Erica Ash, renowned for her roles on Fox’s Mad TV, BET‘s Real Husbands of Hollywood, and Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse, has died at 46.
She passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles after a prolonged battle with cancer, her publicist Elizabeth Much confirmed.
In a heartfelt statement, Ash’s family shared their sorrow: “Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor, and genuine zest for life. Her memory will live eternally in our hearts.”
Ash’s career spanned various platforms and genres. She portrayed Gwen Sullivan, a strong public defender, in the 2018 BET drama In Contempt. Her rise to fame began with the first two seasons of Logo’s The Big Gay Sketch Show, produced by Rosie O’Donnell. Ash also appeared in films such as Scary Movie V (2013), Uncle Drew (2018), The Big Bend (2021), and Violet (2021).
Throughout her career, Ash played Mary Charles “M-Chuck” Calloway, the half-sister of Jessie T. Usher’s character in Survivor’s Remorse, a series produced by LeBron James’ Spring Hill Productions that aired for four seasons from 2014 to 2017. Additionally, she portrayed a character who made life difficult for her ex-husband, played by Kevin Hart, in Real Husbands of Hollywood, which ran from 2013 to 2016.
Born Erica Chantal Ash in Florida on September 19, 1977, she grew up in Atlanta and initially studied medicine at Emory University. However, she took a break to travel to Japan, where she unexpectedly began a career in background singing and modeling. Reflecting on her journey, Ash once remarked, “I tell people I’m the Forrest Gump of my field. I just blindly, by faith, walked through life and said ‘yes’ to things that were presented to me.”
In 2011, Ash appeared on Broadway in Baby It’s You!, a jukebox musical featuring music from The Shirelles and other artists. Her extensive résumé also includes appearances in Cold Case, Shades of Blue, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and Family Reunion, as well as films like Kristy (2014), Jean of the Joneses (2016), and The Outlaw Johnny Black (2023).
Comedian Loni Love paid tribute to Ash on Instagram, highlighting her dedication to her craft. In memory of Ash, donations can be made to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation or the National Breast Cancer Foundation. She is survived by her mother, Diann, and her sister, Adrienne.
View this post on Instagram
Advertisement
Rel Dowdell, director of film studies at Hampton University, praised Ash’s versatility: “Her range and talent were truly limitless. Her body of work admirably covered all genres, and with every performance, she left a lasting impression on viewers.”
