“With Bridgerton, it’s much more intense than Sex Education in the sense that if I’m not filming, I’m horse riding, training or in rehearsals. I’m in accent training or I’m in a fitting. I’ve never really worn a corset before, so that took some getting used to! My body definitely changed a little bit wearing it and that kind of changed my posture a lot to suit the era. Horse riding… I’ve never really ridden before. I rode once, years ago, but I did some intense training for that and it turns out I’m a natural at it so that’s a great thing!”
It wasn’t easy to pin down Ashley for our interview. And it’s understandable really, knowing that she’s soon to become one of the most talked-about actresses on our screens. Only a few months ago, whispers of Ashley started rumbling across the internet. Her face quickly started appearing across Twitter and Instagram. Articles that tried to tell you ‘everything you need to know about Simone Ashley’ became suggested reads for TV lovers. Why? Because in a landmark move for the 26-year-old actor, the news broke that Ashley would be taking on her next role as Kate Sharma – the fiery, headstrong, and grounded new female lead of Bridgerton.
After landing the lead role in Netflix’s most-watched original series, the actor everyone wants to know covers our Autumn 2021 issue and discusses the early days of her career, playing Kate Sharma, and everything it took to get to where she is today.