Turned down a larger role in Kuffs (1992) because she was asked to do nude scenes. She responded, "My mother worked too hard for me to take my clothes off in my first movie."

Hobbies: running, rock climbing, mountain hiking, yoga, gardening, cooking

She attended 12 schools in 13 years before college. She was a sister of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.

Mother and half-sister are country singers Naomi Judd & Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day.

Her father, Michael Ciminella, a marketing specialist in the horseracing industry, divorced Naomi Judd in 1972.

Was named one of "The 50 Most Beautful People In The World" by People Magazine. (1996, 2000 & 2002)

Known to be a avid fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, once not showering because she felt it would jinx them. For a cheerleading scene in her movie

Someone Like You... (2001), she uses the Wildcats' cheerleaders' cheer routine, and thanks them in the credits.

Dated Robert De Niro

Dated Matthew McConaughey

Her mother, Naomi Judd, has publicly objected to many of Ashley's movies because they contain either profanity, nudity, sex, or violence.

Was named after Ashland, Kentucky, and is an eighth-generation Kentuckian

Replaced Jodie Foster for the lead in Double Jeopardy (1999).

Is fluent in French.

Could have had Pamela Anderson's role on "Home Improvement" (1991), but wanted to concentrate on making it in the movies instead. She later starred in Where the Heart Is (2000), which was directed by Matt Williams, the producer who wanted her on the sitcom.

She had a role in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), but it was left on the cutting room floor.

Dated Michael Bolton.

Fractured her right ankle when she was thrown from a horse's saddle in Franklin, Tennessee. She was hospitalized for two days. [23 November 1993]

Named one of the "25 Most Intriguing People" by People magazine. [1999]

{2000) Voted one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People Magazine.

A self-proclaimed feminist

She is an etymologist

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Ranked #20 in FHM Magazine's 100 "Sexiest Women in the World." (2002)

Worked as a waitress at the trendy 'Ivy' restaurant while studying the Sanford Meisner technique of acting at Playhouse West in Los Angeles.

Measurements: 34B-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

She was Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Kentucky

Modeled her "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" t-shirt for the Ms. Foundation and Ms. Online (ms.magazine.com), as have Whoopi Goldberg, Camryn Manheim and Margaret Cho.

Bakes chocolate chip cookies as a means to relieve stress.

Turned down the role of Catwoman in Catwoman (2004) so she could star as Maggie in 'Tennesse Williams' ' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on Broadway.

Models a Hello Kitty t-shirt with the words "Handle with Care" printed on the front. Proceeds go to the Youth AIDS Foundation. (2003).

Her first screen kiss was with Wil Wheaton on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987).

Introduced Gloria Steinem at the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2004.

Drove from Memphis to L.A. at the age of 22 to begin her rise to fame.

Ashley was able to play both a teenager and a thirty year old in the role of Vivian 'Vivi' Walker. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) )

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. (Her name was misspelled on the ballot as "Ashey Judd" by the way.) She was suggested in the Worst Actress category for her performance in the film Twisted (2004/I), she did not receive a nomination however.

[1997] Becomes a vegetarian because a friend told her that "you eat the animal's fear".

Is an enthusiast of the 'cockapoo' breed of dog (cross-bred cocker spaniels and poodles).

Has a dog named 'Buttermilk' and a tabby named 'Buttercup'.

Publicly announced her engagement to racer Dario Franchitti; they had been engaged since December 1999. (December 2001) Married at Skibo Castle near Dornoch, in Sutherland, Scotland, the same castle that hosted Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie a year earlier. [April 2000]

Good friends with Salma Hayek and Joey Lauren Adams.

Presented to the National Press Club on June 22nd, 2005 as a spokesperson for Youth AIDS International.

Worldwide Spokesperson for Youth AIDS International.

Gave testimony to U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "Stopping Cross Generational Sex and Sexual Violence To Protect Young Women from AIDS in Developing Contries: A Call to Action," June 23, 2005, as Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS and member of the Board of Directors of Population Services Inernational (PSI).

Though she only did two episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987), her character was loved by fans. Her image even appears on the Star Trek book 'End Game' (Star Trek New Frontier, No 4) by Peter David.

Was once considered for the female lead in Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Presented all the clues on the 'The World AIDS Crisis' category on the 12/2/2005 episode of the "Jeopardy!" (1984) TV show.

Visited Guatemala from 2 May 2006 to 5 May 2006, along with Salma Hayek and Colombian singer Juanes, as part of a Youth/AIDS campaign.

Named #77 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

In February 2006, she started a 47-day stay for the treatment of long-term depression in a Texas rehab center. (source: Entertainment Weekly, issue #934, May 18, 2007).

Her husband, Indy car racer Dario Franchitti, won the 2007 Indianapolis 500, the 66th winner of the race, in the #27 Canadian Club car for Andretti Green Racing in the Indy Racing League. Franchitti is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Was among 4,000 students who graduated on May 6, 2007 from the University of Kentucky. Attended U of K from 1986 to 1990 but left one course shy of graduation. Finished the work 17 years later and received a Bachelor's in French.