There's no skating around the fact that Simone Ashley is a certified dream girl. What, with her sticky brown eyes and mop of glossy black curls. What's more, she's shaping up to be one of the most captivating actors of the moment, from the charismatic and straight-talking Kate Sharma of Bridgerton, to the perenially single Pia in her latest flick, Picture This. We've also noted her down as one to watch on the style front, in large part thanks to her shocking pink appearance on the BAFTA red carpet elegantly wearing Valentino, back in 2022. But all that aside, 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
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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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 Loewe, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Prada, and Valentino. In 2024, her striking looks earned Ashley an ambassadorship with L'Oréal Paris, joining the ranks of A-listers like Kendall Jenner and Viola Davis.
Could a deal with a fashion brand follow suit? We sure hope so. See her most memorable fashion moments to-date, below.
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She's an Aries
As we near Aries season, it feels apt to mention that Ashley is an Aries. She who was born on March 30, 1995 which makes her 29 at the time of writing.
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".
"I have such a deep love for music," she continued. "I listen to everything and anything! But I grew up listening to a lot of rock n roll, that’s due to my father. Fleetwood Mac have always been my number one. The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan. My Mother would always play Phil Collins too. Even though I grew up in a very conservative and quiet household, music was always playing."
Nowadays, Simone Ashley still listens to the same rock artists but has developed her own taste in music. "I’m discovering more genres like Trip Hop, I’ve been listening to Morcheeba on repeat. I love Alicia Keys, Nina Simone, Rihanna, Maggie Rogers. The list goes on and on."
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Bridgerton wasn'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. Her part as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton marked her first time in a lead role and has, unsurprisingly, opened up several other opportunities for the actress. Next up? A starring part in Amazon Prime’s new British romantic comedy, Picture This.
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