# Annaleigh Ashford
**Annaleigh Ashford** is an American actress and singer who won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the 2014 Broadway revival of *You Can't Take It with You* and built a parallel television career on shows including *Masters of Sex*, *B Positive*, and *[Welcome to Chippendales](https://www.edgepedia.org/welcome-to-chippendales)*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985, Denver, Colorado[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) |
| Broadway debut | Original Margot in *Legally Blonde* (2007)[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846) |
| Tony Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, *You Can't Take It with You*, 2015[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) |
| Tony nominations | *Kinky Boots* (2013, featured role in a musical) and *Sweeney Todd* (2023, leading role in a musical)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) |
| Emmy nomination | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, 2023, as Irene Banerjee in *Welcome to Chippendales*[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/annaleigh-ashford) |
| Signature TV roles | Betty DiMello on *Masters of Sex*; Gina Dabrowski on *B Positive*; Paula Jones in *Impeachment: American Crime Story*[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/annaleigh-ashford/) |
| Spouse | Joe Tapper, married since 2013[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) |
## Early work and Broadway breakthrough
Ashford grew up in the Denver area, where she studied dance and got her first stage role at age nine, playing Tina Denmark in *Ruthless!* at Denver's Theatre on Broadway[5](https://www.denvercenter.org/news-center/annaleigh-ashford-from-waders-to-wicked-tony-award-winner-to-headline-saturday-night-alive/). After appearing as Natalie in *Feeling Electric* at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2005, she joined the first national tour of *Wicked* as Pfanne and as an understudy for Glinda[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Annaleigh-Ashford/).
Her Broadway debut came in 2007, originating the role of Margot in *Legally Blonde: The Musical*, where she also understudied [Elle Woods](https://www.edgepedia.org/elle-woods)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747). She then played Glinda on Broadway from October 2007 to May 2008 and again in the Chicago production[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747). Small film parts followed in 2008, in [Jonathan Demme](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-demme)'s *[Rachel Getting Married](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-getting-married)* and *Sex and the City: The Movie*[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846).
## Tony win and stage career
**Kinky Boots** marked her breakthrough. As the original Lauren in the [Cyndi Lauper](https://www.edgepedia.org/cyndi-lauper) and [Harvey Fierstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvey-fierstein) musical, which opened on Broadway in 2013, she earned her first Tony nomination, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747). The role also helped her win the recurring part of Betty DiMello on Showtime's *Masters of Sex* and a minor voice role in Disney's *Frozen*[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846).
In 2014 she appeared as Essie in the Broadway revival of *You Can't Take It with You* and won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, along with the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for the role[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2807560/). She followed with the title role in the play *Sylvia* (2015) and, opposite [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/jake-gyllenhaal), as Dot/Marie in the 2017 Broadway revival of [Stephen Sondheim](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-sondheim)'s *Sunday in the Park with George*, which was staged first at New York City Center[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846).
**Sweeney Todd.** Ashford returned to Broadway in 2023 as Mrs. Lovett opposite [Josh Groban](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-groban) in the revival of *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street*, staying with the production through 2024[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846) • [1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747). The performance brought a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, and the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747). In late 2024 and early 2025 she appeared as a replacement performer in the Broadway play *All In: Comedy About Love*[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747).
## Television and film
Ashford's screen work spans comedy and drama. She played Betty DiMello on *Masters of Sex* for four seasons, her first lead television role[8](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/annaleigh-ashford). Between 2020 and 2021 she was a lead on the CBS sitcom *B Positive* as Gina Dabrowski, and she also sang the show's theme song[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846).
She played [Paula Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/paula-jones) across the Ryan Murphy limited series *The People v. She played Elizabeth Cote in *The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story* (2018) and Paula Jones in *Impeachment: American Crime Story* (2021)[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/annaleigh-ashford/) • [11](https://playbill.com/article/american-crime-story-versace-starring-darren-criss-sets-premiere-date). In 2022 she appeared as Irene Banerjee in the Hulu series *Welcome to Chippendales*, earning a 2023 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/annaleigh-ashford).
In 2025 she starred as Melissa, the daughter of a convicted serial killer, in *[Happy Face](https://www.edgepedia.org/happy-face-tv-series)* on Paramount+, opposite [Dennis Quaid](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-quaid)[9](https://apnews.com/article/38910ac50c67d210a9d6f1f3a9751e22). Her film credits include the thriller *Hold Your Breath*, which debuted at the [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival) in 2024[5](https://www.denvercenter.org/news-center/annaleigh-ashford-from-waders-to-wicked-tony-award-winner-to-headline-saturday-night-alive/).
## Recording and other work
Ashford released her debut single, "Another Time (Andrew's Song)," in 2014, and her first album, *Lost in the Stars: Live at 54 Below*, in 2015[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846). She has also worked as a producer, teaming with Tony-winning producer Nick Mills as an executive producer on the short film *After Words*[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2807560/news/).
## References
1. [Annaleigh Ashford – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/annaleigh-ashford-453747)
2. [Annaleigh Ashford Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/annaleigh-ashford-mn0001575846)
3. [Annaleigh Ashford, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/annaleigh-ashford)
4. [Annaleigh Ashford, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/annaleigh-ashford/)
5. [Annaleigh Ashford: From Waders to Wicked, Denver Center for the Performing Arts](https://www.denvercenter.org/news-center/annaleigh-ashford-from-waders-to-wicked-tony-award-winner-to-headline-saturday-night-alive/)
6. [Annaleigh Ashford, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Annaleigh-Ashford/)
7. [Annaleigh Ashford, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2807560/)
8. [Annaleigh Ashford, London Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/annaleigh-ashford)
9. [What to stream, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/38910ac50c67d210a9d6f1f3a9751e22)
10. [Annaleigh Ashford News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2807560/news/)
11. [American Crime Story: Versace, Starring Darren Criss, Sets Premiere Date](https://playbill.com/article/american-crime-story-versace-starring-darren-criss-sets-premiere-date)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Theater traditions by region › Theater of the Americas › Broadway theatre*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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