If you’re a “Bridgerton” fan planning on catching Brad Pitt’s Formula One racing epic “F1” to see Season 2 star Simone Ashley at work, you might want to reconsider.
Director Joseph Kosinski revealed in a Monday interview that the British star of the hit Netflix romance was cut in the film as part of an editing decision that saw three subplots in the blockbuster movie reworked and scrapped.
“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 into the final cut,” Kosinski told People. “But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.”
Ashley still appears onscreen in the Pitt-led ensemble project, which also co-stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia and Javier Bardem. But she does not have any lines of dialogue.
At pub time, the 30-year-old actress had not publicly shared her thoughts on being cut from the final film, but she has spoken here and there in previous interviews about her experience on the project and expressed gratitude for being cast.
“I have a very small part, but I’m grateful to be in that movie,” she told Elle in a recent interview. “I got to experience many Grands Prix. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.” She added that the experience was “crazy.”
Representatives for Ashley did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“F1” is a years-in-the-making sports drama starring Pitt, directed by Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger. It follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt), an aging Formula One driver who, forced into retirement after a near-fatal crash, returns to mentor a rising star in the sport, Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team.
“F1” hits theaters June 27.
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