You better hurry, we got Murray! Ashleigh Murray (she/her) went from Riverdale’s Josie and the Pussycats, to Katy Keene, to playing Zenzi on Tom Swift, so it’s fair to say that she’s the “it girl” of the CW. And BTW, the season finale of Tom Swift is dropping today, so clear your schedule.

We got to chat with Ashleigh about the show’s fashion vs. her style IRL, the movie that ignited her passion for acting, and whether she'd ever return to the Riverdale universe.

Tom Swift has amazing fashion. Do you have a hero piece yourself?
That’s hard, because my style is pretty eclectic. I’m not a person who has a capsule wardrobe. I really just shop and dress based on how I feel. But I guess I can say I’m a jeans girl. My legs look great in them, especially if they’re high waisted [laughing].

Zenzi really tells it like it is, especially with her BFF Tom. Are you the same way?
I’m definitely that way. I’m a very nurturing and mothering friend, and that shows through protectiveness, correction, harsh honesty, and being gentle. And I’ve learned that sometimes I just have to be quiet and let someone else talk. In the same way Zenzi has this relationship with Tom, I have it with Tian Richards [who plays Tom]. I’m honest, supportive, and straightforward, and I like that about myself, so I definitely use that when I play Zenzi.

There’s a lot of representation for both the Black and LGBTQ+ communities on TS. Did you have a fav TV show or movie growing up that had an impact on you?
The movie that helped me discover I wanted to get into acting was The Lost World: Jurassic Park. When I saw Ian Malcom’s Black daughter, I was like, “That could be me. I can make it.” Even though I didn’t make it until I was in my 20s, I knew from seeing her character on screen that there was space for me.

Tom Swift gives off Black Panther meets Iron Man vibes. Who do you think has the better tech though: Tom Swift, Tony Stark, or Wakanda?
I can hear diehard fans eviscerating me in my hesitation [laughing]. To watch Tom argue with Tony Stark (may he rest in peace) would be hilarious. But let’s be generous and say no one and everyone. With the Marvel movies, we’ve seen their tech over the years, but our show is still so new. I think it would mesh really well, and probably be even more elevated if they had access to the stuff Tony Stark and Wakanda have.

So Tom is rich and has unlimited resources. Which would you choose to have for the rest of your life?
It would probably be unlimited resources. I feel like that could come in just as handy and suffice if I didn’t have enough money for something. Like, “Oh, I’m just going to call so-and-so and they can figure that out for me.”

And now the controversial Q: Will you ever play Josie again?
Not at this point, because I was a part of that franchise for so long. I probably would’ve jumped at it if they did a movie or something, but right now, I’m interested in doing other things. I also don’t want to be attached to one character and only be known as Josie. I want to continue to recreate myself in different ways. And there’s always room for reinvention and revisiting, but now is not the time for that.