Ashleigh Cummings
Ashleigh Cummings (born November 11, 1992) is an Australian actress. She became known for her role as Robyn Mathers in Tomorrow, When the War Began. The film, based on the book of the same name, earned Cummings a nomination for Best Young Actor at the 2010 Australian Film Institute Awards. Cummings is also known for her role as Dorothy Williams in ABC1's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and her role as Debbie Vickers in Puberty Blues.
Ashleigh Cummings | |
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![]() Cummings at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Special Event Screening in 2014 | |
Born | [1] Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | November 11, 1992
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2007–present |
Early life
Cummings was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where her Australian parents lived and worked. She moved to Australia with her family when she was 12 years old.[2][3][4] From the age of two, Cummings trained as a ballet dancer. When she was 14 she joined the Brent Street School of Performing Arts, where she learned dance and acting.[3][5] Cummings then attended Wenona School in North Sydney, where she graduated in 2010.[6] She also attended the film and television school Screenwise.[7] Cummings studied philosophy at university between acting roles.[2]
Career
Cummings appeared as a dancer in Darren Ashton's Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance in 2007.[8] She went on to star as Ally Sheppard in Green Fire Envy a project that was produced by the Participate Film Academy.[5][9] Cummings' next projects were a role in the television film Dream Life and a guest stint in soap opera Home and Away.[10]
In September 2009, it was announced Cummings had joined the cast of Tomorrow, When the War Began, a film based on the John Marsden book of the same name.[6] Cummings learned how to ride dirt bikes and operate AK-47 assault rifles before filming began.[6] She also sat her year 11 exams early and missed the first part of year 12, while shooting the film.[6] Cummings earned a nomination for Best Young Actor at the 2010 Australian Film Institute Awards for her portrayal of Robyn Mathers.[11]
From September 2010, Cummings appeared in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Our Town.[2] The actress went on to appear in episodes of Rescue Special Ops, Underbelly: Razor and Dance Academy in 2011.[8] She was then cast as Dorothy "Dot" Williams in ABC1's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, a drama series based on Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher historical mysteries.[12] Dorothy is "a conservative working-class Catholic" who becomes Phryne's assistant and companion.[10]
In March 2012, it was announced that Cummings had been cast as Debbie Vickers in the television adaptation of Puberty Blues.[13] Cummings read the novel before her audition and she revealed that she was surprised at the content. Cummings told Yahoo!7's Darren Cartwright, "In terms of the sexual nature of it, I wasn't aware of a lot of that and I've learnt so much (doing this movie)."[14] To prepare for the role of Debbie, Cummings took surfing lessons.[14] Cummings went overseas for three weeks to work as a volunteer in South-East Asia, before she returned to film the second series of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.[14] For her roles in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Puberty Blues, Cummings received a nomination for Most Popular Actress at the Logie Awards.[15]
Cummings recorded vocals for Dan Webb's debut album Sandstorm, released in 2014.[16] She also starred in Rhys Graham's first feature film Galore as Billie.[17][18] Cummings received a nomination for Best Performance by a Young Actor at the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards for her role in Galore.[19] In 2015, Cummings appeared in the television miniseries Gallipoli as Celia.[17] She also stars in the remake of the 1981 film Goodbye Pork Pie.[20] In 2016, Cummings won the Heath Ledger Scholarship awarded by Australians in Film to study at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Los Angeles.[21] Cummings has a lead role in Hounds of Love. She was also cast as Cheryl Miller in Westside, the prequel series to Outrageous Fortune.[22]
Cummings plays Pippa in The Goldfinch, a film adaptation of Donna Tartt's novel of the same name.[23] She also appears in the lead role of Vic McQueen in AMC horror series NOS4A2.[24]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance | Dancer | |
2008 | Green Fire Envy | Ally Sheppard | |
2010 | Tomorrow, When the War Began | Robyn Mathers | |
2013 | Galore | Billie | |
2013 | My Mother Her Daughter | Gabrielle | Short |
2013 | Greg's First Day | Erica | Short |
2014 | Snowblind | Paige | Short |
2016 | Hounds of Love | Vicki Maloney | |
2017 | Pork Pie | Keira Leigh-Jones | |
2019 | The Goldfinch | Pippa | |
2020 | Vide Noir | Lee |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Dream Life | Sal | TV film |
2009 | Home and Away | Ali Edmonds | Guest role (3 episodes) |
2011 | Rescue: Special Ops | Britney | "The Intervention" |
2011 | Underbelly: Razor | Gracie | "Blood Alley" |
2012 | Dance Academy | Trilby | "Faux Pas De Deux" |
2012–2014 | Puberty Blues | Debbie Vickers | Main role |
2012–2015 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Dorothy 'Dot' Williams | Main role |
2015 | Gallipoli | Celia Houghton | TV miniseries |
2017–2018 | Westside | Cheryl Miller | Regular role (series 3 & 4) |
2019–2020 | NOS4A2 | Vic McQueen | Main role |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | AACTA Awards | Best Young Actor | Tomorrow, When the War Began | Nominated |
2013 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Actress | Puberty Blues and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Nominated |
AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Puberty Blues | Nominated | |
2014 | 16th Annual St Tropez Antipodes Film Festival | Best Actress | Galore | Won |
2015 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Performance by a Young Actor | Galore | Nominated |
AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Puberty Blues (season 2) | Nominated | |
2016 | Australians in Film | Heath Ledger Scholarship | N/A | Won |
73rd Venice International Film Festival | Best Actress (Venice Days)[25] | Hounds of Love | Won | |
2018 | Australian Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Hounds of Love | Nominated |
Ozflix Independent Film Awards | Best Actress | Hounds of Love | Nominated | |
References
- "Ashleigh Cummings". Lisa Mann Creative Management. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- Kalina, Paul (9 August 2012). "Blues sound for a new generation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- Sams, Christine (12 August 2012). "Blues sisters shine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- "Feature: Ashleigh Cummings". Sydney Theatre Company. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- "Cast – Ashleigh Cummings". Participate Film Academy. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
- Sams, Christine (13 September 2009). "Young guns shoot to thrill in Aussie film". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- "Screenteens Acting Classes – May Intake". Screenwise. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- "Debbie played by Ashleigh Cummings". Network Ten. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
- "Feature Film Production Synopsis and Credits". Australian Film Institute. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
- "Dorothy Williams". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- Joyce, James (11 December 2010). "War begins for AFI honours". The Newcastle Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- Meade, Amanda (2 February 2012). "Teaser: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries". The Australian. News Limited. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- "Cummings and Harding play Debbie and Sue". Yahoo!7 TV. Yahoo!. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- Cartwright, Darren (7 August 2012). "No Sexual Blues For Young Actress". Yahoo!7 TV. Yahoo!. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- Byrnes, Holly (11 March 2013). "Comic duo Hamish Blake and Andy Lee to battle each other for Gold Logie". The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- "Exclusive Single Premiere: Dan Webb ft. Ashleigh Cummings "Sleep" (2014)". The AU Review. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- Roach, Vicky (16 June 2014). "Puberty Blues star Ashleigh Cummings travelled solo to the Big Apple at 14". news.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- Hawker, Philippa (25 July 2013). "Galore a moving story of first love, loss and betrayal set against Canberra bushfires". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- Maddox, Garry (3 February 2015). "Water Diviner and Babadook go head-to-head again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- Baillie, Russell (27 March 2016). "Say Hello to Goodbye Pork Pie's new Blondini gang". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- "Heath Ledger's scholarship winner announced". The West Australian. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- Daniell, Sarah (29 July 2017). "Australian Ashleigh Cummings to play Cheryl West in Westside". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- Kroll, Justin (18 December 2017). "Ashleigh Cummings Joins Warner Bros.' 'The Goldfinch' Adaptation (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- Petski, Denise (13 September 2018). "'NOS4A2': Zachary Quinto & Ashleigh Cummings To Star In AMC Horror Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- Scarpa, Vittoria (9 September 2016). "The Venice Days Award goes to The War Show". CinEuropa. Retrieved 20 October 2016.