Background
Ashkenazi was born to Sephardi Jewish immigrants from Turkey who moved to Israel in 1964. He grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood in Ramat Gan. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer.
His mother, Victoria, was a housewife.
Education
He studied acting at Beit Zvi.
Career
At the age of 16, in the wake of problems in school, he moved to Kibbutz Regavim. In the Israel Defense Forces, he served as a paratrooper. After graduating in 1994, he worked for Habima and Beersheba Theater.
He also appeared with the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv, although Beit Lessin remained his home base.
Ashkenazi was first married to actress Shira Farber. After his divorce, he had a relationship with playwright and screenwriter Sigal Avin.
He also had a relationship with a woman whose identity remains unknown. They had a daughter in August 2012.