EXCLUSIVE: Bridgerton she found Kate. Simone Ashley (Because the night, Sex education) was cast as the lead role opposite Jonathan Bailey in season 2 of Netflix and Shondaland’s hugely popular Regency-era drama series, based on Julia Quinn’s novels.
The second season is about striving for a suitable marriage for Bridgerton’s eldest brother, Anthony (Bailey), as in Quinn’s second book Bridgerton series, The Burgh Count who loved me.
Ashley will play Anthony’s romantic interest, Kate Sharma. Kate, who has just arrived in London, is a smart, headstrong young woman who does not suffer from fools – Anthony Bridgerton is very included.
In season 2, Bridgerton continues to violate racial conventions. Anthony’s love interest (named Kate Sheffield in Quinn’s novel) and her family were considered by the creative team of the series to be of Indian descent in a continuation of the reimagined world created in Season 1, which features several great blacks characters include the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel).
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As season 2 leads, Bailey and Ahsley Page will follow up and Phoebe Dynevor, who became world stars as Simon and Daphne, the couple whose sweet romance was the center of season 1. Saturday Night Live the weekend.)
Ashley is one of several additions for season 2 of Bridgerton, which starts filming in London this spring.
“We have a bunch of new characters that we’re going to introduce,” said creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen in announcing the season 2 renewal on Today with Hoda & Jenna last month. “Anthony will have a love interest next season, and I think it will be as sweeping and moving and as beautiful as the viewers of the first season of the show expected.”
The focus of Season 2 was teased in the final minutes of the Season 1 finale when Anthony revealed to Daphne and Simon his plans to “find my intentions and immediately explain to my new fish countess” after the heartbreaking end to his relationship with the opera singer Siena. .
“We left him at a crossroads at the end of the first season, so I look forward to jumping in and discovering how he is doing in the marriage market,” Van Dusen said in the interview, noting that his hope is for Page and Dynevor to return.
Meet Jane Austen with his lively mix Gossip girl and the contemporary storytelling that redefines the period of drama and novel genres, Bridgerton has captivated audiences around the world to shatter Netflix’s viewer records. It became the biggest series ever of the streamer when 82 million households worldwide watched the first season (in part or in full) in the first four weeks.
Also starring Nicola Coughlan (“Penelope Featherington”), Claudia Jessie (“Eloise Bridgerton”), Ruby Barker (“Marina Thompson”), Luke Thompson (“Benedict Bridgerton”), Luke Newton (“Colin Bridgerton”), Ruby Stokes (“Francesca Bridgerton”), Will Tilston (“Gregory Bridgerton”), Florence Hunt (“Hyacinth Bridgerton”), Ruth Gemmell (“Lady Violet Bridgerton”), Bessie Carter (“Prudence Featherington”), Harriet Cains (” Philipa Featherington, Polly Walker (Lady Portia Featherington), Ben Miller (Lord Featherington), Sabrina Bartlett (Siena Rosso), Martins Imhangbe (Will Mondrich), Kathryn Drysdale (Madame Genevieve Delacroix ”) and Lorraine Ashbourne (“Mrs. Varley”).
Van Dusen executive producer with Shondaland’s Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
British actress Ashley has been on Netflix’s radar; she is probably best known for her role as Olivia Hanan in the popular series of the streamer Sex education. She also played a major recurring role in Neil Cross’ ITV Limited Series of 2020 The Sister. Her resume also includes a bow on Season 3 of Broad Church. Ashley is repeated by Gersh, the Identity Agency Group in the UK, and attorney Derek Kroeger at Myman Greenspan Fox.