Isidingo?s Ashley Callie has a cerebral take on her art ? she knew exactly what she was letting herself in for when she landed the role of Leone (Lee) Haines.

She?s been a fan of Isidingo ever since it first aired, which is why, she says, she constantly auditioned for the show in between her other work for both TV and stage. ?I wanted to be part of the high standard,? she says, ?All this beautiful creativity that was really working.?

Her tenacity paid off. The fact that Lee is such a complex character, with so much stuff continuously going on in her life would probably have been daunting for most soapie star wannabes, but for Ashley it made it even more enticing. To her this was the real deal, which is why the challenges and demands that lay ahead had her rubbing her hands together in glee.

'I couldn?t wait to sink my teeth into the role'

?I knew that to convincingly portray the troubled daughter of a megalomaniac would take every ounce of my acting ability,? she explains. ?And I couldn?t wait to sink my teeth into the role. This, after all, is what acting is all about. It?s what really got me hooked when I studied it at Wits.

?I love the skill of the craft. When you become the character ? when you need to go very deep into the character and you have to call on different levels of experience to feed the character ? you have to play it to the point of truth that allows others to relate. Like all art it?s a very powerful tool, enabling people to shift out of their own reality for a while and look at things differently.?

Different. Perhaps that?s one of Ashley?s greatest strengths as an actress, aside from her considerable talent. Having enjoyed ?a wonderfully playful childhood?, she was, she says, ?never one of those kids who put on shows; I didn?t perform all the time. In fact, I was quite wrapped up in my own world, and despite a certain amount of intensity, I didn?t become overly self-absorbed. I was quite inward-looking, constantly gauging and assessing things.?

'I don't enjoy fame'

Although she concedes that she?s always loved to perform, it was the craft that fascinated her far more than the fact she was in the Limelight. So it goes without saying that the Ashley of today doesn?t buy into the glitz and the glamour that comes courtesy of working on such a high-profile show: She doesn?t enjoy being a celebrity, something, she says, she never really thought through.

?I aspired to the show not fully aware of the impact it would have on my life. I focused on the standard of acting and the challenges far more than on what presented itself. The incognito side ? you lose that pretty quickly. I?m a very private person so I don?t take part that much in the ?fame? side, nor do I take on fame as a reality.

Of course, there are perks to be enjoyed, but I?m still the same person. The problem is when you try to define yourself in terms of your fame. That?s when my family and friends keep me grounded. They play a very important part in my life.? As do her onscreen persona, Lee, and Isidingo. What inspires Ashley is the ongoing discipline they both demand, and with characters like Lee to play the demands are ever present.

Ashley rises to the occasion over and over, enjoying every moment of being the character she has come to adore. ?I really love Lee,? she says. ?She?s a great role who demands a lot of attention and she?s always in extreme situations. She?s been kidnapped and held hostage, lost her man, thought her mother was dead ? and then found her ? and has this very diffi cult relationship with her father. She?s a huge challenge as an actress, quite fantastic to portray. I always look forward to experiencing her and her different path. It?s been a wonderful journey.?

What Ashley also enjoys is that the show invites input from the actors. Their characters aren?t just the products of the scriptwriters? active imaginations, and her suggestions for Lee?s development and growth ?allow for a fabulous organic development of character?.

'Lee is totally unlike me'

But Lee is a character ? and a character that Ashley has come to make her own. ?Lee is totally unlike me in every way. She is quite alone in the world, severe, sharp, businessminded with this ice maiden label.

She?s been married and divorced, and never quite gets men right. She?s always looking for someone completely different to her father, and often gets into unsuitable relationships as a rebellion against her upbringing. She can?t sustain them because of her difficult background and because of her very close relationship with her father ? which, of course, she?d deny! I?m much softer than Lee. I am also very close to my family and I do things quite differently to her.

Although she?s far more able to deal with conflict and confrontation and is quite unafraid, I?m less rigid. And she never comes home with me. I don?t take Lee out of the studio ? I never allow myself to become consumed as an actor, as that would be unhealthy. I tend to be who I am wherever I am ? I?m always Ashley; I?m me.?

'Walking to me is moving meditation'

So who exactly is Ashley Callie? ?Ashley in real life loves meeting with friends and having discussions. I also love getting out of town ? to the mountains ? because I love walking. Walking to me is a moving meditation. I walk out frustration: it?s a wonderful time to think. I love going to the sea, spending time reading, eating lots of food when I have the chance, and I?m passionate about cooking.

?I?m a partner in a restaurant in Melville ? La Vista Social Club ? which focuses on casual comfort food. That?s where I learnt to cook, but I don?t get to spend a lot of time there these days because playing Lee tends to take up so much of my life.?

But Ashley?s not complaining about the situation: ?I love what I?m doing right now and wouldn?t want to do anything else. And what?s so great about what I do is that when you start to hone your skill you love your job even more!?

Not surprisingly, Ashley?s always been her own biggest critic. ?I?m terribly hard on myself and can probably count on one hand the number of times I?ve patted myself on my back. But that?s where family and friends step in again to put things into perspective and counteract the fact that I?m over-critical.

?I constantly want to learn more, to do more, to be and know more,? she says. ?And that is what?s happening in my relationship with Lee. When I got the part I thought I?d try it for a little while and see what happens, and I?m still here three and a half years later!

Right now I?m happy with what I?m doing: I?ll only walk away when I?m no longer learning, when it?s no longer a challenge. Because although I am fulfilled by what I do and strive to find fulfillment every single day, I?m still continuously searching for more of everything.

That?s what keeps me driven; that?s what keeps me going: striving for greater heights and reaching for the stars.?

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