India Joy Eisley (born October 29, 1993) is an American teen actress best known for playing Ashley Juergens in the ABC Family teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Life and career

India Joy Osuna-Eisley was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 29, 1993 to musician David Glen Eisley and actress Olivia Hussey. She has 2 half brothers – Alexander Dean Martin (from her mother’s marriage to Dean Paul Martin, Jr.) and Maxamillion Fuse (from her mother’s marriage to Akira Fuse).

Eisley and her mother appeared in the movie Headspace (2005) together. After small roles in various independent films shot primarily in Europe, Eisley gained a major role during the summer of 2008 with The Secret Life of the American Teenager for the ABC Family Network. In it, Eisley plays Ashley Juergens, sister of teen mother Amy Juergens. Her character, Ashley, recently got her GED then left to tour the USA so India can film Underworld: Awakening.

Facts

• Height: 5′ 3½” (1.61 m)
• Half-sister of Alexander Martin.
• Daughter of actress Olivia Hussey and actor/musician David Glen Eisley.
• Has another half brother named Max from her mother’s second marriage to Akira Fuse.
• Niece of Jonathan Erickson Eisley.

Trivias

• Gaining her breakthrough role as Ashley Juergens on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, India had to go through the regular audition, two callbacks and then the network testing. She’s later described the entire process as very nerve wracking.

• Among India’s favorite actresses is her mother Olivia Hussey, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Charlize Theron, Evan Rachel Wood, Cate Blanchett and Emily Blunt. Among her favorite actors are Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke.

• India’s name is inspired by her mothers love of the country, and the Indian spiritual teacher she had.

• Despite growing up in warm and sunny California, India actually doesn’t like the sun very much and prefers rain and cooler weather. She says it makes her much calmer and happier when it’s all cloudy.

• India likes a lot of old music, and she has a soft spot for music from the 1920s-1940s. Her favorites include Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. She’s also got newer favorites like The Beatles, Oasis and Muse.

• India considers herself a huge movie buff. Her favorites include Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

• India loves animals just like the rest of her family. They have five dogs, three potbelly pigs, a cat, a parrot and a bunny.

• In India’s first credited film Headspace, both her mother Olivia Hussey and her father David Glen Eisley are credited.

• India got dance lessons as a young girl. She quit to pursue her acting career, but her skills in ballet, tap and modern dance are on her actress resume as performer skills. On there she’s also got martial art, cycling and the ability to do both British and Southern American accents.

• India has two half-brothers. Alexander Martin born in 1973 from her mothers first marriage with Dean Paul Martin, and Max born in 1983 from her mothers second marriage with Akira Fuse.
• Todd Justice is her agent, and her management comes from Frozen Flame Entertainment.

• India has dark brown hair and green eyes. She is 5’3½” (1.61m) and weighs about 115 pounds.

• India was a model in Mary Kate and Ashley [Olsen]‘s Fashion Show.

Quotes

• My idea of a good time is renting a bunch of movies and being at home.

• I’m really overly sensitive. I don’t cry in front of people unless I have to, cause I really don’t like to. Like if people hurts my feelings, I’ll just look myself in my room and cry for weeks.

• (on social status when not dating as a teenager) In my opinion you can’t be truly happy with someone unless you are happy with yourself, because if you don’t find that security within yourself and you’re not content even being alone. How are you gonna be content with anybody else?

• (on working with Mark Derwin) He’s just a blast to work with. He’s so great. Of course when the occasional very emotional scene comes to front, he always has this thing where he whispers something in my ear that’s really hilarious, and it’s right before they say action, so I’m kind of battling my way through the scene.

• (on similarities with her character of Ashley Juergens on The Secret Life of the American Teenager) We’re both similar in the way that we both have a very dry sense of humor, and that there are two sides of me, as there are with Ashley. There’s the strong, tough exterior, and then there’s the ultra sensitive, caring side that most people rarely see. So I really relate to Ashley in that way, that it’s a bit irritating when you wish people could see the softer side to you, but sometimes it gets hard to trust someone enough to let them see.

• (tips on pursuing acting career) You should really keep at it. Even if you audition and audition, and you don’t get anything for a really long time. Just keep doing it, and eventually you’ll get something.

• (on teen pregnancy) It’s completely preventable, but when it do happen it should be dealt with in the way the girl is most comfortable with.

• (on Brenda Hampton) Definitely the best part of working on the show is getting to know Brenda as a person. She’s really an incredible lady, and an inspiration to me.

• (on working with Molly Ringwald) She’s just such a down to earth, really cool person to work with. Of course, when you’re working with her, you know who she is. She never brings that kind of snooty vibe. She’s so real.

• (on secret talents) I’m completely double jointed, like I can bend my thumb back to touch my wrist. When I was little, I used to pop my knee caps out. I don’t do that anymore. But I’m completely double jointed — any position that someone could ask me to do on the floor, I could do it.

• (on her character in The Secret Life of the American Teenager) I play Ashley, she’s the rebellious younger sister of Amy. And there are parts of her that are much, much older, but then there are parts of her that are emotionally still a thirteen year old. So she’s just always clashing… internally with herself.