When we first meet Kate Sharma, she's racing across a field on a horse, boldly leaping over a fence, impressing (and besting) Anthony Bridgerton. When he finally catches up to her, the first words out of her mouth are in Hindi. It’s clear from the start that Kate, the woman at the center of the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, isn’t going to be some fragile flower, waiting for the right man to come along to define her.
Played by Simone Ashley, Kate is based on the character in Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me, but for the series new layers were added to her backstory. The combined powers of writing, costuming, hair and makeup, and Ashley’s performance create a character who seems strong and stoic on the outside even while battling familial duty versus matters of the heart. “Kate has such an amazing arc this season,” showrunner Chris Van Dusen tells Vanity Fair. “She gets to a place where she opens herself up to love—and also opens herself up to the idea of being loved.”
In the novels, the character is called Kate Sheffield and is a resident of the English countryside who comes to London with her stepmother and younger half sister, Edwina, in order to find her half sister a husband. But for the series, the Bridgerton team changed the character to Kathani “Kate” Sharma, who was born and raised in India. Kate’s mother died when she was young and her father remarried Mary Sheffield, who takes her in as her own daughter when her father dies. They return to London to find a husband for Edwina, in hopes of also securing financial stability from Mary's parents, the Sheffields, who have promised to provide a hefty dowry if she marries well.
Kate comes off as a headstrong woman whose main priority is to find her sister (who is not aware of the inheritance) a love match. “I noticed that this was a character that was very opinionated, that she spoke a lot of truth, and was really well-articulated in speaking the truth, especially to men,” says Ashley, 27, known for playing Olivia Hanan on Sex Education. She seems to have given up on any idea of finding love for herself—until she meets Anthony Bridgerton. The eldest Bridgerton has decided it’s finally time for him to marry, and he’s set his sights on Edwina. But Kate and Anthony immediately butt heads and Kate tries to block the match. Over time, however, both Kate and Anthony realize they in fact have strong feelings brewing for each other.
Van Dusen says that Kate “is essentially the female version of Anthony Bridgerton,” and that the writers focused on having the characters mirror each other, “especially when it comes to how they deal and grapple with the sense of duty to their families.” As the season goes on, Kate and Anthony have to decide if they’ll remain committed to their responsibilities or follow their hearts and possibly ruin their families’ reputations.
Finding the right actor to play Kate was a “long, exhaustive search,” says Van Dusen. At the time, he was already aware of Ashley because of her work on Sex Education, and when she eventually auditioned, it felt like “catching lightning in a bottle. There was an electricity about her, and we knew that we had found our Kate Sharma,” he says.
Ashley also did a chemistry read with Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, that Van Dusen and the other producers witnessed over Zoom. “I remember looking around at the other producers in our little boxes and all of our jaws were just wide open, because there was something so palpable and electric about the chemistry between these two actors,” he says.
One of the scenes they read during the chemistry read takes place in the Bridgerton family library, where Kate and Anthony share stories with each other about losing their fathers. It’s the moment when Ashley realized this character was much more than just the strong independent woman trope. “That’s when I started to explore a kind of deeper layer to Kate—that sense of vulnerability to her,” she says.
Since the beginning of Bridgerton, the series has intentionally assembled a more diverse cast than the average period piece. Van Dusen knew even while still working on season one (which earned 12 Emmy nominations) that he wanted to change Kate’s backstory. “I felt that there was something about this family, the Sharma family, being from another country altogether, that exemplified what we were trying to do and say with this show —and that’s to give everyone a voice, and to allow everyone, no matter where you’re from, a happily ever after.”
The season includes numerous subtle touches that speak to Kate’s background, from her first words being in Hindi to the inclusion of the pre-wedding Haldi ceremony and even small moments, like when Kate puts oil in her sister’s hair. “What it all came down to for us is that we wanted to show and hear things that weren’t traditionally ever shown or heard in this genre,” says Van Dusen.
Van Dusen and the Bridgerton team enlisted the help of Priya Atwal as a consultant who could speak to the historical and cultural context of the time period, and what court life in a place like Bombay would have been like at the time. “Kate grew up in this very courtly environment amongst royals, who, in our minds, were a bit more progressive,” says Van Dusen, who says they were inspired by Baiza Bai, an early 19th-century ruler who was a talented horserider and master swordswoman.
For Ashley’s research, she worked with an accent coach, and also watched footage of different Bollywood actors for inspiration. But the most intense part of her process was about six months of horse riding training—Kate is a seasoned rider, who often would sneak off to ride when she needed some time alone. “I think she very much is a survivor and she’s incredibly emotionally intelligent and intuitive—and it takes someone like that to be able to ride a horse and not be afraid, or be afraid and understand how to overcome the obstacles that come with that,” Ashley says.
Kate’s wardrobe also had to reflect the type of woman she was, someone who could attend balls and hold her own at court, but also would enjoy riding and shooting with the men. One of Ashley’s favorite moments is when Kate goes hunting with Anthony, wearing a traditional ensemble, including a top hat. “Her wearing the top hat, holding the gun—just shows that she doesn’t play by the rules,” she says.
Costume designer Sophie Canale says that look especially was as authentic to the period as possible. “I didn’t think it needed to be played around with. It’s such a strong silhouette,” she says. Her ensemble, which also featured inspiration from Indian embroidery, was in a teal tone, allowing her to stand out from the men even more, who were dressed in traditional tweeds.
As the season goes on, Kate transforms, both emotionally and physically, and her look changes in subtle ways. Canale dressed Kate in jewel tones throughout the season, but started her out in heavier fabrics; as she opens up to her romance with Anthony, she adopts lighter fabrics. Bridgerton’s lead makeup designer Erika Ökvist says she also took inspiration from Kate’s Indian background by putting her hair in a braid, and often using what looked like more understated makeup than many of the other characters. “She might not be the person who will feel that she’s got the patience to sit down to do all the curls in the hair and add on some extra cream on the cheeks,” says Ökvist, who adds that although it may look understated, it wasn’t always easy to pull off. “Simple usually is the most difficult style to achieve, to make it look flawless.”
As she begins to fall in love, Kate’s hair begins to also loosen up. “This kind of earthquake of feelings that’s going on inside of her—maybe she forgets that this wisp of hair has become untucked,” says Ökvist of Kate’s mindset. And her dresses become ever-so-slightly more revealing. “There’s tiny elements in the cut of her costumes that you can see change, so we can see her become sexier in a way,” says Canale.
By the end of the slow-burn season, Kate has found her place, as a part of the Bridgerton fold and married to Anthony. “We see someone that’s isolated themselves from society and wants to run away, and doesn’t feel like they’re deserving to…seeing her really let go and really allow herself to depend on others,” says Ashley. While season three of the series will focus on a different Bridgerton sibling, Ashley says Kate and Anthony’s bond will also be explored, especially the way they come to depend on each other. “It's a very surface-level kind of strength to be someone who thinks they can do it all on their own,” she adds. “But, actually, it’s a much deeper rooted strength to depend on others and have others depend on you. So, I’m really excited to see her journey.”
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