Ashley Tisdale Biography

Ashley Michelle Tisdale was born on July 2nd, 1985 in Monmouth Country, New Jersey to Lisa (née Morris) and Mike Tisdale, who run a construction company. She grew up in Ocean Township. While her older sister, Jennifer Tisdale, is also an actress and model, her grandfather, Arnold Morris, developed the Ginsu Knives; through her grandfather, she is also related to businessman Ron Popeil. Ashley is Jewish. When Ashley was just three years old, she was discovered by Bill Perlman, who is currently her manager, at a New Jersey mall. Perlman sent Ashley to many auditions for commercials. On her first audition, Ashley got a JC Penny TV spot and after that went on to do more than 100 commercials as a child. At the age of eight years old, Ashley was casted in a leading role in the Broadway musical, Les Misérables and later toured internationally with the cast of Annie. Ashley began her theater career by appearing in Gypsy: a Musical Fable and The Sound of Music at the Jewish Community Center of Monmouth County. At age 12, Ashley sang for Bill Clinton in the White House! Ashley Was a Ford Model. In the late 1990's and early 2000's, she made small appearances on several television such as George Lopez, Smart Guy, 7th Heaven, Strong Medicine and Bette, where she costarred with Brenda Song for the first time! She received a Young Artist Award nomination for her role in Boston Public for "best guest performance in a TV drama". Ashley had a voice role in the 1998 animated movie, A Bugs Life, and a minor role in the 2001 film Donnie Darko. Ashley had recurring roles in The Hugleys in 2002 and in Still Standing in 2003.

Credit: A Ashley tisdale forum on the web.