Bridgerton star Simone Ashley was originally cast in the much-anticipated racing drama F1, alongside Hollywood veteran Brad Pitt and British actor Damson Idris. However, despite filming scenes for the movie, Ashley’s role was ultimately cut from the final version of the film.
Director Joseph Kosinski spoke candidly to People magazine about the difficult decision, explaining that it is common in filmmaking to shoot more content than what ends up on screen. “It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut,” he said.
Kosinski was quick to praise Ashley’s talent, highlighting her versatility as both an actress and singer. “Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again,” he added.
While Ashley has not publicly commented on the reduction of her role, she previously described the filming experience as “crazy” in an interview with ELLE, also referenced by People. “I have a very small part, but I’m grateful to be in that movie,” she said. “I got to experience many Grand Prix. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.”
In a separate interview with Who What Wear, Ashley revealed she was approached for the project before Bridgerton even aired. “It’s been a long time, and you know, it’s Damson and Brad’s movie,” she said. “I’m just so grateful that I can be part of it. You had to work as a team. Sometimes we literally had one take for certain shots. Like, you’d see on the call sheet ‘eight minutes to get this one thing’ because we were shooting alongside the races.”
F1 follows the story of Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former rising star in Formula 1 during the 1990s whose career was derailed by a serious accident. Decades later, Hayes is a nomadic racer-for-hire, coaxed back to the sport by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who now owns a struggling team. The film explores themes of redemption, rivalry, and the intense competition within Formula 1, where teammates can also be fierce adversaries.
The film also stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, and Samson Kayo. Notably, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton serves as one of the film’s producers.
F1 is set to premiere in UK cinemas on 27 June.