Bio: Ashley Victoria Benson was born on December 18, 1989 in Anaheim Hills, California, to Shannon (Harte) and Jeff Benson. She has Irish, English, and German ancestry. She has been dancing competitively since she was 2 with hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap and lyrical. She has been singing since she was about 5 and she hopes to pursue that, along with her acting. Ashley started modeling at the age of 5 for dance catalogs. Ashley was then pursued by The Ford Modeling Agency at the age of 8. She worked steadily in print and is still with the Agency. At the age of 10, she wanted to pursue acting. Ashley went on to do 35 commercials, and then on to theatrical roles. Acting was now Ashley's passion. Ashley put all her focus into acting, which left little time for modeling and dancing, anymore. Ashley's most recent role is "Hanna Marin" on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars (2010). Ashley also had a cameo in Romeo Miller (aka Lil Romeo) and Solange's music video for the song "True Love". She did a photo shoot with Britney Spears for Vogue Magazine. She is in NLT's music video, "That Girl".
Tivia: Ashley was born two months early weighing 2 pounds 8 oz. She was in ICU for a month. Her parents were told she would need heart surgery on Christmas Day. Prayers were answered when her parents went in Christmas Day and were told by doctors that her heart had closed up. Ashley never needed any surgeries. She was released to go home at 4 1/2 pounds after being hospitalized two months. She has been healthy ever since!.She was the inspiration for the physical look of teenage "Jean Grey" in the 2008 comic book, "X-Men Origins". In addition, Sasha Pieterse, her co-star in Pretty Little Liars (2010), inspired the physical look of an adolescent Jean Grey.Her father has English and German ancestry. Her mother's family is from Ireland.In April 2005, signed a 3-year contract with Days of Our Lives (1965).Younger sister of fellow actress Shaylene Benson.No relation to Amber Benson of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame, despite a popular misconception.Made her acting debut in a 2002 Salon Surprise Barbie Doll commercial.Ironically for someone who starred in "Bring It On: In It To Win It" and "Fab Five: the Texas Cheerleader Scandal", Benson tried out for her high school cheer squad but was *not* selected. "More than anything else, it was the pyramid that got me," she admits. "I just didn't have any head for heights".In Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008), she beat Carissa Fowler by giving her two slaps and two punches.