Bold and the Beautiful fans recall the heartbreaking story of Alexandria ‘Aly’ Forrester, the daughter of Thorne Forrester and the late Darla Einstein. The young woman died during a physical altercation with Steffy Forrester Finnegan, who was forced to defend herself against Aly’s erratic and violent behavior. Now, Ashlyn Pearce, who played Aly, is talking to Soap Hub about an exciting new role!
Ashlyn Pearce Tells Another Story
Soap Hub: How are you, and what have you been up to since leaving B&B?
Ashlyn Pearce: I’m feeling pretty well and blessed right now. I’ve directed a short film called Another Story. My close friend Irena Reedy and I wrote the script for it last year. We’ve been in pre-production, production, and post-production since 2019! It’s been a passion project for both of us, and now, it’s getting out there in the world!
Soap Hub: What’s the story about?
Ashlyn Pearce: It’s about a couple navigating through challenging relationship dynamics while struggling with mental health. I’ve directed some music videos, but this is my directorial debut [in a scripted film]. I’ve made a bit of a transition to the other side of the camera, but I’m still acting. I directed, co-wrote, edited, and produced this film. I wore a lot of hats!
Another Life is about Rory [played by Reedy] and Jordan [played by Alex Prange]. They’ve been together a few years and are very much in love, but Rory is struggling with some mental health issues, trying to balance maintaining her relationship and keeping up her cheery light persona. She’s keeping Jordan at a distance so that she doesn’t have to share her truth — that she’s struggling. And, now, she’s hit a wall here — it’s now or never. Jordan knows that things aren’t going well, but he doesn’t know why. He’s very much in love with Rory, but there are some serious conflicts with Rory’s lack of communication.
Soap Hub: Are you submitting to film festivals?
Ashlyn Pearce: Yes. We have submitted to 17 festivals all over the world. Some are in Australia, where Irena is from. We’ve heard back from two so far and have been accepted at both!
Soap Hub: At B&B, were you ever directed by Susan Flannery (ex-Stephanie Forrester) or Heather Tom (Katie Logan)?
Ashlyn Pearce: No, but I was directed by Cindy Popp. She’s amazing. I took huge inspiration from her. She’s incredibly communicative and works so well with all the actors. She was a big inspiration for me. I started shooting music videos in 2018 after a friend approached me, and we dove into it. I caught the ‘directing bug’ and ever since have been studying films. I’ve always been inspired to tell people’s stories.
Soap Hub: You appeared in American Vandal, the series that spoofed crime dramas, with Sean Carrigan (ex-Stitch, Young and the Restless)?
Ashlyn Pearce: Yes. That was a fun experience. I played a character similar to Aly when she was ‘good’ Aly. She was cute and fun. I think she also had lines that Aly would never say. Sean played the coach. We had a quick scene where our characters passed each other. We had a wonderful conversation [off-camera]. he’s a lovely person, and it’s always fun when you see a familiar face on set.
Soap Hub: After Aly’s tragic passing, Thorne (Winsor Harmon) came to town to take care of the arrangements and then quickly left. Some speculate Aly’s really alive, and he whisked her out of town so she could get some help. Thoughts?
Ashlyn Pearce: You know? I still have my theories on that. We never saw a ‘body.’ There’s always room for something — an evil twin? I’d be there! Aly’s a character who will always be held in my heart with so much love. She was my first big role and was one of the most beautifully layered and dynamic characters I’ve played. It was a very moving story at the end. [Aly’s fate] is what can happen with people who are struggling. They fly under the radar. If we see signs of loved ones not doing well, we should jump in.
The best place for true soap fans to be is our Facebook groups. Have you joined? If you love soap spoilers, gossip, and fans as dedicated as yourself, check out Days of our Lives Fans, General Hospital Exclusive, The Young and the Restless Fans, and The Bold and the Beautiful Fans.
Share this: