Ashley Ortega was already part of local showbiz in 2012. Her earlier television appearances include frequent guestings on shows like “Magpakailanman” and “Maynila,” as well as a role in the teleserye “Dormitoryo.”
The popularity of the young actress skyrocketed early this year when she starred as the female lead in “Crush,” the ‘80’s inspired romantic commercial from the #KwentongJollibee series. Everyone seemed interested in the doe-eyed girl in that video, which went viral and garnered over 30 million views on the first week it was released.
Ashley has come a long way since “Crush” went viral in February. Aside from being one of the co-hosts of Wowowin and a mainstay in the Marian Rivera-Dantes-helmed “Super Ma’am,” she has become a sought-after endorser of youth-oriented brands.
Ashley credits the fastfood ad for opening doors for her.
“Before ako nagkaroon ng Jollibee commercial I’ve been in the industry for years na. And then nung lumabas yung Jollibee commercial na ‘yun, months pa lang, di ba February nangyari yun? Nine months pa lang sobrang dami ko nang projects, endorsements. I have this movie, I have a teleserye, and I have a game show. Sobrang laking blessing nito sa life ko,” she said in an interview with InterAksyon.
Ashley also plays her first major role in “Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted.”
In the film, Ashley plays Chelsea, a fashion model and one-third of a posse of It Girls that also includes Cristine Reyes and Maxine Medina. Enrico Cuenca, who was her secret admirer in “Crush,” plays her boyfriend in the horror film.
The 18-year-old actress enjoyed working with the rest of the cast. She shares, “Nung una iniisip ko, oh my gosh, baka ma-intimidate ako, but when I met the entire cast, sobrang saya nila katrabaho, sobrang approachable. Hindi ako na-intimidate. I love my ‘Spirit of the Glass 2’ family.”
It was also Ashley’s first time to work with Director Jose Javier Reyes, which turned out to be surprisingly easy for her.
“Di naman masyadong nahirapan, especially yung si Direk, yung pag-motivate niya sa amin, yung panggugulat niya sa amin is very natural,” she said.
Ashley looks forward to her future projects, whatever they may be. “As long as okay ang susunod na project ko, I will take it. And I’m just gonna do my best. Ayokong maging choosy. As long as may work, go lang. I’m going to work hard for it,” she said.
“Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted” also stars Daniel Matsunaga, Benjamin Alves, Janine Gutierrez, Therese Malvar, Dominic Roque, and Aaron Villaflor. It is still showing in cinemas nationwide.
