Who is she? And no we don't mean the charismatic and straight-talking Kate Sharma of Bridgerton, although we'd certainly like to find that out too. We're talking about Simone Ashley. We can't be the only ones captivated by the actor. Especially after her shocking pink appearance on the BAFTA red carpet elegantly wearing Valentino. Of course, we did clock Ashley and her scathing side-eye in Sex Education, but admittedly our minds were elsewhere—whose weren't?
Now on the eve of Bridgerton season two's much anticipated release, we've found ourselves returning to this question. There's no skating around the fact that Ashley is a certified dream girl. What, with her sticky brown eyes and mop of glossy black curls. What's more, from the glimpses we've seen of Bridgerton's second season, acting comes to her as easy as breathing and she's a natural on a horse (if you're into that kind of thing). And while we've noted her down as one to watch on the style front, we can't help but thirst for more information. If the sentiment is mutual, then scroll down below as we bring you everything we know about Simone Ashley.
Simone is a Surrey native
As we dive headfirst into Aries season, it feels apt to focus on Simone Ashley or Simone Ashwini Pillai who was born on March 30, 1995 which puts her on the cusp of her 27th birthday at the time of writing. Ashley grew up in Surrey and was raised by Tamil-Indian parents and academics. From a young age she was drawn to the creative disciplines, a love that was fostered in her household where playing the piano and singing classical music was encouraged, especially by her Dad who was particularly fond of music, art and film. During her high school years she attended the ArtsEd School in Chiswick, in order to develop her acting skills.
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She's publicly spoken out against colourism
As a woman of colour, it's an issue Ashley feels strong about. When the actor appeared on the cover of Harper's BAZAAR India in 2020, she spoke openly about her position on colourism in the accompanying interview. She said, "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," she continued.
On Instagram Ashley also posted the following video of a mother giving an important lesson to her daughter.
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Her love for music runs deep
And it's all thanks to her Dad. In an interview with Veylex, Simone Ashley explained, "My father has always been deeply passionate about music, film and photography. Growing up the record player was always playing rock n roll tunes, or Bob Marley".
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Her style is being noticed by the fashion set
Aside from doling out the best red carpet look at the 2022 BAFTAs, Simone Ashley has caught the attention of other major designers, including Jonathan Anderson at Loewe, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino. Could an ambassadorship lay waiting on the horizon for Simone Ashley? We sure hope so.
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Bridgerton isn't her first acting rodeo
As previously mentioned, Simone Ashley is at this point no stranger to the world of acting. She played popular reformed mean girl Olivia Hanan on Sex Education and starred in psychological thriller series The Sister. Ashley also lent her voice to a character in the animated film Pokémon Detective Pikachu. However, her part as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton marks her first time in a lead role. Needless to say, we can hardly wait.
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What can we expect from her character Kate Sharma?
For the next instalment of Bridgerton, Netflix is taking a page (read: whole plotline) out of The Viscount Who Loved Me, the sequel to Julia Quinn's saucy book series. Kate Sharma has been pegged as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton's unwitting new love interest. So far, we know that at first the two can barely stand each other, especially as Anthony begins courting Kate's younger sister Edwina. But although they're not meant for each other, the non-couple soon find themselves reckoning with their own deep desire.
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Image: @simoneasshley
