Simone Ashley got emotional seeing Mindy Kaling receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Simone Ashley got emotional seeing photos of Mindy Kaling receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February.

The Bridgerton actress has looked up to The Office star since she was a little girl as she was "kind of the only one in Hollywood" that she could relate to, as they both have Indian parents.

As a result, the British star got emotional seeing an actress who looked like her being honoured with the famed plaque.

"I teared up seeing that. I'm not being dramatic. I genuinely felt that a dream was possible seeing that photo," she said on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast.

Simone, 29, expanded on her comments in a separate interview with Teen Vogue.

"I've never really like seen an article or anything like that and got emotional. That hit me," she shared. "I did have tears in my eyes a bit because A: She just looked amazing. And B: I've kind of looked up to her since I was a little girl... So I'm just really happy for her. I think she really deserves it. I felt like a little girl again. I was kind of like, 'It's possible, she's done it.'"

Simone hopes that she can do for young women what The Mindy Project star did for her growing up, and she signed up for her romantic comedy Picture This to prove that it's possible for South Asian characters to be the lead.

The star previously told People in 2021 that Mindy reached out to congratulate her after she was cast in Bridgerton season two.

"When Mindy Kaling messaged me, because I'm a super hardcore fan of hers, I grew up looking up to her and her work and still do, that was a bit of a pinch-me moment, because I never really thought I would ever interact with Mindy," she recalled.

"She just said congratulations and was just really lovely," she added, noting that she "messaged back with loads of emojis".