Ashley Tesoro (born Ashley Lyn Cafagna; February 15, 1983) is an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, model, and

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

. She is known for her starring roles in

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

's '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (as Liz Miller) and CBS's ''

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

'' (as Kimberly Fairchild). In 2007, she released a self-titled

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

EP. In 2010 she released a country gospel EP titled ''Oh You Angel''. In 2012, she released a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

EP titled ''Simply Worship''.

Life and career

Youth

Ashley Lyn Cafagna was born in

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, the first of three children. She was raised in

Escondido, California Escondido is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Located in the North County region, it was incorporated in 1888, and is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. It has a population of 151,038 as of the 2020 census. Et ...

. At the age of six she began entering beauty pageants, and won several local pageants from ages six through eight. She was crowned "Little Miss California" at the age of eight. She then started acting in a theater company called

Christian Youth Theater Christian Youth Theater (CYT) is an American after-school theater arts education program for children ages 4–18. It offers classes in drama, dance, and singing and performs 3-9 productions a year, in a collection of branches around the country. ...

. At the age of ten she entered a local talent contest in San Diego, California. After a long process of acting, modeling, and interviews, she took first place out of three hundred contestants. Her win placed her with an acting agent and manager.Ashley Tesoro Bio
Ami, Retrieved 2009

Acting

As a television actress Ashley Tesoro has appeared in

's '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (as Liz Miller) for three seasons and CBS's ''

'' (as Kimberly Fairchild) for three years. She has had other roles in '' 7th Heaven'', ''Valley of the Dolls'', ''

Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpare ...

'', '' CBS Morning News'', and has been a guest host for E!. She has presented the

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...

, the

Soap Opera Digest Awards ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...

, and was awarded "Best Newcomer on a Daytime Television Show" in Australia. She was also named one of the "Fifty most Beautiful People" on television by ''Soap Opera Digest'' and ''Soap Opera Weekly.'' She has also starred in eight

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

during her career, including; '' The Skulls II'', '' Lord of Illusions'' playing Famke Janssen's younger self, and '' Mr. Murder'' with

Stephen Baldwin Stephen Andrew Baldwin (born May 12, 1966) is an American actor, producer and director. He has appeared in the films '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Posse'' (1993), '' 8 Seconds'' (1994), '' Threesome'' (1994), '' The Usual Suspects' ...

Thomas Haden Church Thomas Haden Church (born Thomas Richard McMillen; June 17, 1960) is an American actor. After starring in the 1990s sitcom ''Wings'' and playing the lead for two seasons in '' Ned & Stacey'' (1995–1997)'','' Church became known for his film work ...

, and

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

Modeling

As a model Ashley Tesoro has worked for companies such as Radiosa Gowns,

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, ...

and

Tommy Hilfiger Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...

. She has starred in commercial ads, and has been featured on the cover of magazines such as; ''

Teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

'' (''Teen Beauty Guide''), ''

Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...

'', '' Soap Opera Weekly'', '' CBS Soaps In Depth'', and ''Cross Point''.

Music career

While starring on ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', executive-producer Bradley Bell incorporated singing into her character of Kimberly Fairchild. She recorded several original songs and music videos for the show. One of these songs was premiered on

KIIS-FM KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglome ...

's ''Valentine Show''. In 2007, Ashley Tesoro made her

debut with a self-titled EP on Tesoro Records. The album was produced by

Ron Aniello Ron Aniello is an American songwriter, record producer, composer and musician who has enjoyed a diverse career working with Bruce Springsteen, Matthew Koma, Shania Twain, Wanting Qu, Gavin DeGraw, Lifehouse, Patti Scialfa, Barenaked Ladies, Gu ...

, mixed by

Mike Shipley Michael Shipley (6 October 1956 – 25 July 2013) was an Australian mixing engineer, audio engineer, and record producer. Shipley's music career spanned more than 30 years – mostly working in Los Angeles. At the Grammy Awards of 2012 he ...

, and mastered by

Joe Gastwirt Joe Gastwirt is an American audio engineer, known for digitally remastering hundreds of CDs and LPs for famous artists, including the Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, Helen Reddy, Electric Light Orchestra, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, The Bl ...

. Larry Eagle, drummer and percussionist on

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

's '' We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions'', played drums on two of the EP's tracks. In 2010, she released her second EP on Tesoro Records titled ''Oh You Angel''. This country gospel album was produced by

, mixed by

Clif Norrell Clif Norrell is an American record producer, recording engineer, music mixer, and musician. He has worked with many prominent artists including Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Jeff Buckley, No Doubt, Rush, Faith No More, Shania Twain, Mick Jagger, Da ...

, and mastered by

. In August 2010, Ashley Tesoro opened for Jackson Browne at a private event in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coa ...

. Supported by the Abiders she performed the song "Heaven Let Me Know" from her EP ''Oh You Angel''. In 2012, she released her third EP on Tesoro Records titled ''Simply Worship''. This A cappella and

acoustic Acoustic may refer to: Music Albums * ''Acoustic'' (Above & Beyond album), 2014 * ''Acoustic'' (Deine Lakaien album), 2007 * ''Acoustic'' (Everything but the Girl album), 1992 * ''Acoustic'' (John Lennon album), 2004 * ''Acoustic'' (Love Amo ...

album was produced by

and mixed and mastered by Alec Dixon.Ventura County Star
Dransfeldt, J.; Retrieved June 14, 2014

Personal life

Marriage and family

On September 30, 2001, Ashley Cafagna married Anthony Tesoro, a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

minister. Anthony formerly worked on

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

for ''

Paine Webber PaineWebber & Co. was an American investment bank and stock brokerage firm that was acquired by the Swiss bank UBS in 2000. The company was founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, by William Alfred Paine and Wallace G. Webber. Operating with ...

'' and then ''Jones Institutional Trading Services'' before entering the non-profit sector and founding ministry/charity organization the Tesoro Ministry Foundation, Inc. in 2000. In 2005, Ashley and her husband Anthony founded ''Tesoro Entertainment'', a production company; and in 2007, they launched Tesoro Entertainment's music label division, ''Tesoro Records''; with the Christian music sub-label ''Sacred Music'' launching in 2012. Their daughter, Gabriella Lyn, was born on November 18, 2013; and their son Anthony John, was born December 24, 2015.

Ministry

Ashley Tesoro grew up singing in

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Ch ...

and performing in the theater company

. She and her husband Anthony are both

ministers, and run the Tesoro Ministry Foundation, a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

charity-ministry foundation founded by Anthony in 2000. She is the co-writer of ''Life Is For Living''; a Christian ministry and lifestyle blog, and the co-host of Life Is For Living TV a Christian ministry and lifestyle web-series.

School

Tesoro graduated "with honors" from the

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree lev ...

. She earned degrees in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

and

communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqu ...

/culture & communication.

Martial arts

Ashley enjoys training in the martial arts and has earned red belts in Combat Karate and

American Tang Soo Do American Tang Soo Do is a hybrid martial art formed in 1966 by Chuck Norris who combined the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do (Moo Duk Kwan) with Japanese styles of Judo, Shito-ryu Karate and Shotokan Karate. Over the years it has been furthe ...

from her husband Anthony Tesoro who is a lifelong martial artist and former karate instructor. She has trained in boxing, kickboxing, Karate, Tang Soo Do, and grappling.

Discography

Albums

Singles

CBS Daytime
Retrieved August 05, 2014

Music videos

Filmography

Film

Television

Honors and awards

Honors

* The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels ** 2009 - Honorary Kentucky Colonel for service and contributions to the global community - honoree * ''

'' ** 1999 - Soap Opera's 50 Most Beautiful People - recipient * '' Soap Opera Weekly'' ** 1999 - Soap Opera's 50 Most Beautiful People - recipient

Awards

Young Artist Awards The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

** 2002 - Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actress for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' - nominated ** 2001 - Best Performance in a Daytime TV Series - Young Actress for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' - nominated ** 2000 - Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Supporting Young Actress for ''Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' - nominated * YoungStar Awards (The Hollywood Reporter's Annual YoungStar Awards) ** 2000 - Best Young Actress/Performance in a Saturday Morning TV Series for ''Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' - nominated ** 2000 - Best Young Actress/Performance in a Daytime TV Series for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' - nominated ** 1999 - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Saturday Morning TV Program for ''Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' - nominated ** 1999 - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' - nominated * ''Inside Soap'' Awards ** 1999 - Best Newcomer for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' - winner Internet Movie Database
IMDb, Retrieved January 31, 2010

References

External links

*
Ashley Tesoro , The Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tesoro, Ashley 1983 births Actresses from Iowa American child actresses American women country singers American country singer-songwriters American people of Italian descent American film actresses American performers of Christian music American soap opera actresses American television actresses Living people Actors from Davenport, Iowa People from Escondido, California Singer-songwriters from California 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Country musicians from California Singer-songwriters from Iowa