Ashley Jones On Why Lifetime Movies Are Good For Viewers - Exclusive
Emmy-nominated actor and newly minted director Ashley Jones has spent years making entertainment for viewers. Having performed on screen since the age of seven, Jones studies her audience as much as she does her craft, and she thinks deeply about why her work will connect with her wide-ranging fans. Whether it's her recurring role on "The Bold and the Beautiful" or one of her many Lifetime movies, Jones knows how to give the people what they want.
So what do they want from her latest offering, "The Secret Lives of College Escorts"? Not only is this her directorial debut, but she also filmed the entire movie during Covid restrictions that added to the challenge. But it was worth the effort for Jones, who said in an exclusive interview with The List that she believes she created "a little bit of a guilty pleasure. It's a little bit of a morality tale. It's glossy. It's quick. It's fun."
Fun with a side of thrills
Is "fun" what the people want from Lifetime movies and the well-known Ashley Jones? She thinks so. "By 'fun' I mean ... taking someone out of their own life and letting them escape for a second and figure out someone else's tragic story instead of their own," she explained.
In addition to directing "The Secret Lives of College Escorts," Jones also appears in the upcoming Lifetime movie "What Happened To My Sister?" While the subject matter of both films is deeply serious and can be scary, Ashely Jones doesn't think that the main goal is to scare viewers.
"All of these movies ... There's part of them that's slightly devastating," she said. "It's because really major things happen, but I don't think we want you to sit home and sob. It's not that kind of movie, but there's a thriller aspect. It takes your breath away for a little second and you want to keep watching and figure out how it happened. It makes you ask, 'Wait, who did this, and why would that person do that? There's got to be a motivation behind it.'"
Ultimately, the "fun" comes from solving someone else's life puzzle for a while — not that Jones minds if viewers learn a little something, too. As long as they remember that the ultimate goal is to walk away satisfied, she's happy. "There's some life lessons in this [type of movie]. On the other hand, it is a fun and guilty pleasure that goes by fast and it's very satisfying at the end."
"The Secret Lives of College Escorts" can be seen now on LMN. "What Happened To My Sister?" premieres on September 23 on the same channel.