Best Selfie: Drag and musical theatre star Trevor Ashley reflects on his path to stardom

In 9Honey's weekly series Best Selfie, we present stars with memorable photos to see how they react. Expect memories of joy, heartbreak, and insecurities, all retold through the lens of time.

Trevor Ashley is an extraordinary talent known for his on-stage roles, his remarkable singing prowess and his larger-than-life personality.

Ashley has recently made headlines by joining Season 2 of the highly-anticipated Queen of The Universe, a worldwide drag singing competition in which he represents Australia.

With his unique blend of vocal range, magnetic stage presence and showmanship, the performer has already carved out an impressive career in the entertainment industry.

So when we sat down with Ashley to chat about his old photos, he took us through all the moments, roles and costumes – from some of his favourites, to others he would rather forget about.

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Born and raised in Australia, Ashley's passion for performing blossomed at a young age. His love for musical theater propelled him to pursue his dreams in the entertainment industry.

"Kurt Sneddon of Blueprint Studios took that photo and it was one of my first head shots when I was sort of an adult, a proper adult," he told 9Honey of the image shown above.

"I think I must have been 25 or 26. But it's a long time ago and I don't, sadly, look like that anymore," he laughs.

Ashley's breakthrough moment arrived when he originated the role of Miss Understanding in the Australian production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

His portrayal of the sassy and vibrant draw queen who sings What's Love Got To Do With It earned critical acclaim and established him as a force to be reckoned with on the stage.

Following this success, Ashley went on to star in numerous theater productions, including Les Misérables, Hairspray, and most recently, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Ashley also directed the musical version of Heathers, which toured around the country, as well as writing, directing and starring in his own pantamimes, Fat Swan, The Bodybag, The Lyin' Queen and Moulin Scrooge.

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But Ashley is best known for his impersonations. Over the years he has done Dame Shirley Bassey, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and so many more.

'"There are probably a million photos of me as Liza," says Ashley.

"She's an icon. For me, she was one of the first entertainers that I saw on a video 1000 years ago who just completely blew me away. She was just dynamite.

"And I thought 'God, if I wanna do showbiz, that's who I wanna be'.

2020 and 2021 was a tough time for everyone, but the entertainment industry was severely impacted, with shows and projects around the country – and the world – shut down.

The impact was captured in a photo taken of Ashley backstage at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival (below) in mid-2021.

"I will never forget because ... I was exhausted from doing these gigs but then all of a sudden the whole world shut down again, and it was a really difficult time of sadness because we were going through it for a second year," he recalls.

"I think we all were very, all, very depressed. It was very tough."

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Ashley attributes much of his early success to the support of his parents, particularly his late mum, Elana.

"We lost Mum last year and I'll just never forget how amazing she was," he says.

"To me, my mother would come to every single thing I've ever done and be the loudest person in the audience and cheer and scream."

"It's weird even opening a show or doing anything with her not being there anymore. I miss her every day."

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This weekend, Ashley takes his talents to an even larger stage as he joins Season 2 of Queen of The Universe.

The show, which is streaming from Saturday on Paramount+, showcases talented singers from around the world competing in Drag.

It's hosted by Graham Norton and features judges Mel B, Trixie Mattel, Vanessa Williams and Michelle Visage.

Ashley's inclusion in the lineup, representing Australia, has generated tremendous excitement among fans and industry insiders alike.

"Queen of the Universe is sort of like The Voice meets [RuPaul's] Drag Race," he says.

"I'm excited to be part of the show."

Queen Of The Universe premieres Saturday June 3 on Paramount Plus.

Watch Trevor Ashley's reaction in the full episode of Best Selfie in the video above.

New episodes of Best Selfie drop every Friday exclusively at Best Selfie.