Ashley Walters is a British rapper and actor who goes by his stage name, Asher D. He initially became well-known as a member of the UK garage band So Solid Crew, whose second single, “21 Seconds,” peaked at number one on the UK charts in 2001.
Early Life & Education
Ashley Anthony Walters was born on June 30 to Guyanese and Jamaican parents in Peckham, southeast London. His mother, Pamela Case, a local government official, reared him.
From age four, he attended St. George’s CE Primary School in Camberwell. He then completed his GCSEs at Pimlico School, which is now known as Pimlico Academy, where he achieved good scores in all ten subjects. He also attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School to study performing arts.
Ashley Walters Music Career
In 2001, Walters joined the UK garage group So Solid Crew, based in Battersea, and began his career as a rapper under the stage name Asher D. The group’s second single, “21 Seconds,” peaked at number one on the U.K. charts.
He recorded the single “Andrea” and the song “Every Little Thing I Say” for his solo album In Memory of the Street Fighter (2006) after the group broke up. The Appetiser, a 12-track studio album he co-produced with Laurence Ezra, was released in 2008.
Ashley Walters agreed to a recording deal with the independent label SK Records at the beginning of 2012. He first released his single “How You Like Me Now” on July 29, 2012, and then “Your Love” on November 12, 2012, which featured Alesha Dixon on vocals.
TV & Movies
At the age of 10, Ashley Walters made his television debut as Omar in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992), and at the age of 14, he played Andy in Grange Hill (1997).
Walters won Best Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards for his performance as Ricky, who had recently been released from jail and was returning to a regular life, in Saul Dibb’s 2004 feature film Bullet Boy. He also made an appearance in Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2005.
He portrayed Wolf in the 2006 movie Stormbreaker and Danny in Life and Lyrics. He costarred with Selma Blair and Melissa George in the 2007 films Sugarhouse and WΔZ. In the drama pilot West 10 LDN on BBC Three, he portrayed Lacey.
Ashley portrayed Billy Bond in five episodes of the BBC TV program Hustle’s fourth season. He costarred with Dennis Hopper in House of 9 (2006) as Al B, and he also starred in the MTV series Top Buzzer.
Walters starred in the Arjun Rose slasher Demons Never Die in October 2011. He portrayed Dushane in the four-part drama Top Boy on Channel 4 in 2011.
In the second season of Top Boy, Ashley Walters played the lead character, Dushane, in 2013. Walters was honored with the British Urban Film Festival’s (BUFF) honorary award in 2017 for his 25 years of exceptional contributions to television and film.
Ashley Walters played NCA Officer Ronnie Pike for three seasons in the British police procedural television series Bulletproof, which he co-created and co-starred in with Noel Clarke from 2018 to 2022. He also starred in a 2024 PG Tips commercial that was directed by Steve McQueen.
In the Netflix series Adolescence, he portrayed Detective Inspector Luke Bascome later in 2025. His role was the main character in two episodes, which were shot in continuous, one-hour uncut portions. Later on, Waters acknowledged that it was the most challenging acting experience he had ever had to go through.
Personal Life
Ashley Walters and his ex-partner are parents to four kids. He resides in Herne Bay, Kent, with his wife, Danielle Walters, and their two kids. His wife, Danielle, is an actress who has been in EastEnders, Top Boy, and Chewing Gum.
