As for Cools, Ashleigh reveals he’s a mini Goldendoodle: ‘A golden retriever crossed with a poodle, which is hilarious and makes no sense because he’s so tiny!’ she says, laughing again.
‘He’s the tiniest dog ever.’
Ashleigh concedes there was much she missed about Australia during her time in LA.
‘It’s just a different living environment over there, so there are so many small things you miss,’ she says, adding with a smile, ‘Everyone also says I must have missed Australian coffee, but if you live anywhere for long enough, you’ll find good coffee. There are also a lot of Australian cafes popping up over there.’
There’s no doubt Ashleigh has always had the support of one of her oldest and closest friends - her former Melbourne flatmate, fellow Neighbours actor-turned-Hollywood-superstar Margot Robbie – along with that of many other Australian performers making a name for themselves in the US.
‘I feel so lucky that over there I do have voices and friends around me whose opinions I really trust,’ she says. ‘They’re all doing so well. It’s just nice to have that support as a bit of a backbone. There’s always a good shoulder to lean on.’
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea, on sale now.