Aya Cash

Aya Cash (born July 13, 1982) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Gretchen Cutler in the FX/FXX dark comedy series You're the Worst (2014–2019), as Clara Vought (née Klara Risinger) / Liberty / Stormfront in the Amazon Prime Video superhero series The Boys (2020-2022; 2026), a role she will reprise in its prequel Vought Rising (2027), as Cheryl Peterson in the Fox sitcom Welcome to Flatch, and most recently as Anita in the HBO series The Franchise. She was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy for You're the Worst. Cash also appeared in numerous films, including The Oranges (2011), Sleepwalk with Me (2012), Begin Again (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Mary Goes Round (2017), Game Over, Man! (2018), and Scare Me (2020).

Early life

Cash was born in San Francisco, California, on July 13, 1982,^[1] to poet and novelist Kim Addonizio and Buddhist teacher Eugene Cash. On her mother's side, she is the granddaughter of tennis champion Pauline Betz and sports writer Bob Addie. Her father's family is Jewish, while her mother is Catholic.^[2][3] Cash has described herself as Jewish,^[2] and explained that their surname "was originally something like 'CH-irsch'."^[2]

Cash is an alumna of the San Francisco School of the Arts.^[4] She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, in partnership with the Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program.^[5][6] She then moved to New York City, where she began her acting career. For years, she struggled financially and worked as a full-time waitress to make ends meet.^[7]

Career

Television

Cash’s television appearances include Brotherhood, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Mercy, and The Newsroom. Cash was also a series regular in the 2011 Fox comedy Traffic Light, which ran for one season. From 2014 to 2019, she starred in the FX Network series You're the Worst as Gretchen Cutler.^[8] She received critical acclaim for her performance, with the website The A.V. Club calling her acting in the second season "the best TV performance of 2015".^[9]

In 2019, she was cast as neo-Nazi Clara Vought (née Klara Risinger) / Liberty / Stormfront in the second season of the Prime Video superhero dark comedy-drama series The Boys. The second season premiered in September 2020.^[10]

In 2020, Cash was cast as local newspaper reporter Cheryl Peterson in a pilot for a Fox sitcom titled This Country. The title was later changed to Welcome to Flatch, which premiered in 2022.^[11]

In 2027, she will again reprise her role as Clara Vought (née Klara Risinger) / Liberty / Stormfront in the prequel series Vought Rising.^[12][13]

Film

Cash's film credits include The Oranges, Winter of Frozen Dreams, Off Jackson Avenue, Begin Again, The Bits In Between, Game Over, Man!, The Happy House,^[14] and The Wolf of Wall Street, in which she had a small role as Janet, Jordan Belfort's assistant.^[15]

Theatre

Additionally, Cash has appeared on Off-Broadway.^[16] In 2014, she starred in the world premiere of Zoe Kazan's play Trudy And Max In Love.^[8] In 2025, she appeared in London's West End as Jessie Stone, in Mark Rosenblatt's play Giant.

Personal life

Cash met writer and producer Josh Alexander^[2] when she was his waitress. They dated for seven years before marrying in 2012.^[17] They reside together in New York City.^[18][2]

Cash was raised Jewish, but no longer practices the religion, stating, "my mother is Catholic, my father is Jewish, but I was raised Jewish in a very not strict temple [...] then I chose, after my Bat Mitzvah, not to continue." Although she also mentioned that she has participated in Jewish holidays over the years, but not in many of them in recent years.^[19]

Cash said that she has a hawk tattooed on her back because she was told that Aya means "hawk" in Hebrew. However, when she visited Israel she was told that "Aya" (איה) is an archaic word for "hawk" (though it is, in fact, the Modern Hebrew word for "honey buzzard", a different bird of prey). Meanwhile, the word "aya" is widely used as the Israeli version of the interjection "ouch."^[2]

Cash is a celebrity ambassador for INARA, an NGO that helps war-wounded refugee children from Syria get medical help.^[20]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ Rose, Mike (13 July 2022). "Today's famous birthdays list for July 13, 2022 includes celebrities Patrick Stewart, Ken Jeong". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
2. ^ "Jews in the News: Floyd Harold Kushner, Aya Cash and Josh Alexander - Tampa Jewish Federation". www.jewishtampa.com
3. ^ Wirsing, Kathryn (April 30, 2019). "Aya Cash Talks Michelle Williams, Mental Health, and Being More Famous Than Her Husband". Marie Claire
4. ^ "Bio: Aya Cash". Fox 50 Raleigh Durham Fayetteville. February 2, 2011. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014.
5. ^ "A Guthrie 'guinea pig' makes good in Hollywood". Minneapolis Star Tribune. February 5, 2011.
6. ^ Behl, Denise (2016-12-16). "TAD Alumna Aya Cash is Published in the New York Times". University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
7. ^ Fetters, Ashley (9 September 2015). "Aya Cash of "You're the Worst" Is Actually Pretty Much the Best". GQ. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
8. ^ Oliver Lyttleton (April 28, 2014). "10 Comic Actresses Who Deserve A Big-Screen Leading Role". Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
9. ^ "The best TV performances of 2015". The A.V. Club. December 21, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
10. ^ Petski, Denise (July 19, 2019). "The Boys Renewed For Season 2 By Amazon; Aya Cash Closes Deal As Stormfront". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
11. ^ Petski, Denise (July 10, 2020). "This Country: Aya Cash & Justin Linville Join Fox Comedy Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
12. ^ Moreau, Jordan (2024-07-26). "The Boys Prequel Vought Rising Starring Jensen Ackles, Aya Cash Ordered at Amazon". Variety. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
13. ^ "Jensen Ackles, Aya Cash lead The Boys prequel Vought Rising". Yahoo Entertainment. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
14. ^ Michael Atkinson (May 2, 2013). "Modestly Made and Executed, The Happy House Is Pretty Likeable The Village Voice May 2, 2013". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
15. ^ "Aya Cash From You're The Worst Wasn't An Edgy Girl Next Door in 'Wolf of Wall Street'". Bustle. July 17, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
16. ^ "Internet Off-Broadway Database Profile". Lortel.org. Archived from the original on September 22, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
17. ^ "I Don't Practice Santeria", 2017-11-21, retrieved 2021-11-16
18. ^ "'The Andy Greenwald Podcast': Aya Cash of 'You're the Worst'". Grantland. October 29, 2015.
19. ^ "The Boys | Stormfront & Kimiko | Aya Cash Q&A Part 2", 22 November 2020, retrieved 2021-11-08
20. ^ "You're the Worst star Aya Cash becomes the best by joining as celebrity ambassador". INARA. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
21. ^ Grobar, Matt (2025-05-19). "Zoey Luna & Aya Cash To Star In Genre-Bender Slay Penned By Jimmi Simpson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
22. ^ Romano, Nick (October 9, 2020). "How The Boys season 2 crafted its gutsiest season yet". EW.com. Archived October 10, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
23. ^ Gray, Tim (December 14, 2015). "'Mad Max,' 'Fargo' Top Critics' Choice Nominations". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
24. ^ Prudom, Laura (June 22, 2016). "'Mr. Robot,' 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' Lead TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
25. ^ Hammond, Pete (19 November 2020). "Palm Springs, Lovecraft Country Top Movie And Series Nominations For Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards; Netflix Lands 35 Nods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
26. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (2021-04-19). "MTV Movie & TV Awards Nominations: 'Emily In Paris', 'WandaVision' & 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". Deadline. Archived 2021-04-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
27. ^ "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association". Retrieved July 11, 2021.
28. ^ "Tony Awards Nominations 2026: The Complete List". Retrieved May 5, 2026.