Ashley Bornancin – Camp WWE

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) It’s been really awesome to work on “Camp WWE.” I’m also developing a series with my writing partner that is in post production right now called “We Are Not Friends.” It’s getting a lot of different bites from top agents and we’re really proud of it. People who have seen it so far have said how funny and grounded it is. It’s kind of a dark single camera comedy and my writing partner Don DiPetta is hilarious! I am also working the producers at Awesomesauce, Sylvia Versace and Mark Taylor, along with Ingrid Graham on a feature length documentary on three daughters who are caregivers to their parents with Alzheimer’s. We worked with them on PSA’s that ran in theaters and a commercial this past year. It’s going to be an incredibly powerful documentary called I Once Was Your Daughter.

Q) Why is it so important to you to create your own content?

A) My family has always taught me to work hard for what you want because no one is ever going to hand you anything. Becoming a content creator was such an eye opening experience for me. During this last year I wrote and produced my first dramatic short film. When Don and I met, we found we had this comedic voice together that is a little lyrical and it is very rare to find. We thought we would make our own stuff and it led to a lot of opportunities, auditions and work. We had no idea that people would see it more as a television show than a web series, but it has been really, really embraced. To get to create your own work, you are saying to people “This is what I can create and this is what I can bring to the table.” I think the experience itself has just been so eye opening.

Q) What made you want to be a part of “Camp WWE?”

A) It was originally just another voice audition that came through my agent. I think I auditioned for the girl role and I think I did it in my closet. I wasn’t able to get into the studio so I did it at my home studio. I did the call back and then they said I should also audition for The Rock. I thought, “I’m never going to book this! This is so silly! Why am I auditioning?” But it’s always the auditions where you think you are not going to book are the ones you do. They brought me back in for The Rock and asked me to try for the role of John Cena. I didn’t know a ton about him, but I had just seen “Trainwreck” and knew him from that. I thought he was just so funny it. I just kind of made up the character on the spot and I think his qualities are more to who I am in real life. I always play the character who tries to see the glass half full that some people find annoying. You can’t help but love them though for trying to be the hero.

Q) What was the breakdown of what the show was about and your role?

A) It was a brief description and then it was a monologue. They said they love improvising and I love improvising. I just have such a heart for comedy. For The Rock, I was just shouting out “Jabroni!” and I just started making up things like that. I just started saying all these different things in the audition room and they were cracking up. I think for John Cena I was given a monologue and I just started going off on tangents. And it’s so funny because those tangents they would keep for the show. It’s just so fun to see. We all had a similar sense of comedy – what we find funny, I should say.

Q) What kind of improving do you get to do?

A) We’ll do some runs where we are improvising and it is hard to say what was improvised because the scripts are so good. So, we don’t see it as improvising since the writers are from “Family Guy” and “Robot Chicken.” But we definitely improvised some parts.

Q) What is it like for you to see it all pieced together?

A) It’s unreal! It’s unreal. The animation is so good and the little things they did that make things even more adorable and funny. Seeing it animated was the best because we didn’t get to see it drawn for months so seeing them was like, “Is this real life? This is crazy!” The animation is just incredible. I forget that I voiced those characters and a friend I made through the show watched the season premiere with me. We’ve all become friends and try to get together for as many episodes as we can. We’ve all become friends. We’re like, “Yah, that was you,” because we start to see them as characters. People who don’t even watch the WWE are going to love it because the characters stand on their own. So, even if you don’t know John Cena you can tell he is always the one trying not to swear and sucks up to Mr. McMahon.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it a natural ability for you or have you had to work at it?

A) I think I’ll say that it was from the start because I grew up in a loud Italian family. I have a brother who is four years older than me. No one in my family came from an entertainment background. My mom is the one who definitely encouraged theater. She did theater all her life and sang. I always tried to get attention because everyone was loud and fun. I’d have my cousins go to my grandma’s house with us to get together with my big Italian family. I’d have them put on little performances and shows. I also love making people laugh. I wasn’t the cutest kid so I had to find a way to make friends. I think that most people in comedy are a little weird and that’s what makes us so open. We don’t care if we’re made fun of. If I can make someone laugh and even at my expense, I’m okay with that.

Q) You are a part of social media. Have you been enjoying the feedback to the show you have been receiving?

A) I think it is so cool because people are surprised that we are all so active on social media. So many people say, “Wow! I can’t believe the cast is so nice.” We’re normal human beings. I had my favorite shows growing up like “Lizzie McGuire” and if I could have sent a message to them it would have been the coolest thing. It’s so cool getting to interact with people and seeing people say, “We need more ‘Camp WWE!’ It’s amazing! This is so funny.” It’s fun to see all of their artwork too. A lot of people are making designs. Two different groups of people made a song. They took the theme song and did an acoustic style version. It’s just so incredible to see. People are getting hooked just as much as we are. Something Aaron Blitzstein, the showrunner, said (who is such an incredible person) as long you focus on making something that you think is funny then that is what is important. I just remember reading the scripts and cracking up and thinking it was so funny. I just knew other people would think it as funny. It was inevitable. It is really cool getting to see it happen. It’s been really positive feedback, which is really cool.

Q) What has John’s response been to the show?

A) He posted on Twitter to go watch the show, which is so cool because he has like eight million followers. And he is excited! He really loved the character and thinks the show is hilarious. He is totally fine with being the butt of the joke just like I am. That’s the best! I became obsessed with “American Grit,” as well. So, I was watching that while I was trying to get in shape. I saw him tweet about the show and I was like, “What!?” Seeing him write about it was awesome.

Q) And the show is not just geared towards a male audience.

A) A lot of females are starting to love it because the WWE is starting to branch out more with their sports entertainment with all these other shows so I think it is really catching on and getting more interest than the typical male audience.

Q) What would you like to say to fans of “Camp WWE?”

A) Thank you so much for watching. It means so much to us. I really do read all the comments online and on Twitter. No show can exist without its fanbase. It’s so cool getting to hear everyone’s voices. We have just as much fun making the show as people do watching it. Every single person on the show is so nice. It’s so fun to work on the show. Also, as a young girl coming from Ohio I didn’t have any opportunities and had no family in the industry. I had no connections. This is an inspiration that you can do anything if you focus. Keep your eyes on your own paper. Focus on your own goals. Don’t try to compare yourself to anyone. Stay on your path. Stay hopeful and celebrate the small wins along the way.

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