Simone Ashley Is Bringing Sass With a Side of Chic to ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’

Simone Ashley confesses that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is responsible for the “most fun moments” she’s had in her career to date.

It’s not totally surprising, as anyone would likely pinch themselves to co-star alongside Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated actors in a sequel to such a beloved film. And the 31-year-old actress for sure was, especially with all the time she spent with Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly’s new first assistant. “It was kind of a bit of a masterclass really,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter.

Ashley previously achieved global recognition with her beloved character Kate in Netflix’s Bridgerton, but she’s now ready for audiences to see how she made her role as Amari in The Devil Wears Prada 2 her own, despite being labeled as the “new Emily.”

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“Emily (Emily Blunt), in the original movie, the comedy comes from a place of this ball of anxiety,” she explains. “But Amari is kind of the opposite. She’s very confident, very grounded. … And the way she holds herself is quite regal and poised. So that was just really fun to play with. And it was fun for the comedy to come out of that place, that sassiness, that chicness.”

Below, Ashley opens up about joining such an iconic cast for the sequel, bringing Amari to life on screen, her favorite cameo in the film, as well as her dream project, if she plans to return to Bridgerton and whether she’s open to returning for an F1: The Movie sequel, despite her role being cut from the first film.

Going back to the beginning, what made you first want to pursue a career as an actor?

Funnily enough, I actually started singing when I was 7 years old. I did a lot of classical singing and piano playing, a lot of that kind of training. And I wanted to pursue music initially. Then I started doing more musical theater, quickly realized that I maybe didn’t want that as a priority in my career. And then I fell in love with film and TV when I was a teenager. And then I just put myself out there and I got Sex Education. And after that, Bridgerton, and then the ball just kept rolling, and I like to work with what I’ve got. So that was kind of the journey.

But I’ve just always been really passionate about storytelling in all forms of medium. And I just felt, in the least cheesiest way of putting this, that’s what my purpose was. And it’s something that I loved so deeply that it gave me a purpose for like, OK, this is how I want to live my life and this is what I want to do.

You share the screen quite a bit with Meryl Streep, playing her new first assistant. What was it like working so closely with the icon herself? Did you learn anything?

I learned so much every single day. It was kind of a bit of a masterclass really. It was an absolute honor to be working with her. And I can obviously comment on her artistry and just how magnificent she is at her work and watching her portray Miranda again in person and learning how she holds herself on set, the choices she makes, the attention to detail she has and the character. One thing I definitely picked up on was just the way she works with her costume. And given the kind of movie this is, it’s a movie about fashion and we’re in the world, this hyper-real world of fashion at Runway. I was really inspired by that and it was something that I actually used for my character a little bit. But I think the biggest takeaway for me was she’s an incredibly kind person and she made me feel really comfortable and everyone really excited to be doing this movie. And that’s the most important thing. She’s just a really wonderful kind of person.

Amari is essentially what Emily Blunt’s character was in the first film. Did you feel any pressure stepping into those shoes?

Initially, I think so, but Aline [Brosh McKenna], our magnificent writer, and David [Frankel] made it really clear that this isn’t a remix of the first movie. They thought it was stronger, actually, if I made my own choice. And they wanted something fresh and new and something that was kind of a microphone for the younger generation. So Aline and I spoke a lot about the differences in the two Emily’s. And Emily, in the original movie, the comedy comes from a place of this ball of anxiety. She really, really wanted to go to Paris Fashion Week. She really wanted to do all these things, and that’s where the comedy came from. But Amari is kind of the opposite. She’s very confident, very grounded. She has a confidence that comes from silence. It doesn’t have to be a loud confidence. She’s incredibly professional, really elegant and chic. And the way she holds herself is quite regal and poised. So that was just really fun to play with. And it was fun for the comedy to come out of that place, that sassiness, that chicness.

You’re also notably mean to Caleb Hearon’s character, with him being the new second assistant. What was it like working with him, and did he bring a comedic element to the set?

Caleb is my guy. He’s so wonderful. And his comedy comes from a really thoughtful place. He said many times that he really took into account Nigel’s story in the first movie, you know, that really famous quote about this isn’t just a magazine and how you would read under your covers with a flashlight and how much it meant for men like Charlie’s character, portrayed by Caleb. I don’t think he came in just trying to play this stereotype kind of comedy. It all comes from a really earnest place. He’s so talented, so smart in the way that he did it. And working with him was just amazing. He’s so funny and he’s so lovely, the whole cast.

Was it ever hard to be sassy to his character?

Yes and no. I mean, we were kind of playing tennis, right? So if anything, we would share ideas and he’s such a generous actor that there was so much to bounce off of. So I was just reacting off him, which was great.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is obviously known for its fashion, so did you have a favorite look of Amari’s that fans can be on the lookout for?

There’s not one specific one. I loved all my Tom Brown looks that I wore in the runway offices. I’ve never really worn Tom Brown that much, so that was an honor to be wearing that designer, him and his work. I wore a lot of Dolce & Gabbana in Milan, and the costume department on this movie, they all absolutely killed it. So just working with them and their process of making custom things or finding archival pieces and putting them all together was just really fun and actually really helped me develop the character.

This film is also packed with cameos, so who was your favorite? 

I’m a bit biased because we actually ended up being great friends afterwards. Ciara has a cameo in this movie and she is such a pro. She’s so professional. She’s so kind and talented, wonderful, all those things. It was a bonus for me because I’ve made so many friends on this movie and she was one of them.

Overall, what was your experience working with such an iconic cast on th sequel of such a beloved film?

So grateful, had so much fun doing a movie like this. And I’m really proud that I developed a sense of confidence whilst doing this movie because I was nervous coming every day to set, working with these incredible actors, Academy Award-winning actors, and also the pressure of coming into a sequel of a really iconic movie. But thanks to the amazing environment it was on set with the cast and crew, but also I just threw myself into it. And it was summer in New York and I was filming this movie and I just tried to be present and have a blast. Probably one of the most fun moments in my career.

You’ve already starred in several different genres in your career, but do you have a dream role or project that you have yet to take on?

I’d love to do an action movie. I’d love to do a period movie that’s in the ’70s or ’60s, like a heist movie maybe. Of course there’s the darker genres like a psychological thriller or a Sliding Doors kind of movie, but I’m really just enjoying having movies that are bringing a lot of joy and fun and color into the world. I think it’s really important right now, and I love being part of that and I love promoting movies like that. I’d love to do a musical. I’ve just released my first EP and I’m exploring music now, so if the right thing comes to integrate it into the movie world as well, that would be kind of cool.

I feel like it’s safe to say your Bridgerton role as Kate is definitely one of your most beloved characters. Given that your main season was season two, and there will likely be several more seasons ahead, what’s your relationship with the show now and do you see yourself returning?

I can only speak for myself. I would love to keep returning to the show until the end. It’s a show about family and I think it changed my life and it’s such a joy and an honor to be a part of this show. So I’ll always try my best to make it work with my schedule when I’m on other projects or doing other things. And Jess [Brownell] is our showrunner at the moment and she’s been so cool in talking about the future of Kate and what her role in future seasons is going to look like.

I know you made a lot of headlines last year when you role in F1: The Movie was cut. After seeing the success of the film, was it hard to see your role cut?

I had such a blast making that movie. I’m such a fan of Formula One. To work with Joseph Kosinski was such an honor. He is a wonderful director and someone that [remained] so confident and calm in such a chaotic environment. We were working with athletes at Grands Prix. The stakes couldn’t have been higher. I loved working with Damson [Idris], Callie [Cooke], who’s just killing it at the moment, the whole crew. I got to travel the world. And it was such a joy to go to the premiere and celebrate everyone and reunite with everyone. And the movie was awesome.

I know they’re working on a potential sequel. If asked, would you be open to returning?

Oh God, I’d love to.

Recent reports have revealed there’s been a decline in diversity onscreen in Hollywood in recent years. How important is it for you to bring South Asian representation to the screen?

I’m really aware of the position I’m in and I’m really proud to be representing girls that look like me in all different kinds of industries. I think it goes beyond the entertainment industry. I want women to know, even if I’m the face of L’Oreal Paris globally, that speaks to women in a different way, all these different things. But that’s my position. I think the change really comes as a ripple effect behind the scenes. So it’s representation in the writers rooms, in producing partners, in directors, the whole thing. Once you have the material that requires actors of diverse communities, I think that’s the source. And that’s what the world’s hungry for. In a world of AI, we don’t want to see repetition; we want to see a real representation of the world. So in my position, I hope me saying that, it creates a ripple effect that behind the scenes, there’s more push for diverse kinds of stories.

I know when The Devil Wears Prada 2 was filming on location in New York City, there was a lot of chaos with paraazzi and fans lingering around the set. As an actor trying to get in the head space of their character and stay focused, is that hard to navigate when there’s so much noise around you in a public environment?

It maybe used to be when I was in my mid-20s, and I think the more I’ve been working — and it goes beyond just movies, like if I’m doing a shoot on the street or whatever it might be — you [learn you’re] there to do your job, you have to be professional. We’ve chosen to shoot on location for a reason, they’ve not done it randomly, and it’s to get the shot to look as amazing as possible, and we all want it to look amazing. We’re all enthusiastic for it to execute it in the best way possible. So I think the more confidence I’ve built and the more experience I’ve built, you just naturally lock in and you just got to be professional about it and then it gets done quicker.

If you had to describe what makes Simone Ashley, Simone Ashley, what would you say?

I would say, I don’t know (Laughs). I would say, ask my friends.

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