When Simone Ashley came to the Met Gala on Monday night wearing a virtually nude Stella McCartney silver chain dress, she made sure everyone was staring at her.
The 31-year-old actress’s career has taken off in the last four years, but she hasn’t been to the esteemed event since her 2022 debut.
Simone broke down cultural barriers after landing the lead role in Bridgerton’s second season in 2019, following her big debut in Netflix’s Sex Education.
She has finally made her movie debut in the eagerly awaited sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, where she plays Amari, Miranda Priestley’s new secretary.
After acknowledging that “I never wanted to have a smaller life,” the celebrity appeared to be right where she belonged when posing on the red carpet at the Met Gala on Monday night.
Simone was born into a family of first-generation immigrants from India. Her father was a chemist, and her mother was an accountant.
She acknowledges that her “incredibly protective” parents were first opposed to her choosing a creative career because she was raised in a “household full of Indian academics,” telling Veylex that she has occasionally found it “stifling.”
I wanted to get away and do things my own way because of that. In that way, I’ve always been rather rebellious,” she remarked.
But when Simone began taking singing lessons at the age of six and discovered she wanted to pursue the arts, it quickly became apparent that her affections were other.
She talked about her adolescence in an interview with The Times last week, adding, “I would write my dreams in my diary, or in letters to myself.”
It was simply a reality. I’ve never desired a smaller existence. It was when, not if. I was confident in my ability to succeed.
How Simone Ashley’s career took off after she broke through cultural barriers in the main role of Bridgerton, landing a dream casting alongside Meryl Streep and making a four-year return to the Met Gala (pictured)
I adore that girls who have skin or hair similar to mine can see people who resemble me on billboards. The temperature is now gradually approaching normal. (Simone and Jonathan Bailey in Bridgerton)
She attended Redroofs School for the Performing Arts for two years as a sixth form student before attending ArtsEd in London to pursue a degree in Musical Theatre.
“Since I was little, I would do anything I could to get something,” she said to Harper’s Bazaar. In order to pay the bills, I embarked on a few modelling gigs, which led me to pursue acting.
“You can’t have a plan B—you’re either all in or not,” she continued. It resembles a romantic connection. If you do have a backup plan, it is unlikely to be successful.
Her first major break came when she was cast as Olivia in Netflix’s Sex Education, after landing minor parts in a number of British dramas, such as Broadchurch, Doctors, and Casualty.
In one episode, the girl dons a full Indian attire and climbs on top of her partner to have sex with him while her mother drinks tea below.
She covers Malek’s face with a pillow because she fears making an ugly expression during an orgasm, which scares him and makes him think she has a fetish.
Later, in order to feel more comfortable having sex, she is shown applying tape to Malek’s face to make him look ugly.
As an actor of South Asian background, Simone has addressed systematic bias in the industry.
Yes, colourism is still a problem. Typecasting, being ignored due to skin tone, and losing roles to girls who are more “relatable” to target markets and audiences are all examples of this.
“Where would I be going if I gave in to all of that?” she continued. Nowhere.
She went on to replace Phoebe Dynevor as the lead actress Kate Sharma in Bridgerton after declining to be hired in certain roles from Sex Education, and her fame took off.
She received multiple award nominations and a spot on the Time 100 Next and Forbes 30 Under 30 lists for her work with Jonathan Bailey.
She told The Times, reflecting on how the part instantly made her a symbol of diversity, “Art is an incredibly political industry – anything you do, any movie you make.” Whether I like it or not, being a woman of colour makes me political, and I’m proud of that.
I adore that girls who have skin or hair similar to mine can see people who resemble me on billboards. The temperature is now gradually approaching a normalised level.
Simone revealed that because the position provided her such a platform, she experienced severe anxiety and frequently avoided leaving the house to avoid being noticed.
“Those were some of the best years of my life when Bridgerton came out, but I also had a lot of anxiety,” she said to Harper’s Bazaar. “I was coming to terms with what I wanted and what I didn’t, learning lessons about what really matters to me, taming my ego, listening to my heart.” I can no longer do some things since life has changed.
Her first major break came when she was cast as Olivia in Netflix’s Sex Education, after landing minor parts in other British dramas, such as Broadchurch, Doctors, and Casualty.
Following Bridgerton, she played in the romantic comedy Picture This opposite Hero Fiennes Tiffin, a role she claimed she never thought she would be able to play as a child.
Simone has now landed her ideal role in The Devil Wears Prada 2, costarring with Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Meryl Streep.I used to avoid leaving the house a lot because I was worried about being noticed. However, it’s a trip, and at this point, I simply don’t care as much.
Following Bridgerton, she starred with Hero Fiennes Tiffin in the romantic comedy Picture This.
Simone, who grew up in Surrey, acknowledged that she had never seen anyone like her in romantic comedies, such as Julia Roberts or Anne Hathaway.
She told Sky News, “I’ve always wanted to play a character like that.”
“I wanted to fill those shoes and kind of bring back that 90s romcom world, so I just jumped on it when we got the script.”
Simone is now acting in The Devil Wears Prada 2 alongside Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Meryl Streep, fulfilling her dream role.
Simone told ELLE Australia that Amari, Miranda’s new assistant, “is a ‘bada**” and not at all like the neurotic character played by Emily Blunt in the 2006 film.
“People are like: “Oh, she’s the new Emily,” she remarked. “I guess in principle she is, but I think what was amusing about Emily Blunt in the first movie was that she was the first assistant but she was a nervous wreck.”
However, she pointed out that Amiri was far more self-assured and “kind of mysterious” than the other character.
Simone continued to talk about her first day of filming, saying that she was pushed into a major scene with three-time Oscar winner Meryl.
“Stanley Tucci made me laugh all the time,” she said, adding, “and Annie [Hathaway] is so sweet — she loves singing, so we would just sing stupid songs.” Emily was just hilarious and amazing.
“She’s the person Miranda occasionally turns to, and she’s the only one who can talk to her and encourage her to take different routes given the industry and the world have changed.”
Simone, who was travelling to New York for filming, was so enamoured with the city that she chose to stay, attributing her newfound confidence to the location.
“There’s a big part of London where I still feel very much like a kid, but New York encourages you to be more confident, more upfront,” she remarked in an interview with The Times.
She described how the city has given her the opportunity to push herself, meet new people, and do new things while putting both her personal and professional lives first.
Simone is pursuing a career in music away from the camera, stating that singing was her primary passion prior to discovering acting.
After spending time in the studio with Grammy-winning producer Fraser T. Smith, who has collaborated with Adele, Stormzy, and Dave, she released her debut EP, Songs I Wrote in New York, on April 10.
Simone is already working on her next two feature projects, so she doesn’t have time to relax after the Devil Wears Prada press tour.
Simone is appearing alongside Evan Peters and Sam Claflin in the music romantic comedy Falling and in the upcoming A24 comedy Peaked, which is directed by Molly Gordon of The Bear.
She is undoubtedly not slowing down, and who knows what the future holds as she enters her thirties.
