Sex Education star Simone Ashley has landed a leading role in the second series of Netflix’s sexy period romp, Bridgerton. Ashley will play Kate Sharma in the series, a society beauty who steals the heart of hunky Anthony Bridgerton (Johnathon Bailey).
The 25 year Londoner is set to become the first actress of South Asian heritage to appear on the Netflix show with her family hailing from India.
Born into a household full of Indian academics, Ashley has revealed in the past that her ‘incredibly protective’ parents were not overly keen on her pursuing an acting career.
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“They still find it quite scary and unsettling” she said recently about the subject. “There is no crystal ball, no security, no guarantee. Which can be a parent’s worst nightmare. But they know I’m a smart lady. You can’t spend your life going with what your parents want, or your friends, teachers, lovers, want”.
Whether Ashley’s upcoming role in Bridgerton is enough to change her parents’ opinion of her chosen is anyone’s guess, however, the actress’s role in the drama is generating headlines across the globe.
The casting of the British born, South Asian actress once again confirms Bridgerton’s desire to have as diverse a cast as possible, with the series being praised by many for its colour blind casting.
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The first season of the show featured a black Queen Charlotte and several BAME characters including Regé-Jean Page’s drop dead gorgeous Duke of Hastings.
Page has been an unqualified success in the role of the brooding Duke, winning not only critical acclaim but also a huge female following. And while the casting of a black Queen Charlotte has caused controversy in some quarters, the move is not entirely without historical merit as the real Queen Charlotte was herself rumoured to be of mixed heritage.
Bridgerton producer Betsy Beers had this to say about the casting on the show: “we try to imagine history and the world in the way we wanted to see it”.
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The second season of the Netflix blockbuster will follow Anthony Bridgerton’s attempts to find a suitable bride. When he sets his sights on Edwina Sharma, however, he has no idea that this will bring him into conflict with Edwina’s headstrong older sister, Kate. Vowing to put an end to the match, Sharma soon finds herself falling for Bridgerton herself.
The series represents the first fruits of a headline grabbing £120 million pound deal with Shonda Rhimes’ Shandaland production company. With such a price tag attached, the pressure was certainly on Bridgerton when it debuted on UK TV on the 25th of December 2020, however, the series has comfortably lived up to those lofty expectations becoming a global hit in the process.
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More information about Netflix’s Bridgerton can be found here. Information on the first season of the show can be found here.
Alternatively, if you can fancy going on a tour of Bridgerton locations, please click here for more information: Bridgerton tour
For information on other forthcoming television programmes, please click here.
