Jennifer E. Montgomery thinks Simone Ashley has a “special spark”.
The 31-year-old actress plays the lead character in This Tempting Madness, Jennifer’s psychological thriller film, and the director has revealed that she relished her experience of working with the Bridgerton star.
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Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, Jennifer shared: “I cast her for a reason. I think she’s so fascinating. It’s one of those … I just think she has this special spark as an actress that you just want to watch her.
“She engages you in some way. It’s hard to turn away and that is exciting. And she brings the energy – she’ll try. She’ll throw things at the wall for you.”
In This Tempting Madness, Simone plays a young woman who awakens from a coma and then tries to put her life back together.
Jennifer was particularly impressed by how Simone approached the movie’s intense scenes.
The director – who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Davis – said: “I was just constantly impressed by her commitment to the role and constantly impressed by her perspective and her range to be able to just really give it everything.
“You know, there were so many times that … this is a film where we use a lot of specific lensing. So there were some wide-angle lenses that we use for some very specific moments in the film that require her to have her lens right up against her face.
“It’s one thing to give an intense, intimate performance in front of a whole crew, which is already really tough and challenging. But then, often the cameras were moved. In this circumstance, she had to give these really strong, intimate performances with the cameras right up in her face and she didn’t flinch.”
Jennifer admitted to being impressed by Ashley’s “fearless” approach”.
She said: “It was just really amazing and I’m just so proud of the work she did on it, because she really gave it her all. She was quite fearless.”
Ashley has already enjoyed huge success with Bridgerton and The Devil Wears Prada 2. But according to Jennifer, the actress is now keen to take on an “action” role.
Asked where Simone might turn next in her acting career, Jennifer replied: “You know, I would love to see her do something else. I know she’d love to do an action piece. And I know there are some other things she’d love to do as well.”
This Tempting Madness is on UK digital from Plaion Pictures.
