Biography
Ashley Rae Didion, born Ashley Rae Cope, grew up in the small town of Crane in Southwest Missouri. She is the daughter of George Cope, a former construction business owner, and Sandy Cope, a former country music singer. Ashley has two younger sisters, Morgan and Cory Cope. Raised on a large farm near Branson, Missouri, she spent much of her childhood performing on stage with her family and acting in local commercials. During high school, Ashley was active in Crane High's drama program and attended a summer drama course at the University of Southern California before her senior year.
After high school, Ashley enrolled at Missouri State University to pursue a degree in Business Entrepreneurship with a focus on Spanish. After one semester, she moved to Los Angeles, where she lived and worked for six months before returning to Missouri to finish her studies. While at Missouri State, she signed with an agency in Kansas City and continued acting and modeling in commercials, short films, and print work.
In her junior year, Ashley studied abroad in London for a semester, igniting a lifelong passion for travel. After graduating, she spent six months living in New Zealand, engaging in outdoor adventures. To support herself, she worked at a local surf shop and signed with an agency that enabled her to model in print ads and serve as an industrial spokesperson for various New Zealand companies.
Upon returning to the U.S., Ashley settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where she married Matthew Didion, a business manager for Karen Didion Originals. She is currently represented by Now Talent Management and continues to act and model in local and semi-national commercials as well as short films. In 2013, Ashley secured a speaking role in David Fincher's film "Gone Girl," which was scheduled for release in 2014.
