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Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley Wants to ‘Normalise’ South Asian Representation in Hollywood With Projects Like Picture This
The British actress hopes to inspire the next generation of South Asian performers by leading romcoms that celebrate culture without making it the focal point.
Simone Ashley, best known for her roles in Bridgerton and Sex Education, is taking the lead in the upcoming romantic comedy Picture This. The actress, who has been vocal about increasing representation in Hollywood, hopes her role in the film helps normalize the presence of South Asian leads in mainstream cinema.
Ashley, who grew up watching Hollywood icons like Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Anne Hathaway dominate the romcom genre, always dreamed of playing such roles. However, as a British-Indian Tamil actress, she rarely saw people who looked like her in those spaces.
“I always wanted to play a character like that,” Ashley shared. “So, when we got the script, I just jumped on it—because I wanted to fill those shoes and kind of bring back that '90s romcom world.”
In Picture This, Ashley plays Pia, a London-based photographer trying to keep her struggling business afloat while dealing with mounting societal pressure to find love. Her world is thrown into chaos when a spiritual guru’s prediction leads her to five unexpected blind dates. The film also stars After series actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin and British comedian Asim Chaudhry.
Ashley emphasizes that while the film features a South Asian family, the goal is not to center the narrative solely on ethnicity. “This is a classic romcom—that’s how we normalize this narrative,” she explained. “The billboards aren’t going to say ‘Indian girl in a movie.’ I just hope all women—not just South Asian women—can see themselves in this character.”
Beyond her starring role, Picture This also marks Ashley’s debut as an executive producer, allowing her to have a stronger voice in shaping the film. Since being named one of Variety’s 2021 Brits to Watch, she has solidified her place in the industry, most notably as Bridgerton’s leading lady, Kate Sharma.
Ashley acknowledges that breaking into Hollywood as an Indian actress came with its challenges, but she is optimistic about the industry’s progress. “We’ve come a long way, and I think we’re part of the change,” she said. With more projects like Picture This, she hopes to continue pushing boundaries and inspiring a new generation of diverse talent in cinema. Picture This is now streaming on Prime Video.
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