F  L  A  U  N  T

Witches. Cackling in the dark. Reciting incantations in secrecy at midnight in a cabin in the deep woods. Flying on broomsticks. Shunned from society. These are the old, boring ideas we’re all accustomed. In Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem series, we enter a new exciting premise for witches, whereby they take front and center stage as trained, powerful weapons for America and are regarded as heroes. They’ve cut a deal with the government and are the country’s only hope against rising terrorist attacks. The trio that this show centers on are also all badass females with razor-sharp wit. As one of the three star leads of the show, Ashley Nicole Williams talks to us about what it’s like being a modern witch.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started acting? 

Heck yeah! I started acting when I was 5 years old. I wrote an autobiography in kindergarten that said I wanted to be a “movie star”; it was just something I always felt in my soul that I was meant to do, even from a young age. Ironically, I ended up in an after school program that offered acting classes. And those classes were with none other than Texas acting coach herself, Cathryn Sullivan. From there, I participated in seminars at Cathryn’s and signed with The Kim Dawson Agency for acting and modeling. In 8th grade I went to LA for the first time and signed with CESD Agency and my manager Andrew Edwards. I’ve worked my tail off for years, honing in on the craft, and here we are.

  

Motherland is a very exciting new series. What was one of the most memorable moments working on it? 

Motherland was my first time being on a television set. It was all very new to me but very exciting at the same time. I think the most memorable thing for me, was realizing how many pieces make up the puzzle. What I mean by that is, people praise actors and actresses once they see the final product of a movie or tv show, but they don’t realize anything else besides the acting. When on set, in order for us to even shoot our (actor) side of things, there’s the set decorators, grips, prop department, wardrobe, hair, make-up, and so many more departments that take part in what you see on your television screens. It’s not just the actors, and we need to give credit where credit is due. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the most memorable part of working on Motherland was learning about every department, and how they all come together to make such a beautiful creation.

How do you feel that the show reflects our current society and situation? 

As everyone knows, our show is huge on woman empowerment. I think the gender reversal makes that all come together. We are portraying women as warriors, where they use their voices as their power, and they are protecting and ruling the world. I think our show is telling society that the days where people tried to tell women they couldn’t speak, or only cook, or clean, or bare a child, are over. That you can try to shut us up all you want, but our voice is our weapon, and we are strong, and we are powerful. Our society tries to diminish and discredit women, make us seem inferior and incapable, but our show completely flips that narrative and more importantly, gives woman the power they need to know that our society is incorrect and they are both, capable and powerful.

 

 Tell us about your character and the arc she goes through.

My character Abigail is unquestionably alpha, driven, courageous, and a bit of a man-eater… but most importantly, she is a Bellweather (which is basically witch royalty). She comes from a long lineage of Generals and Lieutenants in the army, so she has some pretty big shoes to fill. Being a Bellweather, Abigail has to uphold the family name by making it to War College, and in the beginning of the season, she will not let anyone get in her way, and unfortunately, doesn’t care who she knocks out of the way to get there. She comes across as a Queen B who doesn’t really care about anyone but herself, but deep down she has a lot of insecurities about failing the Bellweather name, and added pressure from her mother doesn’t help. Because of these things, this is why Abigail puts off such a tough persona… we’re touching on toxic masculinity here. Abigail so desperately wants to be a leader and uphold the Bellweather name, but she has to learn that she can’t do that at the cost of someone else e.i. her unit. Abigail needs to learn that there’s “no I in Team”, and most importantly that it’s okay to not be strong all the time. That it’s okay to be vulnerable and learn to love and lean on others.

 

 It’s refreshing to see a strong and diverse female-led cast who are intelligent fighters and I can see this being very inspiring to a young, or even older, audience. Do you feel there is a responsibility to be a good role model beyond your character to fans? And what are some beliefs or messages that you would hope to impart on your audience? 

I think we have every responsibility. It is so important to have representation and for every person of every size, shape, color, and sexual orientation to feel seen and heard in the media. I feel like I have a responsibility to be a good role model to little black girls who have never seen a black warrior or “superhero” on their television before. I have a responsibility to open doors for them just as Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson, and so many others have opened the door for me. I want them to feel empowered and know that they can do anything they set their minds to. But most importantly, to not let ANYONE tell them different.

 

 It’s also so welcome to see a new twist on witches. Do you believe in the supernatural at all?

I love how we have reimagined the witch. And yes, I am very clairvoyant and can feel spirits around me. I believe in all spirts and souls. 

 

For fun, if you could do one thing as a witch, what would it be? 

I would LOVE to fly! The way we do combat drops in the show is so freaking cool, and I wish I could take some Salva and dive out of a helicopter for fun just once. Of course I did the flying stunt in the show, but if I could for real for real fly, that would be awesome!

 

 Have you picked up any new hobbies while in quarantine? 

I’ve always dabbled in song writing, but this quarantine has given me so much time to really focus on it. Who knows, you might see an album out of me in a year or two ;)

 

What are some aspirations you have for the future?

My ultimate goal in this life is to write, direct, and produce, my own movies. While being in front of the camera, I have developed a love for behind the camera as well. Making my own films and acting in them would be such a dream. I just graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Film & Digital Media, so I have studied film and television production very tediously while having hands-on experience as well, so I feel like I have all the tools I need to turn my dreams into a reality.

 

 Who has inspired you in your career thus far? 

My favorite actress is Taraji P. Henson. The way she acts is so captivating and moving, it truly draws you in. The way she makes you feel things when you watch her work, inspires me to work so much harder. I want someone to feel that way about my work and my acting. I want to inspire someone so we can have more artists and beautiful minds in this world.

 

What other projects are in the pipeline?

When we finished filming, I went right back into my college career. I took a little break from auditioning and going out for roles so I could really buckle down and finish getting my degree. That was important to me. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m ready to jump back in the ring, but we just got picked up for a second season, so I’m super excited and focused on that right now!

Photographed by Lindsey Byrnes.

Styling: Wayman & Micah.

Hair: Rena Calhoun.

Makeup: Saisha Beecham.