Erica Ash, the” Mad TV” alum who also starred in” Real Husbands of Hollywood” and” Survivor’s Remorse”, has died. She was 46.
The film and television star lost her life on Sunday after a “long and valiant battle with cancers,” her family announced in a statement to The Times. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones.
Ash had been battling invasive breast cancer, her writer confirmed Tuesday.
” We are deeply saddened to announce the departure of our dearest child, girl, and friend Erica Chantal Ash”, her family, Diann Ash, said in the speech. ” Erica was a remarkable woman and talented entertainer who had a real life passion and wit that made a huge impact on people’s lives. Our souls may be forever filled with her recollection.
Ash, who starred in Money’s legitimate play” In Contempt” and four seasons of Kevin Hart’s pastiche series” Real Husbands of Hollywood”, was commemorated Monday by the networks as “being similar parts clever and funny”.
” We send our deepest sympathies and passion to her parents, siblings, friends, and home”, BET said on , Instagram. ” Travel higher Queen”
Actor Loni Love, who hosted BET’s past talk show” The Real”, even saluted her “talented and brilliant friend” who had “put her all into her work”.
” She would often only be there.. today she’s gone.. My heartfelt condolences to her home”, Love , tweeted.
Although she had a role in” The Lion King” and” Baby It’s You,” she got a good start onstage. However, she did n’t initially intend to work in the entertainment sector. She graduated from Emory University, where she studied medicine, but said she did n’t feel fulfilled and took a break to “figure it out for myself”, she told The Times in 2017.
She began her journey to Japan, booked a chanting job, practiced modeling, and even participated in ringside announcing. She even received money to pay off her student loans and direct her first movie there.
” Absolutely, one thing led to another, but I tell people I’m the Forrest Gump of my area. I only blindly, by trust, walked through life and said’ well’ to things that were presented to me, and it led me around”, Ash said.
Her varied career also included a bit of stand-up comedy, but she opted for a different trajectory after recognizing that she’s” an onstage and on-camera actress” and that” stand-up just is n’t my blessing”.
” Even though I had an overall good reception, I just did n’t like the way that it felt. It was a little too dark for me, psychologically. It felt black, being backstage having an hourlong interview. I dipped my feet in the ocean and was like,’ Oop, to cold!'” she said.
The actor settled into comedic work though, joining the casts of” The Big Gay Sketch Show” in 2006 and” Mad TV” in 2008. She eventually made it big in the 2013 dread film” Scary Movie V” and was cast as Bridgette Hart on” Real Husbands of Hollywood,” which aired on BET from 2013 to 2016.
” The first year of that present, that’s all people wanted me to perform. But I was saying’ no’ and decided I was just going to figure it out]financially ]”, she told The Times.
” Thankfully, I’m really good with money. That gave me the chance to say “no” and see what different came along. My agents would stress that I would be out of the loop, but I was like,’ I do n’t want to be in the loop and be pigeonholed.’ When another position came along, M-Chuck on’ Survivor’s ‘ Remorse,’ it was perfect”.
Ash said she was aiming for a well-rounded profession. She played M-Chuck in the Starz allen line” Survivor’s Remorse” from 2014 to 2017 and even appeared in the Jennifer Lopez legal” Shades of Blue” and the CW monster play” Legacies”.
When I’m in some older people’s home and no one seems to want to come over to see me, I’m going to have the tales of my career to satisfy myself, she said.
When I grow older, I want to make decisions based on what I want to learn about myself. For me, it’s just about growing and moving forth”.
The community expressed gratitude for the kind deeds of love and support in this tough time and requested that funds be made to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation or other breast tumor bases.
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