Simone Ashley on Who Gets to Be Seen as Sexy and Desirable

Simone Ashley has a soft spot for one of Bridgerton’s most underrated characters: Kate Sharma’s corgi Newton. 

“I love Newton,” she said during a Netflix press conference. “He was strong-willed and literally did whatever he wanted.” That strength of character is something she admires in Kate Sharma as well. When asked what she learned about herself from playing Kate, Ashley said, “I learned to just own it a little bit more — and not be afraid of doing so.”

The Sharma family is the latest addition to the ton and Netflix’s hit romance series. Arriving from India, Kate Sharma is determined to find a suitable match, and solidify a secure future, for her younger sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran) — that is, until a certain viscount, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), catches her eye. The resulting love triangle is messy, dramatic, and ultimately makes for some extremely bingeable television. 

“These are characters we can all relate to with real human problems and real human experiences and as an audience you can watch these different families and maybe find which nest you might be a part of,” said the 26-year-old actor. And in a season that is as much about passionate romance as it is about the fierce love between sisters, Ashley is a breakout star. 

The highly-anticipated second season has become Netflix’s most viewed English-language TV series, appearing in the top 10 titles for more than 93 countries. Ashley also recently confirmed that fans will get more of Kate in Season 3. As Jonathan Bailey who plays the Anthony half of #Kanthony put it: “You can’t really imagine Bridgerton without the Sharmas now.” 

We caught up with Ashley to chat about who gets to be seen as sexy on screen, the behind-the-scenes details on that haldi scene, what songs are on her Kate Sharma-inspired playlist, and much more.