Bridgerton's Simone Ashley On Playing Kate Sharma & Representation In Period Dramas

Don't be afraid to be difficult.

It's such a word that we hear a lot these days.

Oh, she's being difficult.

It's not a bad thing.

You're just taking care of you.

[soft music]

Hi, I'm Simone Ashley, and this is my Glamor Unfiltered.

I guess I didn't really watch period drama as much

because I felt like I couldn't relate to them.

And I always thought it was because

I just wasn't interested in them, but I love period dramas.

I love getting lost in those romantic stories

of like pride and prejudice.

Everyone should be seen.

I think we can all relate to each other in some way.

Feelings are feelings and we all have them,

so it's great to portray characters

where people can relate to how they look

and relate to a human feeling as well.

I think Kate's really mature

and I've learned a lot from her in that sense.

I think maybe I can sometimes be a bit of a people pleaser.

Sometimes you can just call people out on their bullshit.

Am I allowed to say that word?

I think I'm learning to be more headstrong.

I think I'm quite an emotional person.

That's a really great thing,

but I think a part of growing up

is learning how to control your emotions

and be stronger in your mind.

Most things in life, it's good to have a balance.

And I think I'm getting better at that.

I like to call it hibernating.

When my schedule is a bit more forgiving,

I like to sleep lots, go for nice long walks.

Spend time away from my phone.

My manager always says

like especially with the pressures of work,

it can sometimes feel like a wave is coming

and he just says you can choose to either be swallowed by it

or you can get your surfboard out and ride the wave.

So, yeah, I'm just trying to have fun and ride the wave

and not take it so seriously.

I used to be someone that didn't practice self care so much

and sometimes you have to go through that

and then you learn, you can't be perfect all the time.

Not to say I'm perfect now, far from it.

I had a lot of fun on Sex Education

Cause we were portraying young people, adults,

a whole range of different people

experiencing the kinds of things that we all experience,

intimate situations, the highs and the lows

and the different problems.

Filming the intimate scenes on Sex Education:

It felt really safe.

We had some amazing intimacy coordinators working with us.

I was never like a part of the popular crew.

Oh, my God.

I was not at all.

I think you see Olivia

kind of trying to be like the cool kid

and doing something risky

or something that has consequences to them.

And then she panics

and you see her in her vulnerability quite quickly.

And I think that's something I relate to.

I think I was quite a little girl in high school,

I think.

Some advice I would give to myself

to just get to know yourself more, own yourself more,

and then just find the fun within having confidence

in yourself.

I always thought everyone else was right

and I was doing something wrong

and that I had to fix something or change something

or do something to kind of fit in or be like everyone else.

And I don't think that's the case for anyone.

Working on yourself and getting to know yourself

and using your voice, you kind of have to put work into that

and no one else is gonna do it for you.

So the iconic bus scene,

that whole episode just about girls getting together

and finding the joy and supporting each other.

There is a bit of a fearful connotation

especially with teenage girls

kind of relating to one another and supporting one another

and not judging each other or being in competition.

There's so much fun within it.

I think, yeah,

women are definitely supporting each other more.

There's a microphone that's being passed around now.

And I just think it's important to have an environment

where women feel safe to speak up and to not feel judged

or blamed and to just be heard in any situation in life.

I think I probably have dealt with a lot of sexism

in my life and maybe there is a problem

in the fact that I haven't paid much attention to that.

I don't really feed any energy into it

and maybe there's a problem in that.

Maybe there are things happening that I should acknowledge.

I think so much has changed and there's still lots of room

for development, but I think women just have more freedom

to be whoever they want to be.

There's not a small, tiny box

that we have to fit into anymore.

Spending so much time on a set around amazing women

both on Bridgerton

and amongst like the other opportunities

I've had surrounding the show.

I've got to meet some really incredible women

from the makeup designers on that show

to the cost student designers.

It was such a team of some really incredible women.

If there's anything that I can encourage to other women

in the industry or wanting to be in any industry

don't be afraid to be difficult.

It's such a word that we hear a lot these days.

Oh, she's being difficult or tricky.

When actually maybe someone's just following their instincts

and speaking out for themselves.

And I think, why not?

Why wouldn't you?

Don't be afraid to be difficult.

It's not a bad thing, you're just taking care of you.