| AzMarie Livingston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Ashley Marie Livingston |
| Born: | December 28, 1986 |
| Birth Hometown: | San Fernando Valley, California |
| Occupation: | Model |
| Years active: | 2008–present |
Ashley Marie "AzMarie" Livingston (born December 28, 1986) is an American fashion model, actress, singer and DJ who rose to fame after appearing on America's Next Top Model: British Invasion in 2012. Livingston was cast to play the role of Chicken on the Fox show Empire.
Early life[]
Livingston was born Ashley Marie Livingston in California's San Fernando Valley and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to Livingston, the name "AzMarie" is an amalgam of her first and middle names, and she took the "Az". Livingston was raised primarily by her single mother. Her father was a very proud, extremely flamboyant homosexual and Livingston describes the relationship between her parents as them being "best friends", more specifically BFFs. As a young child, she moved to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, where she later attended Nicolet High School. At age nine, Livingston began an interest in modeling after traveling with her father on vacation to Los Angeles, California, but according to Livingston, "I took a break when I was younger because it didn't pick up as much. I wanted to have a childhood." After graduating high school, Livingston attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater before dropping out after three semesters and moving to Los Angeles to further her career. Livingston is a lesbian.
Career[]
Modeling[]
Livingston began her career as a runway model in Los Angeles and New York City. From 2009 to 2011, she appeared in many different magazines and participated in several fashion shows, including London Fashion Week and BET's Rip the Runway.
America's Next Top Model[]
In 2012, Livingston first came into the public eye as a participant in The CW program America's Next Top Model: British Invasion. She was noted for her tattoos and androgynous look. Despite her initial strength in the competition, including two first callouts, Livingston was eliminated in the sixth episode. She placed ninth overall in her first-ever bottom two appearance which Kyle Gober survived.
Acting[]
Livingston portrayed Hakeem's best friend Chicken on Fox's Empire. In 2009, Livingston appeared in the award-winning film Precious. In 2010, she went on to appear on the television shows The Real Housewives of New York City and The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty. After her stint on Top Model, Livingston acquired a role on the gay television series, DTLA, which airs on OUTtv and Logo. Working alongside actresses Melanie Griffith and Sandra Bernhard, Livingston plays the role of Ricki, who is Griffith's girlfriend on the show. Of her breakthrough role, Livingston says, "Being a rookie with all-stars made me a little nervous, but I don't think I showed it." Livingston starred in a leading role in the romantic comedy Almost Amazing by director Justin Price (The Cloth).
Music[]
Livingston started out as an extra in several music videos prior to her solo career as well as before competing on America's Next Top Model, including Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" and Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life". As of 2012, she is reportedly working on an album; her debut single "Morning Guarantee" was released in December 2012. On August 31, 2014 Livingston released her debut EP on SoundCloud titled HipPopMelodicPoetry. Her single "We Hot" was released in 2015.