The BET+ series “Average Joe,” starring the outstanding Ashley Olivia Fisher, is a gritty one-hour drama set in Pittsburgh’s “The Hill” neighborhood. People have been buzzing about BET’s newest show for the past month since its premiere. Fisher has embodied a wide variety of characters in a number of different narratives on stage and screen, and she always brings a truly multidimensional approach to her work. Fisher’s turn in “Average Joe” will captivate viewers.

Ashley and I had a nice conversation about our new venture. The topic of discussion shifted to one of spiritual reawakening and rededication, though. She brought me on an adventure, and now I want to share it with you.

Her Purpose Changed 

“I think my perspective has changed,” Fisher remarked when asked what drives her as an actress. Two years after losing her grandma, she had a fresh perspective on Ashley as a person and actress. Interviewees’ origins interest me. Ashley’s talk was spiritual. She led me on her spiritual rediscovery as an actress in this harsh industry. 

She has passionately done this since twelve. Fisher added, “I just love the reaction you get from the audience,” which inspired her to act. It was performing with her cousins during holiday gatherings, especially Christmas. She took it more seriously as she did it and pursued it in school. Ashley added, “I was fueled by the fact that I was really good at this.” Understanding and achieving her purpose kept her motivated. 

“I think it’s different when there’s this spiritual realm that needs to be proud of you.” 

We desire to make our parents proud in any career. Ashley’s grandmother’s death sparked something new in her. “I have a deeper purpose now,” Fisher remarked. She loves performing and wants to make her grandmother proud. Before her grandmother’s death, rejection would depress her. This industry relies on rejection. “After my grandmother died, I realized the rejections didn’t bother me,” Ashley said. “This different fire kept me going.” 

Caribbean Girls 

“I want to inspire young Caribbean ladies to succeed.” 

She still wants to reach the top, but she wants to inspire a certain community. Ashley said, “There are so many people from where I’m from that don’t see this as a career option.” With this new purpose, her family’s humble Caribbean roots come full circle. She discovered some prominent entertainers are Caribbean recently and wondered how much of an influence it would have had on others like her. 

“Praise fuels me.” 

Persistence is usually to prove oneself capable. Ashley wanted to ensure that now that she is showing young girls who look like her and come from where she does that they can succeed, “I stopped booking and wondered what I was doing wrong. I doubted my talent. “But I realized that was my ego,” Fisher added. Her feeling of community and generational duty has grown. 

Staying The Course 

“I was always receiving signs when I felt broken.” 

Ashley and I discussed her acting career and perseverance. She gave her manager, Sherry Kane, “a marvelous job” of keeping her on track. Sherry stayed with her even when she wasn’t booking. This helped her understand that during your course having the right person or team is crucial for you to remain grounded and focused. “When you don’t book, managers, agents, and agencies drop you. “That’s happened to me,” Fisher added.  

“Let me lean on the gratitude that I am getting auditions.” 

Ashley kept on track by considering the odds that she would beat to get the audition. “It’s because when you get to the audition, you have to remember that they weed out like five hundred people who submitted themselves for the role, and now it’s down to about thirty people, and you are one of them,” Fisher added. This new viewpoint provided her peace of mind and a greater sense of gratitude. We often take things and opportunities for granted. Now that she’s been called in, she may leave her mark to receive more callbacks for following roles. 

BET+’s Average Joe 

“When I read the pilot, I was like, what is happening?” 

Ashley felt this show would succeed after reading the script. She wanted to join. “I was like, damn, this has some layers to it, and the writing is just so good,” Fisher remarked. She imagined the sets and watched it from her living room as the words leaped off the page. I asked her why people would like the show. She replied, “You could take away the fact that we’re a Black family and the show can resonate with anyone.” This show shows what occurs when an average family has to make tough decisions. BET+’s normal programming provides viewers with a new experience. 

“We’re not interjected in this one box.” 

Ashley thinks the show breaks network programming norms. By humanizing the Black family. “I think being super relatable is what’s going to take the show even further,” Fisher remarked. 

Photo credit:
Photographer: Shakira McQueen
Hair: Danielle Clarke 
Stylist: Veronica J