# Amber Stevens West
**Amber Stevens West** (birth name Amber Dawn Stevens) is an American actress and former model known for playing Ashleigh Howard on the ABC Family series *Greek* (2007–2011) and Maya in the 2014 film *[22 Jump Street](https://www.edgepedia.org/22-jump-street)*. Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1986, she is the daughter of radio and television personality [Shadoe Stevens](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadoe-stevens) and former model Beverly Cunningham.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, Los Angeles, California; birth name Amber Dawn Stevens[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) |
| Parents | Shadoe Stevens, radio personality, TV announcer, and actor; Beverly Cunningham, former model[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/) |
| Breakout role | Ashleigh Howard, best friend of Spencer Grammer's Casey, on *Greek* (2007–2011)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) |
| Film highlights | *The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift* (2006), *Fired Up!* (2009), *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012), *22 Jump Street* (2014)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/fullcredits) |
| Sitcom leads | Maxine on *The Carmichael Show* (2015–2017); Whitney on *Run the World* (2021–2023); Mercedes on *The Neighborhood* (2025–2026)[4](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Amber%2BStevens%2BWest-582485/filmography?type=serial) • [5](https://www.tvinsider.com/1252278/the-neighborhood-star-amber-stevens-west-shared-what-made-her-cry-the-most-on-the-last-day-of-filming/) |
| Voice work | Athena in the animated series *Krapopolis* (2023–2026)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/fullcredits) |
| Spouse | Actor Andrew J. West[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) |
## Early life and family
Stevens West was born in Los Angeles, California, the eldest of two daughters of Shadoe Stevens, a radio personality, television announcer, and actor, and Beverly Cunningham, a former model. Her younger sister is Chyna Rose Stevens. Her father is of Norwegian, German, English, and Dutch descent, and her mother is African-American and part Comanche.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/)
She grew up in Beverly Hills and attended [Beverly Hills High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/beverly-hills-high-school), where she was student body president. In a 2017 interview she said the school drew many students with family ties to the entertainment industry, and that classmates included the actress [Mandy Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/mandy-moore) and, for a time, [Leighton Meester](https://www.edgepedia.org/leighton-meester).[6](https://www.moviefone.com/news/amber-stevens-west-carmichael-show-interview/) A Beverly Hills Weekly profile adds that as a student in the early 2000s she auditioned for the school's production of the musical *Godspell*, saying of herself, "I'm not a very good dancer."[7](https://bhweekly.com/issues/pdf/2015_829.pdf)
Her first exposure to acting came from watching her father work. As a child she attended weekly live tapings of *Dave's World*, the 1990s sitcom on which Shadoe Stevens appeared, and she later said those visits shaped her preference for comedy and the live-audience format.[6](https://www.moviefone.com/news/amber-stevens-west-carmichael-show-interview/)
## Modeling and entry into acting
She began modeling in middle school and continued through high school, taking catalog and magazine work that she described at the time as a way to earn money and skip class for photo shoots. The modeling led to television commercials, and a manager she met through that work suggested she try an acting class, which started her screen career.[6](https://www.moviefone.com/news/amber-stevens-west-carmichael-show-interview/) After deciding to pursue acting, she trained with various teachers and with the Groundlings, the Los Angeles improv comedy troupe.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/)
## Television career
Her screen debut was a bit part as a cheerleader in *The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift* (2006). The next year she won the role that established her, Ashleigh Howard on *Greek*, the ABC Family college comedy-drama that ran from 2007 to 2011; her character was the best friend and roommate of Casey Cartwright, played by [Spencer Grammer](https://www.edgepedia.org/spencer-grammer).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) • [7](https://bhweekly.com/issues/pdf/2015_829.pdf)
While on *Greek* she took guest roles on other series, including *Grey's Anatomy*, *How I Met Your Mother*, *New Girl*, and *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/amber-stevens-west/credits/3060290081/) After the series ended she returned to regular television work in several comedies: she played Annie on the Fox series *Ghosted* (2017–2018), Claire on *Happy Together* (2018), and Whitney on the Starz comedy *Run the World* (2021–2023).[4](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Amber%2BStevens%2BWest-582485/filmography?type=serial) • [9](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2022846/)
**The Carmichael Show.** In 2015 she joined the NBC sitcom *The Carmichael Show*, playing Maxine, the therapist girlfriend of [Jerrod Carmichael](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerrod-carmichael)'s lead character, whose biracial identity was a recurring subject of the show's commentary. The series ran from 2015 to 2017, and she has described finding her comedic voice in that role.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) • [4](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Amber%2BStevens%2BWest-582485/filmography?type=serial) • [6](https://www.moviefone.com/news/amber-stevens-west-carmichael-show-interview/)
**Recent work.** Since 2023 she has voiced Athena in the animated series *Krapopolis*. In 2025 she joined the CBS sitcom *The Neighborhood* in its eighth and final season as Mercedes, a reality TV star from *Trophy Divas of Brentwood* who hires [Malcolm Butler](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-butler) (Sheaun McKinney) to ghostwrite her book; the two characters' relationship becomes romantic and turns public after a photo of them at a Mexican restaurant circulates. She appeared in nine episodes spanning 2025 to 2026.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/fullcredits) • [5](https://www.tvinsider.com/1252278/the-neighborhood-star-amber-stevens-west-shared-what-made-her-cry-the-most-on-the-last-day-of-filming/)
## Film career
Her film roles have been mostly supporting parts in comedies and genre films. She played Sara in *Fired Up!* (2009), Ariel in *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012), and Maya, the love interest of [Jonah Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonah-hill)'s undercover officer Schmidt, in *22 Jump Street* (2014), the role for which she is best known on film.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/) • [10](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/amber-stevens-west) Other credits include the horror film *[Jessabelle](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessabelle)* (2014), *Love Jacked* (2018), and the 2019 live special *Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"*, in which she played Jenny Willis Jefferson.[10](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/amber-stevens-west)
## Personal life
She is married to the actor Andrew J. West.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/)
## References
1. [Amber Stevens West, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/)
2. [Amber Stevens West – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/amber-stevens-west/)
3. [Amber Stevens West credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828226/fullcredits)
4. [Amber Stevens West filmography, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Amber%2BStevens%2BWest-582485/filmography?type=serial)
5. ['The Neighborhood': Amber Stevens West Talks Series Finale and Spinoff Hopes, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1252278/the-neighborhood-star-amber-stevens-west-shared-what-made-her-cry-the-most-on-the-last-day-of-filming/)
6. [How Amber Stevens West Went From Beverly Hills High to Sitcom Star, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/news/amber-stevens-west-carmichael-show-interview/)
7. [People & Profiles, Beverly Hills Weekly (August 2015)](https://bhweekly.com/issues/pdf/2015_829.pdf)
8. [Amber Stevens West List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/amber-stevens-west/credits/3060290081/)
9. [Amber Stevens West, El Cinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2022846/)
10. [Amber Stevens West Movies: Full List, Movie List](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/amber-stevens-west)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames U to We*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license