Ashley Bratcher

Ashley Bratcher is an actress who has starred in Christian films in the U.S. She portrayed anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson in the 2019 film Unplanned.

Ashley Bratcher
Bratcher in 2019
Born
North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active2012–present
Known forUnplanned (2019)
Spouse
David Bratcher
​
​
(m. 2010)​
Children1

Early life

Bratcher was born in North Carolina. She grew up in a mobile home[1] and considers Georgia her home state.[2] Ashley began acting on stage at age 16, and attended Campbell University where she graduated with honors. She briefly worked as a middle school teacher before becoming a full-time actress.[3][4]

Career

After acting in several short films and minor roles, in 2015 Bratcher starred as the female lead of Christian romance film Princess Cut. She continued to act in several other faith-based films, such as War Room and 90 Minutes in Heaven.[5] In 2018, she was approached for the lead role for Unplanned, a drama about the life of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director who became an anti-abortion activist. After learning about Abby's testimony, Bratcher was deeply moved and quickly accepted the role.[6] Others discouraged her from working with the film out of concern that she would be blacklisted, but Bratcher decided that the role was "worth it".[7] The cast and crew commended her on her commitment to the role, and Abby Johnson complimented Bratcher on accurately portraying her.[8]

Personal life

Family and faith

On April 23, 2010, Bratcher married her high school sweetheart David Bratcher after seven years of dating. They have one child together, a son.[9][10] The family resides in Georgia. According to Bratcher, her son was the result of an unintended pregnancy and she and family were forced to rely on WIC and Medicaid in order to get by.[11] She also reported initial feelings of shame associated with her pregnancy but now credits the birth of her son with making her a better person and deepening her devotion to Christianity.[10][12][2]

Anti-abortion efforts

Shortly before the release of Unplanned, Bratcher told the media that after she had started working on the movie, her mother told Bratcher that she became pregnant with Bratcher at 19 years old and had pawned a family heirloom in order to cover the cost of an abortion but ultimately changed her mind, resulting in Bratcher's birth.[13][14][15]

Since the release of Unplanned, she has spoken at crisis pregnancy centers nationwide. After the release of Unplanned, Bratcher started the Unplanned Movie Scholarship to offer scholarships to women facing unplanned pregnancies.[16]

She also voiced her support of the Living Infants Fairness Equality (LIFE) Act (Georgia HB481), a legislative effort that would ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.[2][17]

Hobbies

Bratcher is a competitive practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which she sees as an avenue of personal growth.[18][19]

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Other notes
2012 Wrinkle Jenny Short film
2013 Safe Haven Bus Passenger Uncredited Role
Fifty Shades of Olivia! Olivia Wildheart Short film
The Perfect Summer Surfer
Are You Here Suburbanite Uncredited Role
Don't Know Yet Football Player
Mean Green Kathy Short film
The Dempsey Sisters New Assistant
2014 Southern Comfort Abigail Stansbury
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Veronica Anderson Short film
Mitosis Vivian
2015 Princess Cut Grace Anderson
War Room Lindsay (Deleted scene)
90 Minutes in Heaven Susan Long
If Sister Short film
Badge of Faith Rebecca
2016 Nico Delilah Short film
Yesterday's Gone (film) Rachel Short film
＃FollowFriday Vivian Weiss
Apricity Alex Short film
2017 Extraordinary 20's Nancy
New Chapters Sarah Short film
2019 Unplanned Abby Johnson
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2015 Secrets and Lies Woman (Dave's Date) Episode: Brother's Keeper, Uncredited Role
Your Worst Nightmare Lisa Brown Episode: Fight or Flight
2016 A Haunting Claire Episode: Love Curse
2017 Good Behavior Party Girl #1 Episode: Don't Thank God, Thank Me

References
  1. Circelli, Jerry (March 21, 2019). "Actress Ashley Bratcher shares emotional story of how God touched her soul during Unplanned". North Texas Catholic. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019. I am so incredibly in awe of God's presence, of His hand in my life, and that He would take a small-town girl from North Carolina in the middle of nowhere, who grew up in a double-wide [mobile home], and He would give me this platform.
  2. Bratcher, Ashley (March 28, 2019). "'Unplanned' Star Ashley Bratcher On Georgia "Heartbeat Bill": "I'm Incredibly Proud Of My Home State" – Guest Column". Deadline. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  3. "Ashley Bratcher - About". Facebook. Retrieved April 7, 2019. Ashley was born and raised in a small southern town in eastern North Carolina and began her acting career on the stage at the age of 16. She later attended Campbell University, where she graduated with honors and then worked briefly as a middle school teacher before finding success as a working actress. Bratcher's commitment to stories of hope has garnered her recognition as a name talent in uplifting and redemptive films.
  4. "Ashley Bratcher – National Prayer Luncheon For Life". National Prayer Luncheon for Life. Heroic Media. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  5. Reed, Anne (October 10, 2018). "Actress Ashley Bratcher and 'Unplanned'". American Family Association. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  6. Ashley Bratcher (March 13, 2019). UNPLANNED Sneak Peak Extended 30-minute Trailer (Trailer). Intercessors for America. Event occurs at 6:29. Retrieved April 7, 2019. When I first auditioned for Unplanned, I didn't really know who Abby was, and I was so compelled from those three pages of sides [that] I got online immediately. I listened to her testimony, I watched her videos on YouTube. Listening to Abby speak and tell her story, I was floored! I mean, I was ugly crying, and it really hit home for me on a very personal level, and I was just so moved by it that I went home and told my husband. I said 'I need to be a part of this film.'
  7. "Pro-Life Actress Plays Abby Johnson in 'Unplanned': Role 'Worth It,' Even If I'm Blacklisted". Fox News Insider. December 18, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  8. Cary Solomon (March 13, 2019). UNPLANNED Sneak Peak Extended 30-minute Trailer (Trailer). Intercessors for America. Event occurs at 7:41. Retrieved April 7, 2019. She is Abby Johnson. Even Abby Johnson, when she was on the set, said 'That's me…and I can't believe it.'
  9. "Ashley Bratcher David Batcher Photostream". Zimbio. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  10. Scanlon, Kate (March 29, 2019). "'Unplanned' star opens up about her own unplanned pregnancy". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  11. "Ashley Bratcher". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  12. "'My Child Empowered Me': 'Unplanned' Star Recounts Own Questions During Pregnancy". Fox News Insider. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  13. "Mom Breaks Down And Confesses Dark Secret To Actress Starring In Pro-Life Movie 'Unplanned'". GodUpdates. February 6, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  14. "From Nearly Aborted to Advocate for Life, Ashley Bratcher Shares Unplanned". www.christiancinema.com. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  15. Bratcher, Ashley. "Happy 1 year anniversary @UnplannedMovie !". Twitter. Facebook. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  16. "UNPLANNED Actress Creates a Scholarship for Pregnant Mommies". Movieguide. August 21, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  17. "Georgia 'Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act' (HB 481)". Rewire.News. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  18. Bratcher, Ashley (March 18, 2018). "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows". Ashley Bratcher on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved April 7, 2019. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be standing on that podium in a sport like Brazilian jiu jitsu. As strange as it sounds, I've found such peace from fighting. I've done it all my life and for the first time I really understand what it's all about. It's not about the other guy, it's about personal growth. Getting back up and trying over and over again. Never stop learning.
  19. "US Grappling Virginia Beach". US Grappling. March 17, 2018. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
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