Ashley Davenport (Ashley Madekwe) is a social climber on the rise and Emily’s closest friend in this world. She has the skinny on all the inner circles of the Hamptons, and access to all events in the elite social scene. Making a name for herself as the go-to event planner, Ashley hopes to gain entrée into Victoria Grayson’s good graces and solidify her status amongst the Hamptonites. But being close friends with Emily will eventually prove to have an unseen price.

Ashley Madekwe made her U.S. debut starring in the CW’s drama The Beautiful Life, alongside Mischa Barton, Corbin Bleu and Elle MacPherson.

She landed her first film role in Lennie James’ Storm Damage as a teenager, after which she won a place at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She graduated from RADA in July 2005.

Despite classical training and a significant body of stage work, Madekwe is most recognized for her television roles, including Bambi in the Secret Diary of a Call Girl, shown in both the UK and the U.S. In the UK she has played leading roles in W10 LDN,Drop Dead Gorgeous, Trexx, Flipside and Raising Baby Rio, among others.

Film credits include How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream and Venus.

Madekwe’s theatre credits include 93.2FM (Royal Court), The Indian Boy (Royal Shakespeare Company), Prayer Room(Edinburgh Lyceum/Birmingham Rep), Flight Path (Out of Joint/Bush Theatre) and Little Sweet Thing (Hampstead Theatre).

- description from ABC.com