Ashley Walters as DI Bascombe in Adolescence (Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix’s latest hit series Adolescence features Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe, who navigates through the complex investigation of a murder case with a 13 year old boy at its centre. The role marks a significant departure for Walters from his acclaimed portrayal of Dushane in Top Boy.
The star, also known by his rap alias Asher D, confessed that he was on the brink of quitting acting entirely before the Adolescence opportunity surfaced, as he found himself increasingly drawn to directing. At the age of 42, the UK talent is a multifaceted entertainer, well-known both as an actor and a rapper.
He catapulted to fame as part of the celebrated UK garage group So Solid Crew, remembered primarily for their chart-topping single ’21 Seconds’. His acting prowess was established in the early 2000s with roles in Storm Damage, Bullet Boy, and Life and Lyrics. Originating from Peckham and born to Jamaican parents, Walters was brought up by his mother, who served as a local government officer. He attained good grades in school but has candidly spoken about his tumultuous encounters with the law.
In 2001, he was issued an 18-month sentence at a young offenders’ institution due to firearm possession. He has also paid fines for subsequent low-level crimes.
Ashley Walters opened up about his absent father (Image: GETTY)
The absence of his father played no small part in his earlier criminal activities, he acknowledged. In a revealing interview with Radio Times, he expressed a constant search for paternal figures: “I was constantly looking for a father figure in every man I met, and it meant that the majority of the time I was just eager to please – or trying to get people to be proud of me.”
The star explained: “And that means sometimes if there was weed to sell, I would do it. If there was something bad to do, I would do it. It wasn’t about ‘I wanted to be bad’ or I was confused from my upbringing or I didn’t have an education.
“It was actually that I wanted to fit in and I wanted to feel safe and I was looking for all of those things that I was missing, really, from not having a father.”
Now a devoted father himself, Ashley’s family life is a far cry from his troubled past. He has sons Shayon and Panera, and daughter China, with his ex-partner Natalie Williams.
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Ashley Walters and his wife Danielle (Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
He also has daughters Antonia and Ashleigh with another woman, as well as Amaiya-Love and River with his actress wife Danielle, whom he married in 2013. Furthermore, Ashley is stepfather to his wife’s child from a previous relationship.
Ashley and his family have settled in Herne Hill, Kent, a world away from his previous life in London. In an interview with The Guardian, he recalled the warm welcome they received from their new neighbours after a storm hit the area: “As soon as we moved in, we had cakes being brought to the door.”
The neighbours even offered to help fix their gate, which had been blown off in the storm, leaving Ashley and his family touched by the kindness.
Adolescence is streaming on