Personal life
editWalters has four children with his ex-partner.[13] He lives with his wife and their two children in Herne Bay, Kent.[14]
On 31 March 2014, he was fined £600 after he admitted assaulting a security guard in Aberdeen in September 2013.[15] In July 2014, he was fined £1250 for possession of cannabis at Holyhead, Anglesey.[16] In May 2016, Walters was fined £1000 after admitting using threatening words and behaviour towards staff at the Hilton Hotel, Islington.[17] Walters has said his father's absence while he was growing up contributed to his criminal behaviour.[18]
Walters is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C.[19]
Political views
editIn December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Walters signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."[20][21]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Take 2 | Bro | Short film |
| 2000 | The Elevator | Young man | |
| Some Voices | Kitchen hand | ||
| Born Romantic | Lee | ||
| 2004 | Bullet Boy | Ricky | |
| 2005 | House of 9 | Al B | Credited as Asher D |
| Goal! | Carl Francis | ||
| Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Antoine | ||
| 2006 | Stormbreaker | Wolf | |
| Cubs | Karl | Short film | |
| Life and Lyrics | Danny Lewis | ||
| 2007 | WΔZ | Daniel Leone | |
| Sugarhouse | D | ||
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Prince Kabala | |
| Tuesday | Billy | ||
| 2011 | Fedz | Cherokee Blame | Short film |
| Reparations for the Soul | The Entity | ||
| Anuvahood | Cracks | ||
| Sket | Trey | ||
| Demons Never Die | Bates | ||
| 2012 | St. George's Day | Kootz | |
| 2013 | Grace and Danger | Felling | |
| All Stars | Mark | ||
| 2014 | Montana | Ryan | |
| 2016 | Billionaire Ransom | Danny Dorsey | |
| 2016 | Demain tout commence | Lowell |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones | Omar | Episode: "My First Adventure" |
| 1997 | Grange Hill | Andy Phillips | 12 episodes |
| 1999 | The Murder of Stephen Lawrence | Stuart Lawrence | |
| 2000 | The Coral Island | Jack | |
| Storm Damage | Stefan | ||
| Urban Gothic | Leo | Episode: "Dead Meat" | |
| The Bill | Michael Dexter | Episode: "Search Me" | |
| Never Never | Lee | 2 episodes | |
| 2001 | Shockers: Parent's Night | Brian | |
| The Whistle-Blower | Keith Lindo | 2 episodes | |
| The Bill | Jess Thomas | Episode: "Lick of Paint" | |
| Dark Realm | Student | Episode: "Castle Keep" | |
| 2002 | The Hidden City | Sid | 21 episodes |
| 2003 | Holby City | Roy Woodley | Episode: "One of Our Own" |
| 2004 | Top Buzzer | Bugsy | Episode: "Germination" |
| 2005 | Last Rights | Max | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Hustle | Billy Bond | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | West 10 LDN | Lacey | |
| 2009 | Small Island | Michael | |
| 2010 | Five Days | Jamal Matthews | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Bedlam | Mark | Episode: "Committed" |
| Outcasts | Jack Holt | 8 episodes | |
| 2011–2023 | Top Boy | Dushane | Main Role, also executive producer (Season 4-5) |
| 2012 | Inside Men | Chris | 4 episodes |
| True Love | Paul | Episode: "Story Four" | |
| Sinbad | Abdul-Fahim | Episode: "House of Games" | |
| 2013 | Doctor Who | Gregor Van Baalen | Episode: "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS" |
| 2013 | Truckers | Steven Warley | 5 episodes |
| 2014 | The Musketeers | Charon | Episode: "The Homecoming" |
| 2014 | The Secrets | Ray | Episode: "The Return" |
| 2014 | Silent Witness | DI Dale Carter | Episodes: "Fraternity" Parts 1 & 2 |
| 2015 | Cuffs | PC Ryan Draper | 8 episodes |
| 2016 | The Aliens | Christophe | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Safe House | John Channing | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | In The Dark | DI Tim Cornish | Episodes: "Time of Death" Parts 1 & 2 |
| 2018–2021 | Bulletproof | NCA Officer Ronnie Pike | Main Role – 6 episodes Also Co-Creator |
| TBA | † Adolescence | Luke Bascombe | Post-production |
Web
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Shiro's Story | Ty | Part 3 (Short YouTube Series); Cameo |
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Date | Title | Chart positions | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2002 | Why Me?
|
–
|
Asher D |
| 14 June 2004 | Street Sibling
|
–
|
Asher D |
| 9 October 2006 | In Memory of the Street Fighter
|
–
|
Asher D |
| 26 February 2009 | Ashley Walters
|
–
|
Ashley Walters |
Mixtapes
edit| Date | Title | Chart positions | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| June 2006 | Cure 4 Cancer
|
–
|
Asher D |
| 4 February 2007 | The Appetiser
|
–
|
Asher D |
| 15 December 2011 | Forgotten Treasures Vol. 1
|
–
|
Ashley Walters |
| 31 December 2011 | Forgotten Treasures Vol. 2
|
–
|
Ashley Walters |
| 31 December 2011 | Forgotten Treasures Vol. 3
|
–
|
Ashley Walters |
| 2 January 2012 | Forgotten Treasures Vol. 4
|
– –
|
Ashley Walters |
| 16 February 2012 | Forgotten Treasures: The Complete Legacy
|
–
|
Ashley Walters |
Singles
edit| Date | Title | Chart positions | Album | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | ||||
| 27 May 2002 | "Back in the Day"/"Why Me?" | #43 | Why Me? | Asher D |
| 14 February 2006 | "This is Real" | – | In Memory of the Street Fighter | Asher D |
| 1 August 2006 | "Andrea" | – | Asher D | |
| 9 July 2007 | "Still Here" | – | Asher D | |
| 5 November 2007 | "Inside Out" | – | Non-album single | Asher D featuring Ghetto |
| 28 July 2008 | "Lies" | – | Baby J featuring Ashley Walters | |
| 28 October 2008 | "M.O. (Pt. 2)" | – | Ashley Walters | Ashley Walters |
| 12 January 2009 | "With You" | – | Ashley Walters featuring Mutya Buena | |
| 18 May 2009 | "Own Two Feet" | – | Ashley Walters featuring Chipmunk | |
| 29 July 2012 | "How You Like Me Now" | – | TBC | Ashley Walters featuring Lisa Moorish |
| 11 November 2012 | "Your Love" | – | Ashley Walters featuring Alesha Dixon |
References
edit- ^ "INSIDE OUT". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ "Ashley Walters interview: Peckham, 'Top Boy' and Black British representation". Time Out London. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Who is Asher D?". Newsround. BBC. 25 March 2002. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
- ^ "So Solid middle-class upbringing". 25 March 2002. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Asher D gets jailed for gun crime". Newsround. BBC. 25 March 2002. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Sean O'Neill (26 March 2002). "So Solid Crew rapper sentenced to 18 months for having loaded gun". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "Ashley Walters interview by Pete Lewis". Bluesandsoul.com. December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ Eames, Tom (5 March 2016). "15 actors you forgot were in Young Indiana Jones". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ [1] Archived 18 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Royal Court Presents Oxford Street". Royalcourttheatre.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ "Schools – Teachers – Off By Heart Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"". BBC. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ Lazarus, Susanna (22 October 2011). "Ashley Walters on his Doctor Who role: you'll see more of the Tardis than ever before". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ "Ashley Walters on the perils of being Top Boy". Radio Times. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Who is Danielle Walters? The wife of Top Boy star who lives in Herne Bay". Kent Live. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Former So Solid Crew member Ashley Walters fined for Aberdeen assault". BBC News. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ Davenport, Justin (11 July 2014). "So Solid Crew rapper Asher D caught with cannabis at Welsh airport". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ Kirk, Tristan (9 May 2016). "So Solid Crew rapper Ashley Walters fined for abusive tirade at hotel staff". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ "Ashley Walters opens up about growing up with an absent father". Evening Express. Press Association. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Arsenal Unveil New Emirates Stadium Artwork". Getty Images. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
Arsenal fan and actor Ashley Walters at the unveiling of the new Emirates stadium artwork at Candid Arts Gallery on January 11, 2023 in Islington, England.
- ^ "Vote for hope and a decent future". The Guardian. 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ Proctor, Kate (3 December 2019). "Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
External links
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