The entertainment world mourns the loss of Erica Ash, a vibrant actress and comedian whose career spanned television, film, and Broadway. Ash, known for her infectious laugh, sharp wit, and dedication to her craft, passed away at the age of 46 due to complications from cancer. Her passing leaves a void in the hearts of fans and colleagues alike, prompting a reflection on her remarkable journey and the legacy she leaves behind.
A Rising Star: From Broadway to Television
Erica Ash's path to stardom began on the Broadway stage, showcasing her versatile talents early in her career. She appeared on Broadway in The Lion King. Her transition to television included a two-season stint on Logo's The Big Gay Sketch Show, marking her foray into sketch comedy.
Finding Her Comedic Voice on "MADtv"
Ash's comedic talents truly shone when she joined the cast of "MADtv" for its final season in 2008. Show creator Mike O’Malley praised Ash for her dedication and infectious laugh, highlighting the depth and authenticity she brought to the character. Her ability to embody diverse characters and deliver punchlines with precision made her a standout performer.
"Survivor's Remorse": A Defining Role
A defining moment in Ash's career came with her starring role as Mary Charles "M-Chuck" Calloway in the Starz dramedy Survivor's Remorse. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2014 to 2017, allowed Ash to showcase her range as an actress, blending humor with heartfelt moments.
Beyond Television: Film and Guest Appearances
Ash's talent wasn't confined to the small screen. She made her mark in films like “Scary Movie V” and “Uncle Drew,” proving her ability to transition seamlessly between television and cinema. Following Survivor’s Remorse, Ash headlined the one season BET legal-themed drama In Contempt in 2018. One year later, she appeared in four episodes of the drama Legacies and was active guest-starring in a variety of TV shows (including Bless the Harts and Family Reunion).
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A Final Act: "Extended Family"
Erica Ash’s final TV credit was a January 2024 episode of the NBC comedy Extended Family, marking the end of a career filled with diverse roles and memorable performances.
A Legacy of Generosity and Strength
Beyond her professional achievements, Ash was known for her generosity and willingness to help others in the industry. Ash’s battle with cancer, which she kept private from many, speaks to her strength and dedication to her craft.
Remembering Erica Ash
As we reflect on Erica Ash’s life and career, it’s clear that her impact extends far beyond her impressive resume. Ash’s family has requested that donations be made to breast cancer foundations in her memory, ensuring that her legacy continues to make a positive impact.
Other Celebrities' Weight Loss Journeys
Entertainers have inspired people around the world with their weight loss journeys. If you're hoping to get inspired to make a big change in 2024, join us as we check out some before-and-after photos of famous folks who've lost significant amounts of weight over the years.
Carnie Wilson
Music star Carnie Wilson has long ridden the weight roller coaster, but in April 2024, she revealed that she's been slimming down in recent months and shared how she was doing it. "Another before and 'during' … my health journey! This is 40 pounds down," she captioned these photos she shared on Instagram, adding, "I feel really different. I need to start exercising more to make the scale start to move again, but I'm so proud and pumped. Knowing that I did this PURELY through diet - no gluten or sugar, no butter and keeping fats down too." The WIlson Phillips singer, whose father is Beach Boys legend Brian WIlson, further explained, "Lately I have indulged in cheese and nuts which have more fat. If I chose not to eat corn tortillas, nuts and cheese - there's no way I could keep this up. I have totally adjusted my eating habits to satisfy my cravings but in a realistic way. And it's a miracle.
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Jesse Plemons
Oscar-nominated "Power of the Dog" actor Jesse Plemons - the "Friday Night Lights" and "Fargo" star is seen here with wife and co-star Kirsten Dunst at the Academy Awards in March 2022 when both were up for trophies - started slimming down that same year. Jesse Plemons once again hit the red carpet at the Oscars with wife Kirsten Dunst for the March 2024 ceremony - and he looked very, very different than he did two years earlier. How'd he do it? "I got asked to do a scene in this movie and I was playing a soldier, and I was like, 'I don't know many soldiers that are my size.' So like everyone else, I started doing intermittent fasting, cut carbs, all that stuff. It's easy if you just actually do it," he said in Interview magazine in late 2022 after beginning his slim-down journey, adding, "I feel better. Blood pressure's down." Here's a closer look at Jesse Plemons looking slimmer and trimmer than ever at the 2024 Oscars alongside wife Kirsten Dunst.
Ricki Lake
Actress and former talk show host Ricki Lake has long been open about her weight struggles. In February 2024, she opened up about losing 30 pounds in four months - without medications - and shared before and after photos of her transformation. The "Hairspray" star - seen here in September 2023 - took to Instagram, explaining, "On October 26th, 2023 I made a commitment to myself to get healthier. My husband, Ross [Burningham] joined me in this effort. Together we have each lost 30+ lbs. I really want to share, because we did this without relying on a pharmaceutical. In a Feb. 24, 2024, Instagram post that included this photo, Ricki Lake explained, "Being 55 and in perimenopause, I was a bit worried that my body would not drop the lbs like it had in the past." But her hard work paid off after dropping from about 170 pounds to 140 pounds - husband Ross Burningham also dropped about 30 pounds - "I am so so proud of us," Ricki wrote on Instagram. "I feel amazing. I feel strong. After initially revealing her weight loss in an Instagram selfie, Ricki Lake debuted her slimmed-down figure on the red carpet at the 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards in Los Angeles on March 3, 2024.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey (seen here in December 2015) has struggled with her weight for decades and publicly started doing Weight Watchers in late 2015 - she also purchased a stake in the company - which helped her shed pounds well into 2016 and 2017. For five decades, Oprah Winfrey's weight occupied "space in my brain," she told People magazine in a December 2023 cover story, leaving her "yo-yoing and feeling like why can't I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing." After a 2021 knee surgery inspired new fitness goals, she achieved them. "I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends," she shared. "I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I'd felt in years." She also revamped her diet (again): "I eat my last meal at 4 o'clock, drink a gallon of water a day and use the Weight Watchers principles of counting points. I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way." In July 2023, she changed her mind during a panel conversation with weight loss experts and clinicians. "I had the biggest aha [moment] along with many people in that audience. I realized I'd been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control," the Oscar nominee said, adding, "Obesity is a disease. It's not about willpower - it's about the brain." Oprah - seen here in December 2023 at the premiere of the movie musical version of "The Color Purple" - then "released my own shame about it," talked to her doctor and got a weight loss medication prescription. "I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing," she said, though she declined to name the drug. "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself." But her weight loss isn't just down to the medication. "It's everything," she told People. "I know everybody thought I was on it [already], but I worked so damn hard.
Elle King
In August 2023, "Ex's & Oh's" singer Elle King opened up on Instagram about her health journey. The 5-foot-3 musician revealed how she's slimmed down and found strength - physical and mental - after struggling at 284 pounds while pregnant with her first child in 2021. "Almost 2 years postpartum ! I am making this post to share my journey from 284 lbs at 5'3 from pregnancy 2021 - now 2023. It doesn't happen over night. It didn't even happen in a year for me. In fact, it's an on going still working towards ever changing goals kinda thing," she began her lengthy post. "So why am I sharing this? I fell into a very deep depression during my pregnancy. I also didn't even realize how intense postpartum depression is and was until I very slowly began to crawl out. I felt trapped in my body. I couldn't even sing. So I started slow. Metabolic workouts. Light cardio to warm up my body, my lungs, my voice, and my spirit. "Ex's & Oh's" singer Elle King revealed on Instagram in August 2023 - the same month she's seen here - that after she began to change her habits following the birth of her first child in 2021, "Every few weeks I feel my body getting stronger. But if you don't have one of those then YOU have to be your own champion. Find music you like! Ride a bike! Go for a swim!" she shared alongside a video showing how she fits in workouts while touring. "I thought I wanted to lose weight, but it's so much more. My BRAIN functions better on the days I move my body," she explained. "Some days I count stretch marks. Some days I hug myself and say thank you to my body. Today is a kind day. I've been tiny, I've been huge, BUT RIGHT NOW IM HEALTHY." She also preemptively shot down any claims she's using meds to slim down. "I can't believe that I even have to say this, but no, I am not on any weight loss medication," she wrote. "I have PCOS and am pre-diabetic. My diabetic grandfather died when I was 10 years old. I watched him prick his finger and give himself shots. I do not judge anyone who is trying to live a healthier life. I can only share MY OWN JOURNEY! Elle King continued to show off her amazing weight loss at the end of 2023. The star revealed her slim figure in this hot pink look with midriff cutouts during the "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash" show on Dec. 31, 2023.
Post Malone
Music star Post Malone lost a lot of weight over the last few years - at least 55 pounds. During an August 2023 appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, the "Rockstar" and "Sunflower" performer addressed his slimdown, saying, "I was like 240 and now I'm like 185." An unhealthy lifestyle, including sugary drinks and other vices, led to his weight gain. "Soda is so bad. Post Malone first addressed his slimmed-down appearance in an April 2023 Instagram post in which he told fans he started to take his health more seriously after welcoming his first child in May 2022. "I wanted to say that I'm not doing drugs, I've had a lot of people ask me about my weight loss and I'd suppose, performance on stage. I'm having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier," he wrote. Post Malone continued to keep the weight off as 2023 went on. He's seen here looking slim and trim on the red carpet at the 57th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Nov. 8, 2023.
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Lainey Wilson
Country music singer Lainey Wilson - seen here in June 2021 - has noticeably slimmed down in recent years - but contrary to reports, she hasn't lost 70 pounds, and she didn't do it by using weight-loss gummies. "I am sure some of you have seen some ads about me losing weight and being hospitalized and taking some weight loss gummies and blah, blah, blah, to save my life - well, surprise, it ain't true," she said in an Instagram video in June 2023. "People will do whatever to make a dollar even if it is lies because ain't nobody sent me any gummies. If I have lost weight, it's because I am working hard playing hour-and-a-half shows and running around every night of my life." The "Yellowstone" actress continued, "To be honest, me losing weight or gaining weight ain't got anything to do with my music. I love y'all, but I don't want you spending your money on something that ain't real - don't fall for it. But I tell you what, it would be real nice if they made some gummies that made your a** tell the truth!" That said, Lainey has toned and tightened up some things - and shed some pounds - in recent years. In an August 2023 interview with country music radio show "Big D & Bubba," singer and "Yellowstone" actress Lainey Wilson cleared up rumors about how much weight she's really lost, shooting down widespread reports that she shed 70 pounds. "Hell no! No, and I hope you know those [ads for weight-loss] gummies are fake. Y'all, I literally had family members believe that I was taking these gummies and they were like, 'Does it work?'" However, she confirmed, "I have lost weight - I probably lost about 20 pounds." Lainey showed off her slimmed-down figure in one of her trademark bell-bottom looks at the 2023 CMA Awards in November 2023.
Billy Gardell
Actor Billy Gardell weighed more than 370 pounds at his heaviest when he starred on the sitcom "Mike & Molly," which aired from 2010 to 2016. "I float between 205 [pounds] and 210 [pounds now]" after losing more than 150 pounds, "Mike & Molly" and "Bob Hearts Abishola" star Billy Gardell (pictured here in March 2023) told "Entertainment Tonight" in April 2023. "Self-care is important, and I think I finally got there … I think you got to find peace with yourself and at some point, look in the mirror and go, 'You know, it's probably time to take care of you.' And I didn't get that note early on. But I'm a big believer that when you get it, you get it. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you get it." Setting an example for his son was also a motivating factor for Billy. "When you hit 50, you start doing that dad math, like, 'If I can live 25 more years, and he'll be 40' … You know what I mean? So I want to be here for him," he told "ET." "I've been an example in a lot of good ways for my child, but I feel like I wasn't a good example of health for him. And so I want him to see that. Billy Gardell told "Entertainment Tonight" that since losing more than 150 pounds, his resting heart rate has dropped from 113 to 68. He also no longer suffers from type 2 diabetes. "No more diabetes, no more bad blood numbers," Billy said.
Christopher Schwarzenegger
Christopher Schwarzenegger - the youngest son of movie star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife, journalist-author (and Kennedy family member) Maria Shriver - is seen here in Los Angeles in August 2018. A slimmed-down Christopher Schwarzenegger was photographed in Los Angeles on Oct. 5, 2021, after getting a pedicure at a nail salon with mom Maria Shriver and sister Christina Schwarzenegger. A week earlier, dad Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared to reveal how Christopher's achieved his weight loss, writing in the caption of an Instagram post marking his son's 24th birthday, "Happy birthday Christopher! I love you and I'm proud of you every day! You're so smart, and you have such a big heart. Between your boxing classes, your weightlifting classes, your stretching classes, your cycling classes, and on and on, I can't even keep up with you! Christopher Schwarzenegger revealed his latest phase following a workout session in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2023.
Sharon Osbourne
In May 2023, Sharon Osbourne - seen here in October 2022 - opened up on her U.K. Sharon Osbourne opened up in May 2023 about her recent use of a popular injectable weight-loss drug, though she didn't specify which one she took. "I took it for four months and I lost 30 pounds, but like everything, there's always no quick recipe. I was very sick for a couple of months. The first couple of months, I just felt nauseous," Sharon - seen here at an Oscar party in March 2023 - explained. "Every day I felt nauseous, my stomach was upset, whatever. But listen, I took it for four months, I lost 30 pounds. I've just shoved two chips in my mouth, while we had the break, and I eat normally now, and I haven't put on a pound.
David Harbour
David Harbour gained weight to play an aging out-of-shape hero in 2021's "Black Widow." "I got up to 280 pounds, and I loved it," he told The New York Times. David Harbour underwent a major physical transformation from season 3 to season 4 of "Stranger Things," slimming down significantly. All told it was a difficult and exciting ride, changing diet and exercise plans (or lack thereof)," the 6-feet-3-inch actor shared on Instagram in July 2022 alongside this shirtless "after" photo of himself in character as Hopper (he explained in his post that "the black x's are for cgi scarring because of problems with the practical effect.") He continued, "All told I lost over 75lbs. 265-270 in season 3 and all the way down to 190 when we shot." However, he added, he "recently ballooned up again to play jolly ole st. Nick in a flick I can't wait for you to see this [2022] holiday season, so I am struggling to fight back down towards a good weight for wherever hopper ends up in season 5.
Eric Andre
For season 5 of his Adult Swim series, "The Eric Andre Show," comedian Eric Andrew gained 40 pounds. For season 6, he lost it and, as he told GQ in June 2023, "I got ripped and shredded up. Neither was fun. Getting fat, at first, is fun. I was eating pizza every night and peanut butter and je…