Annaleigh Amanda Ashford (née Swanson; born June 25, 1985) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her early roles on Broadway include in the musicals Wicked (2007), Legally Blonde (2007), and Hair (2010). She received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for playing Essie Carmichael in You Can't Take It With You (2014–2015). Her other Tony-nominated roles include Lauren in Kinky Boots (2013) and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023). She also starred in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George (2017). She released her debut recording Lost in the Stars: Live at 54 Below in 2015. Ashford's notable film and television credits include Showtime period drama Masters of Sex (2013-2016), the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable (2019), the HBO film Bad Education (2019), the FX drama Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021) and the CBS sitcom B Positive (2020–2022). She earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her performance as Irene in the Hulu limited series Welcome to Chippendales (2022).
