Ashley Moore on Joy and the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" Reboot

You may know Ashley Moore from E! 's reality show Model Squad or could be a part of her Instagram community of 858K people. Either way, Moore is gearing up to make her first scripted television appearance as Riley, a teenage girl with a tough exterior and Insta-worthy makeup looks in Amazon's I Know What You Did Last Summer series. Upon first hello's with Moore via Zoom, I get the feeling she is a mellow, effortlessly cool girl who is ready to make her mark on the world of film and television.

Ahead, the actress opens up about what it means to bring a cult classic to life in a new way, her love of crewnecks, and the importance of balancing social media and real-life experiences.

How are you?

I’m doing good. This week has been a bit hectic because of the press junkets. So I’m like, gosh, I need sleep. But, everything’s been good. I’m very grateful. Feeling good.

We’re in spooky month, and everybody’s so excited about Halloween. Do you have any plans?

All my friends always give me crap because I am that friend that will literally stay home. I will watch my Hocus Pocus and my scary movies and give out candy. But there’s been two times that I’ve actually dressed up for Halloween. I’m like, you guys have fun, I’ll drop you off. But, I stay home.

You have I Know What You Did Last Summer, the series, making its debut. This is a scary movie classic that everybody loves. What was it like to bring it to life in this new way because before, it was a movie, but this time it's a series?

The book is of its time. The film is of its time, and so is the series. There’s social media involved. They have an iPhone, you know? So that right there changes the game, and they document every moment of [their] lives, so that plays a huge part in the series. And, can also get you in a lot of trouble. Being able to do a series, they can focus more on each individual and their backstory.

Good point on the social media front. It is totally different. I know we can’t drop any spoilers, but can you tell us a bit about your character, Riley?

Riley’s really badass. She’s a lot of fun. She has that tough girl vibe, and she’s very straightforward and blunt, which can come off a bit harsh. But, she’s also very logical, and when it gets real, she’s like, this is what we’re doing. She’s real quick with it. Also, she didn’t have the best upbringing, and she comes from a single-parent home. She’s basically the adult in the household. So, she has many layers to her.

One of the first things I noticed about Riley is she is the quintessential cool girl with bright beauty looks. Did you have an opportunity to help develop her look?

Definitely, I was very vocal when it came to how I imagined Riley to be. Even with that party scene look, like my hair being up with the braids, I was like, I want that. With the makeup, every character had their fun makeup look, but I was able to play and throw out ideas with that, and also with her outfits, I had a lot of say, which was nice.

I saw your winged liner today, and I just love it. Do you have any off-camera makeup looks you like to lean into?

Believe it or not, I’m pretty basic when it comes to makeup. My thing is blush. I love blush. Blush and some highlighter and my brows, and I’m good to go.

Blush is a good one because it just wakes you up. Let’s get into your fashion. Your style seems very colorful. Even ‘70s inspired based on your IG.

If you and I were friends and you were around me every single day, I am in workout gear. I wear workout gear, sweatpants, [and] crewnecks. Or, I’ll throw on a crewneck with jeans. I am very, very basic.

But, crewnecks are poppin’. Princess Diana loved crewnecks and biker shorts, and she was always fly.

Yes! I started doing this thing my stepdad used to do. He would wear his sweatshirts inside out. So I wear my sweatshirts inside out all the time. It looks good. A lot of people are like does she know her sweatshirts inside out, but I think it’s a pretty cool look.

That sounds cool.

Yeah, you should try it.

Let’s talk a little about your skincare. What’s your routine like these days?

I used to have pretty bad acne, mainly on my cheeks. Now, I have little tiny bumps here and there from wearing makeup all the time. But, I wash my face with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Foaming Facial Cleanser ($10), and I use cotton pads to wash my face. I don’t wash my face with just my hands because it does not get all the dirt. Then I use Curology. You send in photos of your skin, and they build a prescription based on your skin texture. I have a cream that I use daily night and morning, and then sometimes I use Olehenriksen’s Goodnight Glow Retin-ALT Sleeping Crème ($58), and that’s it. I have really sensitive skin, so if I find something that works, I can’t go outside of that.

Let’s talk a little bit about social media since that is a component of the show. How do you find balance in your real-life versus what you share on social media?

I definitely take breaks from it. There are days when I won’t get on social media until the end of the day. There was a time when I took a two-week break, and I remember having anxiety thinking about downloading the app again. I rarely post personal stuff. I usually don’t post my family because I’m really private about that. The times I do go on [social media] is to look for inspo and see what friends are up to.

Last question. What is bringing you joy right now?

I love to go running. I run a lot. Just being outdoors in general just brings me a lot of joy. [Also,] spending time with family and friends, I feel like that’s really important. Also, I’ve been reading a lot of scripts. That brings me a lot of joy.