Simone Ashley Bridgerton – The Lady of the Eldest Bridgerton
After the release of the Bridgerton season 2 on March 25, fans and social media went into a full British mode. Viewers praised the crew for their excellent performance. The highlight of this season was Kate Sharma – Simone Ashley Bridgerton.
Let’s know about her, today.
Simone Ashley Bridgerton
Simone Ashley is a British-Indian actress. Ashley has played roles in the Netflix series Sex Education and, most recently, Bridgerton season 2.
Both series have given Ashley worldwide recognition, and Ashley has proved her talent to the media with her roles.
Ashley became the leading protagonist of the Netflix period drama Briderton season 2. She auditioned for the role in 2020.
The announcement that Ashley became the leading lady came in February 2021. Subsequently, the series came in March 2022. Moreover, Bridgerton 2 was a success like the first one.
Regarding her role in Bridgerton, Ashley never imagined getting a chance to star, and she had realized there wasn’t enough or no representation like her in a period drama.
She further added –
I didn’t watch period dramas much because I couldn’t relate to them, maybe because I couldn’t see myself within one.
Simone Ashely’s portrayal of Kate Sharma was applauded and admired by viewers and fans.
The second season was adapted from the book The Viscount Who Loved Me, and it was based on the eldest Bridgerton sibling Anthony.
Ashley Simone played the role of his love interest. In the book, the character is called Kate Sheffield. But the showrunner changed the adaption to Sharma.
About the series and regency period, Simon expressed concerns if she could ever survive that time in reality. The limitations were genuinely astonishing and unfair when compared with the present era.
Where Is Simone Ashley From?
Simon Ashley was born on 0 March 1995 in Surrey. Her parents are of Indian descendants, particularly from the Tamil region.
Her full name is Simone Ashwini Pillai. She has an older brother. Ashley’sAshley’s family is full of academics. But she pursued acting due to her passion for it.
However, in a family full of academics, issues were getting to her creative calling. Ashley revealed in an interview –
They still find it quite scary and unsettling. There is no crystal ball, no security, no guarantee, which can be a parent’s worst nightmare. But they know I’m a smart lady. You can’t spend your life going with what your parents want, or your friends, teachers, lovers want.
Ashley learned classical music and piano when she was younger. She attended Redroofs Theatre School, and Ashley further trained at the Arts Educational School in acting.
Career
Ashley launched her acting career in 2018 with her role in the movie Boogie Man. She also portrayed the character of Ben Lyk in Kill Ben Lyk.
In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education. She played the role of Olivia Hanan, and Olivia was a member of the clique Untouchables in the series.
Her next role was Elise Fox in The Sister – ITV psychological thriller.
She will appear 2023 live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.
Breaking Barriers
Ashley Simone has always been vocal about colorism in the industry. According to her, colorism is a challenge she faces in her career.
Simone asserted that there are issues of target audiences being able to relate to the casting. And that’s when roles get taken away.
Ashley Says,
The more we let in, the more we can understand and be proactive. Being proactive is helping. Donate, sign petitions, protest, speak up. And hey, it’s 2020; a message to all dark-skinned Desi girls, put down that fairness cream; you don’t need it
Ashley often posts about these issues and bots of her life on her Instagram account.
She says we need to celebrate each other. If we guard ourselves and be competitive with each other (Indian actors), then we won’t be able to change the game.
Interests
Simone Ashley Bridgertone loves music. She admitted to listening to rock n roll while growing up. Even though her loyalty still lies with rock n roll, she is discovering new genres of music. She listens to Trip Hop and Morcheeba.
Ashley loves chai. Chai is the Hindi term for Tea.
However, she loves summer. The faun fact is she admits to being a sun baby, and California has a special place in her heart as she spent her childhood there.