Mandy Musgrave
Mandy Musgrave stars on The N's South of Nowhere as Ashley Davies. Her portrayal of Ashley has won her rave reviews and fantastic fans who cannot wait to discover more about this vibrant character. However, we're here to delve into the details of the star behind the character, Mandy Musgrave.
The Star Scoop:
How did you get your start in acting, and what attracted you to South of Nowhere?
Mandy Musgrave:
My start in acting, I was pretty normal growing up, I did regular high school plays, church plays. I didn't really take acting seriously, like as a career choice, until I went to high school. My mom always thought I would be great, so I was like, okay, I'll try it out, and we ended up coming out to California just to check it out for a week. Then I ended up deciding I was going to come out for pilot season, and after four months I decided I didn't have enough yet, and I wanted to keep going and going. I was attracted to South of Nowhere because everybody involved, I fell so in love. I felt like I finally had a second family, outside from where I grew up in Orlando, Florida, and it was doing something I love, and I just loved the writing, the characters, and the clothes.
The Star Scoop:
South of Nowhere is hardly taking you “nowhere!” What impact has the show had for you as an actress?
Musgrave:
Basically the realization that it's not as hard to follow your dream as it might seem. My dream was always to be an actress. Everyone said it was so out of reach, but it's not. It's changed my life in the sense, I have a lot of people looking out for me, believing in me, asking for advice.
The Star Scoop:
What is the biggest challenge for you playing your character, Ashley?
Musgrave:
A lot of people think it's playing a lesbian, because I'm not [a lesbian]. It's not even a big deal. Gabrielle Christian is one of my best friends out here, it's kind of weird, making out with her sometimes, we laugh about it, but it's just a fun little experience. The most challenging part would be this season, just breaking down, crying on cue without any products to help you do so. I'm always able to do it, but I always have to pull myself aside and go, what would make me get to that point today? I keep my mouth shut, Ashley's character doesn't.
The Star Scoop:
What do you like least, and most, about Ashley?
Musgrave:
The quality I like about her least is her tolerance level. She has no tolerance level for anything. She doesn't seem very forgiving. I myself am very forgiving. She makes so many mistakes by this season. I wish that Ashley could open up more, it's not that hard to do, but she's gone through a lot. I admire how strong she is, how focused she is. She doesn't follow what everybody else is doing. She is rich, but she doesn't flaunt it. I admire that so much about Ashley.
The Star Scoop:
Why do teens relate to Ashley?
Musgrave:
Because she's such a real character. She's outspoken, she tries to keep up with fashion. A lot of kids try to be popular, going about it the wrong way, trying to fit in by doing things that they shouldn't. Ashley speaks her mind.
The Star Scoop:
What issue would you most like to see covered on South of Nowhere?
Musgrave:
I would like to see more happen with the racial community. There's so much of that going on. I'd like to see a lot more going on with that. I would love to see Spencer and Ashley actually separate to see how their lives change without one another, to see how they try and maintain their friendship. I would like to see more from the parents, especially Paula, Spencer's mom. That's a typical thing going on with lesbians and gays, and the parents. The religious values, they don't approve of what's going on. I wish that we could bring more of an awareness. Today, it causes teens to go to the suicidal point, when they don't have their families and their lives anymore.
The Star Scoop:
Thoughts or secrets to share about the show and the new season?
Musgrave:
The first season was getting to know the characters, not necessarily their backgrounds. The second season, all the characters get more developed, there's a lot more drama. things that are major turning points in the character's lives. I think a lot of the viewers are going to be excited to see it happen. [Second Season] As for my character, she loses her father. She doesn't know how to cope, has a total mental breakdown. She gets a lot closer to Aiden, they have that history. She has a sister that comes in, and she hates her. There's a lot of drama.
The Star Scoop:
A little more about you; can you help us separate Mandy from Ashley? Tell us about yourself.
Musgrave:
I'm always cleaning, on set, doing little things here and there. When I was younger, I wanted to be two things: one was an actress, and one was a maid. I love the acting thing. I love to clean. I also wanted to go into journalism. [Also] I love to write poetry. I write at least one or two poems a day. I love to paint. You can never find that perfect piece that you want, so why not paint it yourself? I love to sing and dance. I was a Latin dancer growing up. I love all' of that.
The Star Scoop:
What are you looking to do these days?
Musgrave:
I'd like to do films sooner or later. My agents are so wonderful. I only want to do good work. I like modeling, not runway stuff, I eat too much. When the hiatus comes, I'm going to go home, see my grandparents, relax a little bit.
The Star Scoop:
What's ahead for you, long term?
Musgrave:
Hopefully I will still be acting. It's kind of hit or miss out here, that's for sure. I would like to see myself having a pretty good film under my belt, hopefully that I'd be respected for. I hope that South of Nowhere can keep going for many seasons. I would love to have a house. Everything is so expensive out here.
The Star Scoop:
Do you have a closing thought for us?
Musgrave:
There are always going to be more dreams. Go after the one, and then make sure you have another one right after it.