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At the age of 13 and upon telling his dad of his newfound interest in acting, Ashton joined the Amazing Grace Conservatory, a program that empowers young people of colour through performing arts. There, he found his group of like-minded people after having been bullied through elementary for being different, being skinny and black, and for being into acting. The Conservatory was a catalyst for the person and artist he is today. Years later, the impact came full circle when Ashton established a scholarship program, in partnership with his father, ensuring future generations of young black dreamers have the same supportive and nurturing environment he did.
As Ashton’s passion for acting began on stage, so did his journey. “I started off doing theatre, though I was still auditioning for film and TV stuff. By the time I got to my freshman year of college, nothing had stuck. So I was ready to just be like a theatre actor. I knew that I would be able to make money doing that, possibly on Broadway, off-Broadway in Chicago.”
Ashton left the Theatre School at DePaul, where he was enrolled, to pursue acting after the success of ‘Moonlight.’ A decision that he doesn’t seem to regret. “I think everything that has transpired from the time I had my breakout until now was extraordinary for me.”
Since his breakthrough, Ashton’s career has flourished, boasting an impressive filmography across both film and television, and garnering critical acclaim along the way. When speaking with Ashton, he comes across as grounded and at peace with his current place in life. “We always want more in terms of where we are in our lives and our careers,” he says. “But I think where I am now and where I perceive I’m heading—my younger self would be quite excited with the man I’ve become.”
Ashton is a man of measured words. One could mistake his quiet demeanour for shyness, but he is a deliberate thinker, pondering each question and crafting his responses with care. This thoughtful approach extends to his film career. Ashton is acutely aware of the typecasting that often plagues black actors in Hollywood. His strategy is clear: avoid redundancy. From portraying Whitney Houston’s husband in ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody\ to embodying a complex criminal in ‘All Day and a Night’ and channelling the iconic RZA in ‘Wu-Tang,’ Ashton’s filmography showcases an impressive range, ensuring he defies any attempt to be confined to a single archetype.
Beyond acting, Ashton is actively shaping his own cinematic universe. He founded 1237 Productions, a platform to champion stories he believes deserve a voice, allowing him to have some control over what he wants to see being created. Stemming from his belief in the importance of both on-screen and behind-the-scenes involvement, Ashton is determined to shape the narrative around Black storytelling, ensuring their experiences are showcased with authenticity and depth.
The first film under 1237 Productions is an LA-based vampire movie. Yes, you read that right. Referring to the film as his ‘baby,’ Ashton couldn’t share many details but did express his excitement as a classic horror fan, with favourites like ‘Insidious,’ ‘House of Wax,’ and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ Born in 1995 and growing up in the 2000s, Ashton believes that era saw some of the best blockbuster horror films that still maintained a strong narrative. “That’s something I would be really interested in doing. Not that I’m actively looking for it at the moment, but if an opportunity arose, I wouldn’t be opposed. The same goes for sci-fi; it’s very much my cup of tea. With these being my favourite genres, I think it would be cool and fun to create something with a strong narrative.”
Working on this vampire film has left its mark on Ashton’s wardrobe. He shares his recent fascination with vampire culture and aesthetics, which is evident in his daily attire with a preference for darker hues. But Ashton’s fashion journey goes way deeper, tracing back to his father – a fashion designer renowned for tailored two-piece suits for men, that Ashton proudly describes as “ahead of his time.”
Once Ashton had his breakthrough, he graced the red carpet with daring ensembles that positioned him as a style trailblazer. He made multiple appearances at the Met Gala, upping his outfit game each time. He was one of Raf Simons’s muses during his tenure at Calvin Klein, was featured in a Louis Vuitton campaign under Virgil Abloh, and even walked down the Prada runway for their Autumn/Winter 2022/2023 men’s collection.
When I asked him what ‘fashion phase’ he’s in right now, he says, ‘Right now, my fashion phase is not thinking about what phase I’m in. I wear a lot of black. So, I think in my day-to-day life, that’s primarily how I dress. But I don’t need to be wearing a super expensive brand to pull that off.'”
He also seems comfortable enough in his own skin and unconcerned with conforming to what a man should or shouldn’t wear. “I mean, think about all the most masculine men who like painting their fingernails,” Ashton points out. “It would have been a big deal maybe ten years ago, but I feel like there’s room for self-expression and identity that hadn’t been there before, and that doesn’t make or break who you are and your manliness”
Many of Ashton’s works explore different notions and forms of masculinity. This concept, once viewed as an immutable monolith, now finds itself being reconstructed or for some, in a state of crisis. Out of his filmography, ‘Moonlight’ stands out for its groundbreaking exploration of black masculinity, delving into the ways masculinity can be portrayed and performed, ultimately challenging those rigid expectations.
What does it mean, for Ashton, to be a man in this time and age?
“I’d say nowadays, a man is what you make of him,” Ashton affirms. “I don’t think there’s just one way. I’d simply say we live in a day and age regarding masculinity where it’s kind of what you make of it. I don’t think it’s a taboo subject anymore, like it used to be. I feel like there’s room for all types of identity within being a man, you know, and being a strong man, regardless of what you do.”
When asked if the experience of masculinity is different for black men, Ashton replies, “Definitely. I think that comes from the culture of what it was supposed to be like. I think we’re breaking these barriers down now, where you can look a certain way. There’s room for you to be the man that you want to be without the pressures of society. There are still pressures there, but there’s more room for you not to fall into that and not really care and just be who you are as a person.”
Ashton has often cited iconic actors like Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali as his inspirations, men whose careers he aspires to emulate. He’d already had the chance to work alongside both of them and learn from them. In a now-viral red carpet moment, Ashton confidently declared to Denzel Washington during a red carpet interview, “I’m going to work with you one day!”, and prophecy became reality when they co-starred in the action-packed sequel, ‘The Equalizer 2’. This chance encounter marked a full-circle moment, blurring the lines between the world of cinema and Ashton’s own aspirations.
Ashton often draws on his real-life experiences, or sometimes chooses to stray from them, allowing the character to fill the space. “Whatever I’m going through,” he reflects, “I found that acting is something that allows me to, and I say this often, take myself off and put someone else on. It means I don’t have to think about the circumstances that my life consists of. It feels refreshing to do so, to say the least.”
“Acting has always been a form of therapy,” he reflects. “It’s something that I enjoyed doing. It’s something that was kind of like seamless to me. I think it’s fascinating that we as actors, we either expand on ourselves and put that in a character or we take ourselves completely off and we put on somebody else, which I think is easier said than done. I think it’s therapeutic being an actor to kind of dip in and out of different livelihoods that aren’t necessarily like what you live.”
Having started acting at 15 and achieving his breakthrough at 20, Ashton Sanders, now 28, reflects on how his life experiences shape his approach to acting: “When it comes to art, your life experiences really reflect how you approach the type of art that you create. No matter where you are, if you’re a fashion designer, if you’re a visual artist, if you’re an actor, if you’re a musician, you go through all these different life experiences. You’re continuously growing, learning and adapting how you create art based off of that.”
Over the years, Ashton has honed his ability to navigate the industry and trust the process. He has found the right balance between being thankful for the opportunities given to him and seeking them – or more recently with his newfound production company – creating them. Looking ahead, his aspirations are clear: continued artistic growth, self-discovery, and a flourishing career in both television and film. “I’m not just in one box of an archetype,” he declares. “I can kind of be all over the place too. Given my film or TV work or how I dress or so on and so forth. I like to dibble and dabble into everything to just stay true to the identity of who I am.”
But no matter the path he takes, Los Angeles remains his anchor.
“I think that I found more appreciation for it with all the travels I’ve done,” Ashton reflects on how he sees his hometown city after all this success. “I’ve learned to love the culture and city which I’m from. I see this as a place where I’ll probably be for the rest of my life or have my base base, even if I have a base somewhere else. I’ll never not be in Los Angeles, I can’t imagine myself not being here.”
“I’m fortunate to be from here and have that perspective and relationship from it. A lot of people move here and have this perspective of what it is, but I’ve been on the outskirts of it. Then obviously with being in the industry and being around people who move here that are in the industry, I’ve been on the inside of it. I’ve been on both sides so I have an unbiased opinion. So I think that that’s been pretty cool.”
Photography: Abi Polinsky
Words: Sami Abd Elbaki
Fashion Direction: Qwan Anthony
Grooming and Makeup: Nena Melendez
Photo Assistant: Eugene Kim
Fashion Assistant: Nicolevan Dalen
Communications Manager: Johana V. Dana
Producer: Giulia Di Stravola
Production Assistant: Jesse Brotnov