Ashley Aufderheide Brings 90s Magic to Netflix
The 18 year-old actress stars as the loyal, rebellious Gwen Runck in the follow-up series to "That 70's Show."
I started watching “That 90’s Show” last night and it’s absolutely hilarious. I’m so curious about the journey from auditioning to getting the role to now seeing it on Netflix?
I love this question. I auditioned in October, sending in a video of myself. Then in November, I did an Actor's Access, which is essentially like a zoom. The director and executive producers and all of that were in it. I also did one chemistry read with someone auditioning for Leia. So maybe it was three auditions, and then that was it for me. I was actually the first one cast, which is crazy to me, but then I had to do a bunch of other chemistry reads with other actors that were auditioning for their roles. So I did one with Callie, with Max, with Ren, and with other people, which was a fun experience.
When I got the role, I flew out to the West Coast, and we just started the show. It’s been a surreal experience that I cannot believe has happened. And we just had the premiere, and here I am now.
I gotta say, the scene where we first meet Gwen is incredible. It's just such a funny interaction and leaves an impression with the character. Are you two similar in any way?
Gwen is very bold. She's confident, she's a leader, and an extrovert. I'm also very bold, and I feel like if I'm thinking something, I say it. Gwen's the same, like we're both outgoing people. It's actually crazy because Gwen was originally, in her character description, she was a petite powerhouse with pink hair. And once I auditioned for it, they sort of changed who Gwen is as a character to match my vibe, which was pretty cool.
We get to see characters from the original show return for this follow-up series. Were yo a fan of "That 70's Show?"
I hadn't seen the show until I got the audition, so I had to do my research. I watched an episode and immediately fell in love with it. And even if I hadn't gotten the role, I would be binge watching, that's for sure. Every week I got to work with members of the legacy cast, Deborah Joe and Kurt Wood. They were amazing. I mean, everyone in the legacy cast – their timing, their delivery. It's incredible. They're very professional and funny as people as well. A piece of advice that I got from them was definitely to stay authentic to who I am and just have fun. I mean, it's a comedy after all. We're in front of an audience. I wanted to just embrace the moment because I'm so fortunate to be in that position.
Wow, so the show is actually filmed in front of a live audience?
Yes.
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