Simone Ashley’s Kate Sharma is here, and she’s not going anywhere.

The Nerds of Color got a chance to speak with Ashley about Bridgerton season 2, what it’s been like seeing the fan reaction, what she’d like to see next when it comes to Kanthony, and more.

And it became clear to us in just one interview that this role has always been hers and always will be because of the passion she brings into this character, no matter what aspect she’s talking about when it comes to Kate.

From the moment that Ashley stepped into the shoes of Bridgerton’s Kate Sharma, she knew there was a great responsibility on her shoulders and that many would see themselves through Kate, Edwina, and Mary. And that was before the show even came out. Now that fans are consuming the show and binge-watching the second season, the reactions are there and Ashley feels a tiny bit overwhelmed. 

“I’m very grateful,” Ashley told The Nerds of Color. “I’m quite overwhelmed in the best way possible. I think it’s a really exciting moment, and I’m just incredibly proud to be a part of a show with such wonderful people involved.” Because as much as this show is about Kate, Anthony, and the love they share, this show is also about the people that brought everyone else to life and fleshed out the show in extraordinary ways.

“I got to work with the most amazing cast and crew, really,” Ashley explained. “And I don’t just say that they are the most wonderfully, talented, warm people, and I’m so grateful for that experience. And I think that is what makes this show so successful and so brilliant to watch because there’s been a lot of heart that’s been put into it. So, yeah, I’m just incredibly grateful and excited, especially for the reception we’ve been receiving.”

One of the people that she worked with quite often is Jonathan Bailey, who plays Jonathan Bailey. Ashley was grateful to work with him as well and is already looking forward to the future of Kanthony. To her, just because they got their happy ending, doesn’t mean that the adventure or obstacles in their lives come to an end. There is more to Kanthony and Ashley hopes it’s explored in the coming seasons.

But first, in Ashley’s own words, she thinks they deserve a bit of break (not from each other) whenever we see them next, “I think they both deserve to kind of have a breather being in love and to play within that and to enjoy each other and to explore that sense of unity. And yeah, I guess we’ll see what they get up to. If there’ll be other obstacles that they might have to push through along the way.”

Most surprisingly, The Nerds of Color found ourselves talking about someone else that Ashley has worked with, Luke Thompson aka the actor that plays Benedict Bridgerton. It was during a conversation about pall mall and whether Ashley would beat all the men of Bridgerton with the same ferocity that Kate showed the lads how it’s done on the actual show. Turns out, Ashley did make some shots but Thompson really was the Thor of Pall Mall. 

“I think one of the shots actually was actually me getting the ball through the hoop. So that’s all that. I at least got a couple through the hoop.” Ashley said before admitting, “But no, Luke Thompson was the like, ‘All hail Luke’ when it came to pall mall. He broke several of his mallets on set because he was that strong. And I think in the B-roll he managed to get it through like one of the hardest hoops, which is like an elevated hoop on the ground.”

There was one question that we wanted to ask Simone Ashley, one that we didn’t know how to fit in initially, but that we thought was important to bring up. Because roles like this, they take a toll on you or they make you discover wonderful, new, and vibrant things about yourself. Ashley falls into the later category, especially when you take into consideration the journey through love that her character Kate had to go through.

At the end of the day, as Ashley explained, it takes a lot of bravery to do something like Kate did when it comes to accepting that she is worthy of love. And that like Kate, she learned that a lot of that comes from within. “At the end of the day I always say the heart is like a house, and you can’t expect someone to come in and clean up for you. You’ve got to do the cleaning yourself to then invite people in.”

Ultimately, “It’s up to you. And that’s the hardest thing and the scariest thing. But when you do do it and you’re brave and you jump into it, it can be a very liberating feeling. And that’s something that I’m still learning day to day.”

Bridgerton season 2 is available on Netflix.