Bridgerton star Simone Ashley on the challenges of being a poster girl for change in Porter interview

Bridgerton star Simone Ashley said she looks forward to the day when conversations about the colour of her skin “no longer happen — because it’s so normalised”.

The actress, who is from an Indian Tamil background, joins actors including Golda Rosheuvel and Adjoa Andoh in the multi-racial cast in the historical drama which has been praised for its colour-blind casting.

She told NET-A-PORTER’s digital title, PORTER: “It’s important to remember that I’m actually a whole human being. This is just the colour of my skin. I’m really pleased to represent that but I’m also here to create something arresting for you to enjoy. That’s the goal: for these conversations [about representation] to no longer happen — because it’s so normalised.”

She said it can be “actually counteractive” to believe “you have to carry the weight of every dark-skinned girl’s dream on your shoulders”, adding: “You’re told you need to talk about your brown skin, diversity, and how hard it was for you — but I’m fine, I’m really happy, my life is so blessed. It doesn’t need to be this trauma porn all the time.”

Ashley, who plays the sharp-tongued Kate Sharma, said the latest series of the hit show was “really relaxing” because her character took more of a back seat, but she admits she is still trying to get her head around its success with millions of people tuning in just days after the series premiere.

She said: “Those roles [like Bridgerton] do somewhat define you because they have so many eyes on them — and I’m so grateful for that. I guess it was overnight, and I think it took me a minute to understand what it all meant on the scale of things.”

She is set to star in a new rom-com she describes as “an Indian Bridget Jones” as well as a psychological thriller called This Tempting Madness.

To see the full feature with Simone Ashley read PORTER at https://www.net-a-porter.com/porter/article-36ad1a33f2f47625