Simone Ashley shared stunning photos from her vacation on Instagram Friday, showcasing her amazing physique in a variety of bikinis.
The 31-year-old actress known for Bridgerton stunned in a pink floral bikini while enjoying some sunshine on a beautiful, yet undisclosed, beach.
Simone swept her damp hair away from her face while enjoying a swim in the ocean, getting ready to take pictures with a friend.
The actress changed into a small, green bikini with a triangular top and tie-side bottoms and went paddle boarding.
She shielded from the sun under a stylish woven hat as she knelt on the paddle board in the ocean.
Simone later shaded under the palm trees as she enjoyed a snack while wrapped in a white towel.
Simone Ashley first gained recognition in Netflix’s Sex Education in 2019, and then starred as the lead in the second season of Bridgerton, breaking new ground for representation in the process.
She recently starred in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, playing Amari, the new assistant to Miranda Priestley – a role she’d always hoped for.
I’ve always been so inspired by Simone’s story! Her parents came to this country as immigrants from India and really prioritized building stable lives for their family – her mom became an accountant and her dad, a pharmacist. They worked incredibly hard to give Simone the opportunities they didn’t have.
Growing up with parents who were both Indian academics, she says they weren’t thrilled when she decided to pursue a creative path. She told Veylex it sometimes felt restrictive, as her parents were very protective of her.
She explained it sparked a desire for freedom and independence, adding that she’d always had a somewhat rebellious streak.
Simone quickly discovered her true interests weren’t in gymnastics. Starting singing lessons at age six, she realized she wanted to focus on a career in the arts.
She spent two years at Redroofs School for the Performing Arts completing her sixth form studies, and then continued her education with a Musical Theatre degree at ArtsEd in London.
After appearing in smaller parts on British shows like Broadchurch, Doctors, and Casualty, her career took off when she landed the role of Olivia in the Netflix hit, Sex Education.
In a particularly provocative scene, the character engages in sexual activity with her boyfriend while dressed in traditional Indian clothing. This takes place while her mother is casually having tea downstairs.
She worries her facial expressions during intimacy are unattractive, so she instinctively covers her partner, Malek’s, face with a pillow when she reaches climax. This leads Malek to mistakenly think she has a strange request and leaves him disturbed.
The woman is shown applying tape to Malek’s face during sex, seemingly to make him less attractive so she feels more comfortable.
Simone, who is of South Asian descent, has discussed the ingrained biases that exist within the acting world, drawing on her own experiences as an actress.
It just kills me to see it still happening! Like, colorism is still a real problem in this industry, and it’s awful. And the typecasting? Ugh, it’s so frustrating when talented actresses get passed over simply because of their skin tone. They lose out on roles to girls who are deemed more ‘relatable’ – whatever that even means – just to appeal to certain audiences and markets. It’s just… unfair, you know?
She added: ‘If I surrender to all of that, where would I be going? Nowhere.’
After turning down some acting opportunities, she gained significant recognition by taking over the lead role of Kate Sharma in Bridgerton, following Phoebe Dynevor, and quickly became very famous.
Her acting alongside Jonathan Bailey brought her significant recognition, including being named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Time’s 100 Next lists, and receiving many award nominations.
Reflecting on her sudden rise as a diversity icon, she explained to The Times that the entertainment industry is inherently political—every film carries a message. She acknowledged that being a woman of color automatically makes her work political, and she embraces this fact.
It makes me so happy to see more representation of people who share my features – hair and skin tone – in advertising, like on billboards. It feels like things are finally starting to become more normal and accepting.
Simone shared that the attention from the role caused her significant anxiety, to the point where she frequently avoided going out in public for fear of being recognized.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she shared that while experiencing great success and happiness when Bridgerton was released, she also struggled with significant anxiety during that time.
I’ve been figuring out my priorities and understanding what truly makes me happy. It’s involved a lot of self-reflection and letting go of old habits. Things have shifted in my life, meaning some opportunities are open to me while others aren’t.
I used to be really hesitant to go out, worried about being noticed. But things have changed, and now I’m much more relaxed about it.
After Bridgerton came romcom Picture This where she starred alongside Hero Fiennes Tiffin.
As a longtime fan, it really resonated with me when Simone talked about growing up in Surrey and never seeing anyone who looked like her playing the main romantic lead – you know, like Julia Roberts or Anne Hathaway. It just wasn’t something she ever saw represented, and it’s something I think a lot of us can relate to.
‘I always wanted to play a character like that,’ she told Sky News.
As soon as I read the script, I was really excited to work on it. I loved the idea of playing that role and recreating the feel of those classic 90s romantic comedies.
Simone has landed her dream job! She’s acting with Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Meryl Streep in the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada.
Simone recently shared with ELLE Australia that Miranda’s latest assistant, Amari, is very different from her predecessor in the 2006 film, played by Emily Blunt. She described Amari as confident and assertive – a stark contrast to the original character’s anxious personality.
She mentioned people have been comparing her to Emily Blunt, saying things like ‘Oh, she’s the new Emily.’ While she understands the comparison, she points out that what made Emily Blunt so funny in the original movie wasn’t just being an assistant, but also how incredibly anxious and stressed she was.
However, she pointed out significant contrasts between the two characters. Amari is far more self-assured and has an air of mystery about her.
Simone remembered starting the film, explaining that she was immediately put into a challenging scene with Meryl Streep, who has won three Oscars.
Besides her acting career, Simone is also a musician. She says she always loved singing, even before she started acting.
Her first EP, ‘Songs I Wrote in New York,’ was released on April 10th. She created it while working in the studio with Fraser T Smith, a Grammy-winning producer known for his collaborations with artists like Adele, Stormzy, and Dave.
Right after finishing promotion for “The Devil Wears Prada,” Simone immediately jumped into working on her next two movies.
Simone will be featured in two new films: the A24 comedy Peaked, directed by Molly Gordon (known for The Bear), and the musical romantic comedy Falling, where she’ll act with Evan Peters and Sam Claflin.
She’s definitely still going strong, and it’s exciting to think about what she’ll achieve now that she’s entering her thirties.
2026-07-24 18:08