O-Town's Ashley Parker Angel 'Ready for a New Chapter' in Health and Wellness After Leaving Entertainment: 'More Exciting for Me'

Ashley Parker Angel is looking ahead — not in the rearview mirror — when it comes to his career.

After being a part of the band O-Town, having his own MTV series There & Back and starring in Hairspray and Wicked on Broadway, he's ready for his next act.

"I was really lucky to do it for 20 years straight. I've been there and done that. I was in Wicked, playing Prince Fiyero, and I did that for a year and started to feel this calling toward something that would give me more meaning and purpose — it's not that I didn't love performing on stage, but if you teach someone about health and well-being, you can change someone's life forever," the singer, 44, exclusively tells OK! while talking about High Level Science, founded by Angel and Dr. David Rizik. "That felt like I was having more impact in the world. I did so much more than I ever thought I would."

"It's a very stressful lifestyle. I did all these things — I performed at Madison Square Garden, but now I am ready to start this chapter. It gives me more meaning, purpose and fulfillment. I spent my whole life living out of a suitcase," he continues.

Angel, who shares son Lyric with ex Tiffany Lynn Rowe, was offered a chance to reunite with his O-Town bandmates but declined, saying he feels more “grounded” at this stage of his life.

"You think about all these incredible memories of traveling across the world with a group of guys, and no one can really understand what that experience was. I love that they got the band back together, but there was a part of me that was like, 'I want to build toward something new.' That felt more exciting to me. They completely understood I felt that way," he explains. "I'm totally supportive of them. It's that excitement for something new that I think pushed me in this direction. Playing Fiyero was my dream role, but it's been exciting to show the world I'm more than just a boy band member."

The performer isn't opposed to making a surprise appearance alongside his O-Town pals in the future. "Maybe. It would have to be the right thing. I didn't do the reunion because there are a lot of personalities to navigate, but I am grateful for it. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Everything I've done has led me to where I'm at now," he says.

Now, the "Let U Go" crooner is focusing on breaking into the health industry with High Level Science — a medical-grade supplement brand that he launched with Dr. Rizik.

"I spent a couple of decades in entertainment as a singer and actor, and I was working with the best fitness coaches. I was going from boy band bootcamp to a solo career. I sold 10 million albums at the time, had two hit TV shows, and then successfully pivoted into Broadway. I was always keyed into not just my physical health, but my mental health, well-being and all these things, which gave me a real advantage."

When the world shut down during COVID, people were suffering with their mental health, leading him to launch an online health and wellness community, based on decades of working with the best fitness and nutritionists.

Angel, who has always been obsessed with health and wellness, wanted to share his knowledge with the world.

"I was excited to pivot and start teaching people a lot of things I've learned," he shares.

"There are a lot of people who don't feel good, especially regarding mental health. There are some issues right now in our culture regarding mental health, but just taking all those things I've learned and starting a company and brand around it. I was fortunate to meet a world-renowned cardiologist named Dr. David Rizik. He's invented medical devices and re-engineered how certain surgical procedures are done. He became my personal doctor, even though I was doing all the things right, I still had some cardiovascular issues. He was like, 'You need to be taking these supplements,'" he states. "These supplements actually have decades of medical research and science behind them. He was like, 'I have a supplement company,' and we should start developing this and teach people about heart disease, which is the global killer of both men and women. We created a handful of supplements. The idea is to take out the confusion happening in the marketplace because we constantly are seeing, 'Take that, take this.'"

Angel says if anyone is not feeling confident, the "easiest thing you can do is to get on a proper supplement routine."

"People say, 'I wish there's a pill I could take.' There is! You have to understand that it's not every supplement offered. Most doctors will tell you that most supplements don't work. There's only a handful of them that are backed by science. With High Level Science, it's backed by medical research," he says.

After being in showbiz for quite some time, Angel is ready to start "spreading the message of health and well-being."

"This story has been years in the making. Most people don't have access to the best coaches. Now, I want to instill this High Level Science movement," he says. "It's about understanding proper supplementation. I want to be a walking billboard that you can look and feel good in any decade of your life! It's about remembering to take a pill each day. Your body and mind need these things to thrive. You have to be consistent. I've seen testimonials where people say, 'My blood pressure is better, my mood is better,' that gets me hyped up. In the past, people would say, 'I love your album or song,' and I appreciate it so much, but this is really making a deeper impact on people's lives. I've personally found a lot more fulfillment. This is the most gratifying and satisfying chapter of my life by far."

As OK! previously reported, High Level Science announced a new collab with GNC earlier this month.

"The collaboration brings two of High Level Science’s flagship formulas – High Level Man®, a 12-in-1 testosterone support formula, and High Level Heart + Body + Mind™ – to The Drop, by GNC, the retailer’s innovation hub for breakthrough wellness brands," the press release reads.

Products are available exclusively at almost 1,000 GNC stores and on GNC.com with a retail price of $59.99 each. Find your closest GNC with High Level Science HERE.