Simone Ashley Shines on Screen and On the Runway
By James Moreau | 20 Oct, 2025

Big roles in Bridgerton and other projects combine with runway prominence to power Simone Ashley’s rise to glam stardom.

British actress Simone Ashley is best known for her role as Kate Sharma in the current Netflix period drama Bridgerton.   She has starred in 11 episodes since her character was introduced in the second season of the award-winning show.

Ashley’s first feature lead role came in the 2025 romcom Picture This, a film in which she is also credited as an executive producer.

Disney’s 2023 live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid featured Ashley as Ariel’s sister.  The reimagination was a hit grossing over $569 million.

Ashley played a starring role in the international Netflix comedy series Sex Education.  She was credited with 14 episodes in three seasons from 2019-2022.

The 30-year-old began her acting career in 2016 on two episodes of the British teen drama Wolfblood.

Ashley’s parents are first-generation immigrants from India who settled in the UK.  Simone Ashwini Pillai, as Ashley was originally named, studied acting at the Arts Educational School in West London.

As a model she was featured in 2025 campaigns for Ralph Lauren and L'Oréal.  Ashley made her catwalk debut in September 2024 at the L'Oréal Paris “Le Défilé” show.  Her Instagram boasts modeling and acting roles along with 4 million followers. A flourishing modeling career, season 4 of Bridgerton, being cast in the 2026 film The Devil Wears Prada 2, and a leading role in the feature This Tempting Madness are keeping Ashley busy for the foreseeable future.