Lauren Elizabeth Ash (born February 4, 1983)[1][2] is a Canadian actress, musician and comedian. Ash is best known among television audiences for her role as Dina Fox on the sitcom Superstore. She is also an alumna of both Second City Toronto Mainstage[4] and is one half of the sketch comedy duo "Cory!". She is a two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner for Best Female Improviser in 2006[5] and 2007[6] and has also won for Best Performance by a Female - Television for Almost Heroes in 2012[7] and in 2015 won Best Female Performance in a Feature Film for her role as Carol in the film Dirty Singles. Since 2020, Lauren co-hosts her own podcast, "True Crime and Cocktails" along with her cousin, Christy Oxborrow.

Lauren Ash
Ash at the 2019 WonderCon
Born
Lauren Elizabeth Ash[1]

(1983-02-04) February 4, 1983 (age 41)[2]
Occupations
  • Actress
  • musician
  • comedian
Years active2005–present

Career

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Ash has played various roles in Scare Tactics as well as the Canadian TV series Almost Heroes where she won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female Improviser. She also won Best Comedic Play in 2008 and Best Sketch Troupe in 2006.[8]

She had a recurring role in The Ron James Show and made guest appearances in Lost Girl, Cracked, Bomb Girls and Call Me Fitz. Other film and television credits include Video on Trial, Hotbox and the Academy Award-nominated film Lars and the Real Girl. She was also the voice of Sam Goldman in the animated Canadian series The Dating Guy. She was part of the American sitcom Super Fun Night alongside Rebel Wilson and Liza Lapira.[9] She previously appeared in the first season Comedy Central series Another Period as Hortense, having taken over the role from Artemis Pebdani who played her in the pilot.

She won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards for her appearance on Spun Out.

Ash starred as Dina Fox from 2015-2021 on the NBC sitcom Superstore.[10][11]

From 2018 to 2020, she voiced Scorpia in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

In 2020, she began a weekly podcast titled True Crime and Cocktails with her cousin Christy Oxborrow.[12]

On April 13, 2021, Variety reported that Ash had signed an overall talent and development deal with NBCUniversal. She will also write a half-hour comedy pilot with Universal Television as part of her contract.[13] She also starred in the Netflix animated comedy Chicago Party Aunt in the same year.[14]

In 2022, Ash has mentioned that she wrote a screenplay and she’s looking to pitch her spec. [15]

In 2023, Ash became a series regular playing Lexi Rhodes on the television show, Not Dead Yet.[16] The show was canceled in 2024 after two seasons.[17]

Ash entered the music field in 2023 with the release of two singles.[18] When asked to describe her musical style, she referenced early 2000 Pop-punk and "if Gwen Stefani fronted Blink-182."

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Lars and the Real Girl Holly
2008 Camille Waitress
2011 Calvin's Dream Sylvia
2012 S is for Bird Sunny Short film
2014 Dirty Singles Carol
Apple's Hack Proof iPhone Short film
2015 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Mindy
2017 The Disaster Artist Florist
2023 Family Switch Barb

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2005–2014 Video on Trial Herself Various appearances as Juror
2006 The Wilkinsons Scarlett Tucker
Runaway Police Officer Episode: "There's No Place Like Home"
2007 Across the River to Motor City Vicki Episode: "Walk Like a Man"
2008 Facebook of Revelations: Robot A6 Television short
Facebook of Revelations: Puppy Murray's Wife Television short
Facebook of Revelations: Heroes Lenore Television short
2009 Howie Do It 11 episodes
Hotbox 3 episodes
2009–2010 The Dating Guy Sam Goldman, Danica Morris (voices) 26 episodes
2010–2011, 2013 The Ron James Show 6 episodes
2010–2013 Scare Tactics Various 12 episodes
2012 Almost Naked Animals Puma (voice) Episode: "Octopi P.I./The Lost Stunt"
2013 Bomb Girls Olga Episode: "The Quickening"
Cracked Officer Kelly Morris Episode: "Spirited Away"
Lost Girl Jane Episode: "Fae-ge Against the Machine"
Call Me Fitz Sidekick Sadie Episode: "Baby's First Brothel"
2013–2014 Super Fun Night Marika 17 episodes
2014 Spun Out Julie Anderson Episode: "Stalkblocker"
2015 Another Period Hortense Bellacourt 9 episodes
2015–2021 Superstore Dina Fox Main role, 113 episodes; also writer for the episode "Gender Reveal"
2017 Bill Nye Saves the World Kale Episode: "This Diet Is Bananas"
2017, 2018 Hollywood Game Night Herself Multiple episodes
2018, 2023 $100,000 Pyramid Herself Celebrity
2018–2020 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Scorpia (voice) Main role
2019 Lip Sync Battle Herself Episode: "Ben Feldman vs. Lauren Ash"
2020 It's Pony Officer Karen (voice) Episode: "10 Minute Ticket"
2021–2022 Chicago Party Aunt Aunt Diane (voice) Main role
2021 Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens Woman at Poolside Episode: "The Simple Life"
2023 Kiff Beryl Chatterley (voice) Recurring role
2023–2024 Not Dead Yet Lexi Rhodes Series regular
2024 Hell's Kitchen Herself Guest diner; Episode: "Don't Be Fooled"

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Last Call with Carson Daly "Elisabeth Moss, Tiger Army, Lauren Ash"". Last Call with Carson Daly. May 3, 2017. NBC. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Lauren Ash Biography". BuddyTV. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  3. ^ "City comic nets ABC role". The Intelligencer. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  4. ^ Szklarski, Cassandra (October 1, 2013). "Surreal ride for Canuck comic Lauren Ash's turn on Super Fun Night". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  5. ^ "2006 Award Winners". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  6. ^ "2007 Award Winners". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Award Winners 2012". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. ^ "second city". Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  9. ^ Vlessing, Etan (2012-11-15). "Lauren Ash Joins ABC Comedy Pilot 'Super Fun Night'". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Working on 'Superstore' has been creatively fulfilling: Lauren Ash". IANS-English. 8 October 2018.
  11. ^ Watson, Fay (4 December 2020). "Superstore cancelled: Why has Superstore been cancelled on NBC?". Express Online.
  12. ^ Fraser, Emma. "True Crime & Cocktails Mixes, Booze, Mystery, and Pajamas". Archived from the original on 2021-02-05.
  13. ^ Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (2021-04-13). "'Superstore' Alum Lauren Ash Sets Overall Deal with NBCUniversal". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  14. ^ Framke, Caroline (17 September 2021). "Netflix's 'Chicago Party Aunt' Skims the Surface, Loudly: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Where is PAUL BLART MALL COP 3? Feat. TV's LAUREN ASH". Up All Night With Bob. August 24, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ Gao, Max (2024-02-21). "'Saturday Night Live' said no, but Canadian Lauren Ash is a sitcom star thanks to 'Superstore' and 'Not Dead Yet'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  17. ^ Cordero, Rosy (2024-05-10). "'Not Dead Yet' Canceled After 2 Seasons At ABC". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  18. ^ Zapatero, Jesse (February 9, 2024). "LAUREN ASH: A NEW VENTURE INTO MUSIC, BALANCE, & MANIFESTATION". www.abookof.us. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
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