Discover how Catherine Ashmore Bradley builds her own table in film
From Stage to Screen: Catherine Ashmore Bradley on Building Her Own Table and Claiming Her Space
At just 18 years old, Catherine Ashmore Bradley is redefining what it means to be a modern multi-hyphenate in entertainment. From revisiting her childhood roots in Spandex the Musical alongside pop legend Tiffany to tackling dark new territory in horror, Bradley’s versatility is matched only by her ambition. Unwilling to wait for the industry to hand her opportunities, she co-founded Ashmore Pictures with her sisters to champion complex, female-driven narratives both on camera and behind the scenes. Whether producing sports underdog films like Chicago Nobodies in partnership with Major League Soccer, optioning hit novels for television, or utilizing her projects to support youth advocacy, Bradley is taking full ownership of her creative trajectory—proving that young women belong at every stage of the storytelling process.
1. Revisiting Dori Jenson: You’ve been connected to Spandex the Musical since you were nine years old. How does it feel returning to the role of Dori at 18, and how has your approach to her evolved alongside your own personal growth?
Revisiting Dori at eighteen
It’s surreal to return to Dori at 18 because when I was nine, I connected with the music, dancing, comedy, and this crazy ’80s world, but now I can bring so much more of myself to her, including the confidence, independence, relationships, and experiences that come with growing up. I understand her choices and emotions in a way I simply couldn’t as a kid, so even though I’ve grown up with Dori, I feel like I’m getting to discover and play her for the first time.
2. Building the Table: You co-founded Ashmore Pictures with your sisters to champion female-driven stories. What was the exact moment or realization that made you decide to “build the table” rather than wait for a seat at one?
Growing up as actresses, my sisters and I learned pretty early how much of this business is waiting for someone else to write the role, give you the audition, or decide you’re right for it, and eventually we started asking, why do we have to wait? We created Ashmore Pictures because we want to help create those opportunities ourselves and tell stories about complicated young women who are allowed to be ambitious, funny, messy, imperfect, and completely human.
Why we built our own table
3. Multi-Hyphenate Mindset: For Chicago Nobodies, you’re not only acting in the film but also serving as an Associate Producer through Ashmore Pictures. What has it been like balancing your responsibilities as an actor and a producer on the same set?
A lot of my producing focus on Chicago Nobodies has been on PR, marketing, and building an audience for the movie before it is even released, which actually mirrors my character, the older sister who uses social media and storytelling to help turn the Chicago Nobodies into somebody. Acting taught me to focus on my part of the story, while producing is teaching me to think about how you make people care enough to discover the story in the first place.
4. Working with MLS & Chicago Fire: Chicago Nobodies brings together family cinema and Major League Soccer. What was the atmosphere like filming on location in Chicago, and how did the partnership with MLS enhance the authenticity of the movie?
MLS partnership fuels authentic storytelling
Having MLS and the Chicago Fire involved brings a level of authenticity that matters because audiences can tell when a sports movie really understands the world it is portraying. But at its heart, Chicago Nobodies is an underdog story about kids who have been overlooked and underestimated learning that becoming “somebody” starts with believing in themselves. Get a glimpse of Chicago Nobodies here: Chicago Nobodies
5. Showcasing Range: You’re balancing an ’80s aerobics stage musical, an inspirational sports film, and an upcoming horror project. What draws you to jumping between such wildly different genres?
That’s my favorite part of acting because I never want to keep playing different versions of the same person. If the next project scares me a little because it asks me to do something completely different, that usually makes me want to do it even more. Get Ticket information: Spandex the Musical
Leaping across genres fearlessly
6. Stepping into the Dark: Coming from family television (The Really Loud House, Bubble Guppies) and Broadway (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), what excites you most about diving into the horror genre for your next film?
I’m 18 now, so it feels natural that the characters and stories I’m drawn to are growing up with me, and horror gives me the chance to explore fear, survival, trust, and much darker emotional territory. After spending years making people laugh as Luan Loud, getting the chance to make them scream sounds pretty fun.
7. Artistry Meets Advocacy: You’ve woven social impact directly into your creative ventures, from supporting Room to Read and Rebel Girls to benefiting Children’s Miracle Network through Spandex. How do you choose the causes you align your projects with?
Choosing causes that matter deeply
It has to be something I genuinely care about, which is why girls’ education and empowerment through organizations like Room to Read and Rebel Girls have been so important to me, and why I love that Spandex can support Children’s Miracle Network. Entertainment can make people laugh, cry, or escape for a while, but if I can also use the platform I’ve been given to do some good, that makes it even more meaningful.
8. Lessons from Legends: In Spandex the Musical, you’re sharing the stage with pop icon Tiffany and theater talent Sims Lamason. What has been your biggest takeaway from working alongside this cast?
Watching someone like Tiffany, who has sustained an incredible career and is still willing to play, experiment, and try something new, reminds me that longevity and curiosity really go together. This entire cast brings something different into the room, and I’m constantly reminded that no matter how long you’ve been performing, there is always somebody new to learn from.
Learning from legends on stage
9. Representation in Youth Media: Through Ashmore Pictures, you place a strong emphasis on media for both young and mature audiences. What kind of impact do you hope your female-led narratives have on the next generation of young women in entertainment?
I think one of the best things we can do for girls is stop insisting that every female character has to be a role model and let them be ambitious, flawed, funny, angry, brave, selfish, scared, and complicated. I want girls to grow up knowing they don’t just get to be in the story, they can be the ones deciding which stories get told.
10. What’s Next: Between your production work and on-camera roles, where do you see Ashmore Pictures heading over the next few years, and what types of stories are you most eager to greenlight next?
Future plans for Ashmore Pictures
I’m building Ashmore Pictures with my sisters, Alex and Aubin Bradley, who are both incredibly talented actresses, and getting to create this company and work on projects together has been amazing, including Starry Eyes, a popular young adult mystery-romance novel by Jenn Bennett that we’re in the early stages of developing for television. We want to keep finding female-driven stories across different genres with complicated young women at their center and eventually create opportunities not only for ourselves, but for other women as well.
Where can fans find you on socials?
