In the last episode of Bridgerton Season 2, Kate Sharma furrows her brow as she glides across the dance floor in the arms of Anthony Bridgerton. It’s a barely perceptible change in expression, yet it conveys so much: longing, vulnerability, trust, and—finally—the admission of love. It was such a captivating detail that women, in the thrall of peak girlhood, began recreating the “eyebrow scrunch” for Instagram Reels.
“More chemistry than the periodic table” is how the internet characterized Kate and Anthony’s enemies-to-lovers arc. Sadly, the #Kanthony wedding and honeymoon happened off-screen, robbing viewers of the opportunity to see them start their life together as newlyweds. But our imagination takes flight as Simone Ashley exchanges her Regency robes for a sexy zardozi bralette-miniskirt set custom-made by Masaba Gupta for Vogue India’s May cover shoot. Could this have been the outfit that relieved the viscount of his last remaining vestige of gentlemanliness? Could this have been Kate’s way of getting back at him for all the times he vexed (read: aroused) her? The red and gold embroidered outfit certainly seems like something Kate would wear under the cheeky pretext of inducting her new husband into her culture.
When musician and Bridgerton fan Anoushka Shankar arrives on set to interview Ashley for this story, the actor is in the middle of a shot and doesn’t notice her walk in. “That’s fine, I’m happy to just look at her,” says Shankar, watching appreciatively as Ashley strikes a flurry of poses. Afterwards, they get down to talking shop, growing up South Asian, and representing their heritage through the arts.
Anoushka Shankar: I watched the first season of Bridgerton with my mum when we were in lockdown. When your season released, I called her and said that I would come stay with her for the weekend so we could binge it again. Mum’s Tamil, so having you at the center of the show was wonderful. Season 3 comes out soon. What can you tell us about it?
Simone Ashley: Everyone knows this season belongs to Penelope and Colin, but when we meet Kate and Anthony again, she has softened quite a bit. She’s growing into her role as viscountess. Gosh, it feels like we filmed that season a lifetime ago. I’ve done other projects since then and feel like a different person, if I’m being honest.
It’s the same with music. Often, I’ll make an album and it’s a whole year later that we release it or tour with it. I feel like I have to bring myself back to that state of mind to talk about it because I’ve already moved on from it in my head.
In theater, you have six to 12 weeks to immerse yourself in a character because you go into their world every night. For me, that’s when I can really reach the full potential of a character. Of course, there are movies where you have quite a bit of time to prep before you go in. Cillian Murphy, for example, read and listened to Oppenheimer’s lectures for six months before the shooting commenced. One of the films I finished last year was a psychological thriller based on a true story with a complicated plot. It’s been a year since we wrapped up shooting, but even now I think of all the different ways I could’ve done it.
I have to remind myself that I need to approach some things like an oil painting and others like photography. It helps me let go of things and be quicker when the project demands it. Do you have any experience being on stage, Simone?
I learned classical singing and piano when I was young and did a lot of musical theater at the beginning of my career. But I was drawn to film. I started booking more work in movies and fell in love with that world. I’m also fortunate to come of age in the Netflix generation, which gives people the kind of opportunities that they wouldn’t have received earlier, like having an Indian girl as a lead and exploring diverse plot lines that support the LGBTQIA+ community and Black and brown folk. Recently, I’ve felt like I want to explore my musical roots a bit more. All these different signs have been coming up, indicating I should return to the piano, like the duet I did with Zayn Malik for 10 Lives. I’ve also been auditioning for more stage work. I definitely want to do Broadway. West End theater is one of the hardest things an actor can do. One-and-a-half to three months of performing onstage every single night? I have the utmost respect for anyone who can do that.
I know what you mean, because as musicians we perform every night when we’re on tour. It’s a difficult lifestyle, even though it fulfills the soul. Speaking of difficulties, how tough has it been for you to navigate the kind of fame that came with Bridgerton?
I’m keeping my head down as much as I can. Life after Bridgerton has been so exciting. I was doing all these unbelievable things, like going to the Met Gala and shooting fashion editorials. It was a whirlwind. There were days when I would think, “What is going on?” I struggled to admit that I was overwhelmed because I’m a person with such clarity. I know exactly what I’m doing and what I want. I remember sitting with my team at the beginning of the year and saying, “I want to focus on work.” Bridgerton comes out this month, and there’ll be two other films I worked on releasing this year as well, which are very different. Because I’m interested in music, I want to ask you how it feels to perform the same songs every night when you’re on tour. Granted, they’re different audiences, but what’s the experience like?
Coincidentally, my process as a musician is to think like an actor. I might write a song inspired by heartbreak, falling in love, or bereavement. But after years, it just becomes a song. I don’t remember that visceral experience every time. But something lives in the song and it’s up to me to tap into that emotion like an actor would. So I might be very buoyant and giddy in that phase of my life, but in that moment of playing a song, I’ll tap into whatever emotion it demands.
The beautiful thing about being an artist is that you grow with your craft. I’m in my 20s, so life in general is a roller coaster of emotions, experiences, and lessons. I’m able to apply all of them to my work.
It’s been heartening to see more and more South Asians walk through the doors of a very insulated industry. Bridgerton is one of the biggest examples of that, because you’re playing a character that was adjusted to accommodate your heritage. Was there any pressure being in such a high-profile space and having to represent the Indian community?
Not really, because I’m an actor. I’m not traveling far and wide to India to save the country. But when you watch and read up on the history of India and what her people have gone through, it does feel heavy. Representing Indian women has been such a joy. Ninety-nine percent of the people who recognize me and come up to me are women of color, and that’s the best feeling because they’re so excited for me. They’ll hug me and tell me how cool it is to see brown women onscreen. It makes me feel safe and seen, and even though I may be on a street in London, I suddenly don’t feel like I’m part of a minority community. I know that there can be pressure on women who are representing their communities in the arts. Maybe one day I will do a project where it’s like, I need to get this right. But for now, I’m able to just feel happy and celebrate it.
I struggled with that, probably because I play an instrument that represents Indian culture. It made me conscious of simple things, like doing an interview in jeans as a teenager and how that would be at odds with my image as a female sitar player. I had a whole growth process of teaching myself to believe that the instrument is mine, and the way I play it and present myself while playing is only my human expression. Did you face something similar, playing characters so far removed from your South Asian heritage, as both Kate and Olivia [from Sex Education] are quite sex-positive? When I got my period, I stopped going to the music room—it also doubled up as the prayer room—until we examined this practice and agreed it was crazy. To see your characters express uninhibited desire and pleasure is so beautiful.
Actually, I came from an incredibly conservative family where nobody spoke about their emotions or feelings. I think that suppressed me so much that I ended up making crazy choices. I spent a lot of my childhood in California and grew up watching Tarantino movies and listening to rock and roll. Neither of those things are conservative and maybe that had an effect on me. I’m quite an expressive person. I felt very comfortable with all my scenes in Bridgerton and Sex Education. Having said that, there is also beauty in stillness, in what is not said and what is not shown. I would love to play a character that explores the kind of sexuality and confidence that doesn’t have to be so in-your-face onscreen.
It’s so interesting that we have a common cultural experience. I was born in London, grew up in Williston for the first few years of my life, had a few years in India, and moved to California when I was 11. We also met at the Dior show in Mumbai last year. Did you get to travel around India after? Have you spent any time in India?
I went to Mumbai when I visited India for the first and last time, some 12 or 14 years ago. When I got off the plane and had to get my passport stamped at immigration, I almost felt like apologizing to the officer when he asked me when the last time I’d come to India was. He looked at me like…
“Bad diaspora, bad diaspora”?
Yeah. I’ve just been busy and it never came up. But then I landed in Mumbai for the Dior show and it ended up being one of the best trips of my life. I know everyone says this, but there really is something for everyone going to India. It’s that mysterious, beautiful spirit where you feel like you’ve been awakened by something. If you’re an Indian returning to your homeland, it’s really powerful. The Dior show was on my birthday, and my mum was so emotional that I was spending it in India. I want to go back with my boyfriend this winter. I can’t wait to do work that allows me to explore more of the country.
I’ve traveled to India consistently all my life, but as a single parent and a touring musician, I’ve done shows and gotten out immediately. I don’t feel like I’ve been connecting with the pulse of India the same way I used to as a teenager, when I’d spend months in the country. Going to the Dior show was a tipping point for me because it was the first time in a long time that it felt like being there was important, and I wanted to make space for it. I also loved what you wore to the event. Simone, before you go, I’m curious about your long-term plans. Do you have the desire to write, direct, or produce films?
I do. I have a comedy coming out this year—my first time as an executive producer—and it was a nice introduction to that world. I got to have creative input, which felt amazing. So many actors are producing their own things now. People are realizing that they can simply make things themselves. I want to fulfill as many roles as I can and have fun in front of the camera before getting behind it. But when the time comes, sure, writing and directing—why not?
This story appears in Vogue India’s May-June 2024 issue.