'Bridgerton' actress Simone Bailey is back on the screen with her latest movie for Amazon Prime Video, 'Picture This.' She sat down with Parade to discuss her new role, what it's like to work with Jonathan Bailey and her own dating red flags (and green flags!)
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00:00The older you get, the more perspective you have of what lies outside of a career.
00:10So obviously you've been in a lot of TV shows, you've been in other movies, but
00:14this is your first big like leading media role. How did it feel to sort of be like
00:18helming a project and how did you decide on this one?
00:21I fell in love with Pia and the story and I've always wanted to do a rom-com,
00:26so it all kind of came together in that way.
00:29Yeah, Pia is such a fun character. In what ways do you feel like you're similar to her?
00:33In what ways are you different?
00:35I think she's slightly more chaotic than I am. I think I do have some of the chaos,
00:40but maybe not as extreme as she may experience. I think like most young women, she's still on
00:46that journey of finding her identity and herself, so that's something that really
00:51resonated with me and I think her relationship with her family.
00:55Yeah, well she has to balance so many different things between her family and then her love life
01:00and her career. Is that something that you have had to deal with with Bridgerton and everything?
01:05Since I was like a little girl, I was always really ambitious and
01:08very career focused. Regardless about the aftermath of Bridgerton, I think just the
01:12older you get, the more perspective you have of what lies outside of a career,
01:17if that's something you've chosen to pursue in your life. And for me, yeah,
01:20I do try to spend more time with my friends, family and enrich my life outside of my career.
01:25So Pia goes on all of these blind dates. Have you ever been set up on a blind date?
01:30Never.
01:30No?
01:31Never. I don't think I could do it.
01:33This is a rom-com. Hiro plays your opposite, your better half. What was the chemistry like
01:38between the two of you? How did you guys meet and what were those initial meetings like?
01:42I think we met at the doctor's.
01:45Because before you do a film, you have to, like, for insurance, like, get a health check,
01:51basically. And I met him in the waiting room at the doctor's.
01:56Wait, so for every movie you have to do this?
01:59I think if you're leading in something, yeah.
02:01And so you guys just bumped into each other?
02:03Yeah. And I had to run. And I was like, hey. And he was like, hey. And that was it.
02:09Wow.
02:10No, Hiro is an incredible actor. And he's just such a lovely, wonderful person to work with.
02:16And then I really love your relationship with Jay or Pia's relationship with Jay in the film.
02:21What was it like filming that? It looked like you guys had a ton of fun on set. Do you have
02:24any fun, like, set stories of working with him?
02:27Yeah. Luke is a dear friend of mine in real life. He's amazing. I've actually known him
02:32since I was, like, 14. But we had a bit of a gap because I knew him when I was, like,
02:36a theater kid. And I used to, like, musicals in the summer. And he was, like, the dance captain.
02:40We never spoke for, like, years. And then when I was told that he was reading for this role,
02:45I was like, no way I know that guy. But we had so much fun. We have many, like,
02:50fake music videos of us that we did just singing all the songs in the Renaissance album.
02:57Were you part of him getting cast in the film then? Or was that completely just happenstance?
03:01Yeah. I mean, we had a chemistry reading, which he just really went for it and was just amazing.
03:08And then as soon as he left, I was just like, I would love to have him play the part of Jay.
03:13Not a chemistry doctor's waiting room meet?
03:16No. No, not like that.
03:18Whenever I was telling people that I was doing this interview, everybody was like,
03:21you have to ask her about sex education. I feel like that show is so popular. It has
03:27such, like, a cult following. Why do you feel like it's so resonant to people even still?
03:32I think it's because it just crosses such an important subject. And that is how do we relate
03:37to one another and communicate with one another in really taboo, kind of intimate subjects.
03:42It's a very emotional show. And I think young people, older people, anyone can watch it and
03:47feel like there's something that they can relate to it. And I think, you know, it was a while since
03:50we saw that kind of John Hughes world we brought to life.
03:53Obviously, that cast has gone on to so many great things. Do you guys still keep in touch?
03:57Is there group chat? Like, how involved in each other's lives are you?
04:00Yeah, I keep in touch with a lot of them. And it's crazy. Everyone's just
04:06living their best lives and doing really well. And I wouldn't have expected anything less.
04:10Do you think that if there was sort of a reboot or something at some point,
04:14or a reunion or a movie, would you want to come back for that?
04:16Is that?
04:18I'm putting it out there.
04:19You're the first person that's ever asked that.
04:22Sure. Why not? Why not?
04:24And we obviously have to talk about Bridgerton. Like, there's more people jealous of you in the
04:28world than anybody else, because you get to spend so much time with Jonathan Bailey.
04:31What is it like hanging out on set with him?
04:33The whole cast, that whole show, it's like going back home to a family, you know?
04:38Me and Johnny, we've tried to make it work with our schedule as much as possible.
04:42And the show has been so supportive as well. So when we do come back, it's kind of crazy.
04:46Like, I was filming in the Bridgerton house just last week, actually. And like,
04:50it's never changed. It's not changed at all.
04:52Can you tease anything about the new season?
04:54No.
04:56Has he told you anything about the second Wicked movie?
04:59Do you have any inside scoops on that?
05:01No. He's a pro. He's a pro. And we'll keep things secret when he has to.
05:08If you were on a first date and these things happen, would it be a red flag?
05:12Okay. Okay.
05:14Perfect. Person shows up wearing a suit.
05:18I don't want to be judgmental. Can I put both?
05:22I don't. You can wear whatever you want, you know?
05:27The person insists on paying.
05:29That's so lovely. Green flag.
05:31They have no social media whatsoever.
05:34I think that's a green flag. I actually like that. I like people that aren't on social media.
05:40They write poetry.
05:44Green flag. I'm so excited.
05:46You were so excited about this one.
05:48They were picky either.
05:50Um, how picky? Give me an example.
05:52I don't know. They're like asking for a lot of changes to whatever the dish they're ordering is.
05:57Kind of a red flag. Like, I love food. I'm just like, just eat it.
06:02They work in finance.
06:03Oh, again, I don't want to be judgmental. I mean, I'm just going to put both.
06:09They have a mullet.
06:10Again. Like, it's fine. Like, that's amazing. You rock that mullet. Maybe not my cup of tea, but yeah.
06:16They take photos of their food before eating.
06:19On a date? No.
06:22They're very into astrology.
06:24How extreme? Like, I am.
06:28Are you into astrology?
06:29I'm like, no, not really.
06:32They have a lot of tattoos.
06:34If they're good tattoos, then yeah. If it's like something not cool, then no.
06:39They're American.
06:41Yeah, sure.
06:43And what if they had played Voldemort in a Harry Potter movie?
06:46Oh, yeah.
06:48Give that to me a second. Yeah.