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Interview with Ashley Brooks from “Pit Boss”

Not everyone comes to California with dreams of being discovered and becoming a star. Some are escaping frigid winters, some are relocating for work, while others pick up and move 3000 miles for love. Maryland native, Ashley Brooks, the only female cast member of Animal Planet’s hit show, Pit Boss, came west to be with her girlfriend, found work as a performer and a receptionist, and ended up on a TV show. Only in LA.

The unlikely celebrity talked to AfterEllen.com about being a little person performer, her stuntwoman girlfriend, being out on national television, and her love of seafood.

AfterEllen: How did you end up on Pit Boss?

Ashley Brooks: Well, I already worked for Shorty [owner of Shortywood Productions a casting agency exclusively for little people.] I started off doing gigs for him; I was an Oompa Loompa, I was one of the Seven Dwarves. Basically, I wore any kind of costume you can imagine. His business was growing, and I needed more work, so he asks me to come and work in the office. I don’t know how the reality show came along, but when it did, I was just already there.

AE: And now you’re a celebrity.

AB: -ish.

AE: Celebrity-ish.

AB: [laughs] Not really.

AE: What’s involved in being on Shortywood’s casting roster?

AB: I’m good at costumes, but I cannot act. I went to a couple of auditions, and it was horrible! I just apologized: “I’m sorry for wasting your time. And mine.” It was bad.

And Shorty still tries to make me go on auditions and I’m like, “Uh, OK. But I’m telling you, I’m not going to make you look good.” Any character other than just myself? I’m horrible.

AE: Good thing you don’t have to worry about that. Pit Boss has had a very successful first season.

AB: Yeah. We’re in what they call Season 1B. We just got done filming, thank god. I’ve been with the boys [co-workers and co-stars, Ronald Lee Clark and Sebastian Saraceno] enough. Normally, it’s an 8-hour day. But when the cameras are around, it can be 10-12 hours, because everything takes longer.

Being with the boys for that long stresses me out. We’re all in the same office, and sometimes, it’s all I can do to not say, “Shut up!”

AE: Why? What do they talk about?

AB: They talk about hockey. All the time. And cars. And they practice their lines together.

AE: Sounds awful. I’m so sorry. Ronald also seems to complain a lot about the costumed gigs you get sent to. He doesn’t like them at all.

AB: He’s definitely the wet blanket in the bunch. I mean, I’m not the happiest in those costumes — they’re hot and you’ve got makeup on, and you can’t touch your face. But when we’re in those costumes, we get paid well. It’s a lot more than if I had some day job. I get, like, a week’s pay for one [appearance.]

So, to sit there crying about it? It’s like, “Dude. If you don’t like it, don’t do it.” But he’s been out here a long time, and I think that’s the LA part of him: thinking he’s too good for it. So, he’s definitely the diva, but he’s getting better about it. It’s better to be in the costume and getting the paycheck.

AE: The three of you have no formal background with animals, and yet you’re on Animal Planet. I don’t think anyone imagines they’d end up on Animal Planet unless they’re a zoologist. Or a shark.

AB: I thought I’d just do some little person gigs and pay the bills. Then, [the show] happened.

AE: Do you you get recognized a lot now?

AB: A woman recognized me while I was driving past a Taco Bell. I get recognized a lot while I’m driving; more than when I’m out. She followed me from Taco Bell to the office.

AE: Maybe she was thinking outside the bun.

AB: She was ready to follow me into the office. And I was like, “Whoa. Calm down.”

AE: Shorty uses some of his show business proceeds to further “Shorty’s Rescue,” his passion project to rescue pit bulls and educate the public about the breed. What is it like working with big dogs with bad reputations?

AB: They’re huge. And they slobber. And, sometimes, I have to hold them. I weigh 70 pounds. It doesn’t work out. But I like them; they’re fun. But when we go out on rescues, I’m like, “I’m going to use you as a human shield. I’m going to stay back here.”

AE: Totally normal. I’m sure you foresaw all of this when you moved here.

AB: When I first got here, I had a job answering phones and it was horrible. After I quit that, I was like, “God, I don’t want to go back.” And the little people jobs I do are awesome. I get to go out and party and make people happy, take pictures, and have fun.

AE: What’s your take on the current trend of reality shows featuring little people, namely, your show, Little People, Big World, and Little Couple?

AB: I think it’s cool. Because when you sign onto [internet sites] and see people using the M word, other people will bash them now and say, “No, it’s ‘little person.'” I don’t really have a problem with the word, but people are more aware. We’re not some kind of fairy tale now. [The M word] is politically incorrect.

AE: Which is worse: the D word, or the M word?

AB: I don’t mind “dyke.” It depends how it’s being used.

AE: Is it hard to be on a reality show? A lot of people have told me they regret it.

AB: Not for me, but the guys fought it for a while. [They didn’t] want to show everything, but I don’t care.

AE: So, you didn’t hesitate about being out on the show?

AB: Oh yeah. That was my first question to Shorty: What about my relationship? I wasn’t out out. I mean, I was out to friends and family, but to be out, nationally? It’s a lot different. But he said Animal Planet was cool with it, so I was like, “All right. I’m doing it.”

AE: They handle it very organically, too. I like that. Were you nervous about those scenes airing?

AB: Actually, it didn’t surface until the fifth episode. So, there was this build-up of, “Oh my god, it’s coming, it’s coming.” I was so worried I was going to get negativity or [mean] comments. I kept checking Facebook every minute while it was airing, to see if anyone was bashing me. And I didn’t get anything.

AE: Who were you worried about? Fans of the show who didn’t know you were gay?

AB: Well, you know — religious people who do not like my lifestyle. So, I was just worried. I come from a small town. It’s not as comfortable as LA. But nothing bad came of it.

And it kind of covered the whole having-to-tell-people thing. I was visiting my grandmother and one of our friends asked, “So, do you have a boyfriend?” And I was like, “Just watch the show.” [laughs]

AE: Well, that’s one way to come out.

AB: My parents are super proud of me, so they weren’t like, “Oh god.” My dad has been so cool with my relationship since Day One. I didn’t tell them. They kind of figured it out on their own. So, it wasn’t a big issue. My mom is a little uncomfortable with it, so we don’t talk about it. But she’s friends with Kacie, and Kacie comes home with me for Christmas.

AE: We should mention that your girlfriend is Kacie Borrowman, a successful stuntwoman and actor.

AB: She does stunts, acting, behind-the-scene work, photo-doubling kids. She’s been on House and Private Practice. She was in the business way before I ever even imagined being out here. When [my] show comes on, we’re like, “Can you believe this?” It’s so random. The fact that I’m getting recognized is weird to her. And me.

AE: How long have you guys been together? Where did you meet? What’s she like? This is the part of the interview where I just pepper you with personal questions.

AB: She’s my first serious girlfriend; we’ve been together over four years.

AE: Congratulations.

AB: Yeah, it’s like 40 lesbian years. and I’m only 23. Wait, I’m 24 now.

AE: How old is Kacie?

AB: Kacie is 32.

AE: Let’s do the math. That means you met when you were …

AB: I met her when I was 18, but we didn’t start dating until I was 19.

AE: Where did you guys meet?

AB: At a little people convention.

AE: What was her pick-up line?

AB: Oh, I picked her up.

AE: Get out.

AB: Yeah. We were friends for a while. She’s super shy, she’s awesome. I’m the evil one; she’s nice. All my friends were like, “I didn’t expect her to be so nice.” What are they trying to say about me? [laughs]

AE: You guys are raising lesbian visibility in the little people community, too.

AB: I like to make it comfortable for other people. I’m just grateful. Twenty years ago, I would not have been able to do this.

AE: Especially since 20 years ago, you were only four.

AB: [laughs] Well, I mean socially.

AE: Do you still attend the Little People of America conventions?

AB: Yeah, I missed the last one because we were working. I went to a local one — an LA one — and it was weird because I had just gotten back from [a gig]. Actually, I left the Renaissance event, and my hair was still done, and the makeup, and I’m walking through to find my girlfriend. And everyone was like, “Pit Boss! Animal Planet! Ashley!” and no one used to know me.

I was not popular in the little people world, at all. It was so weird. In the little people world,everyone knows everyone.

AE: Like the lesbian community.

AB: Yeah!

AE: The LA gathering must have been full of actors.

AB: Yes, and it’s weird, because everyone’s friends, but everyone’s after the same jobs. I didn’t like that part of the acting world, either.

AE: Do you have a favorite little person actor?

AB: Uh, yeah. My girlfriend! [laughs] I mean, Peter Dinklage [The Station Agent, Nip/Tuck] is probably the most popular. He works a lot. He should leave some roles for my friends!

AE: He’s a serious guy. On the lighter side, in a recent Pit Boss episode, you guys were hired to work a crawfish festival. Ronald was bitching about the costumes, as usual, but all you wanted to know was whether you’d get free seafood. That made me laugh. Because that would be my first question, too!

AB: Yeah, I’m all about food.

AE: You are! Even your Facebook profile says, “I like seafood.”

AB: That is a joke about being a lesbian.

AE: [laughs] What?

AB: On IMDb, somebody wrote: “Ashley’s the coolest little person, ever. Too bad she likes seafood.” And it was so hilarious, when I was on Facebook, where it says to write something about yourself, I put that in there.

But, I’m all about food, all the time. So when I knew we had to do that gig, I was like, “At least I get a perk out of it.”

AE: You’re hilarious. I see you’re trying stand-up comedy. How’s that going?

AB: It’s pretty cool. I just started — only performed a couple of times — and it’s fun. I talk about being gay, I talk about being little, and I talk about working for Shorty. I think it’s pretty funny.

AE: What are your plans for the future?

AB: Why does everybody ask me that?

AE: Do they? I don’t know. Maybe because “What are you doing later?” sounds creepy.

AB: I don’t know. I’ve always been a little bit “I’m just going to ride a wave.” And hopefully, I’ll catch the next one, when it comes.

Catch Ashley riding her wave, making people happy, and having fun on Pit Boss, Saturdays at 10PM on Animal Planet.

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