Simmie is living the Hollywood dream

Since then the 25-year-old from Dudley has been making her mark on stage and screen.

“Living and working in LA is a dream come true,” Simmie tells Weekend. “I always knew that being an actress would be hard work, but when I was younger, I don’t think I could have even imagined the amount of work I’ve had to put in.

“But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am, and will continue to work hard for as long as I can. To the outside world, Hollywood has the persona of being all glam and glitter, but underneath that, there is so much more.

“Hollywood is the crew that work tirelessly to make movies, the cast that spend long hours on set performing, the writers who spend months creating a masterpiece, and the people who inspire each story that is brought to life. I feel so blessed to be here, and I don’t take my place here lightly. As a British-Indian woman in Hollywood, I am constantly putting in work to be able to tell the stories that represent people like me, and that shine light on topics that aren’t given enough attention,” she explains.

The former Bishop Milner Catholic School pupil knew she wanted to be an actress from a very young age.

“I used to love putting on shows in my living room to make my family laugh, it felt so good to entertain them. I’d copy all of the Bollywood actresses’ dance moves, and I remember watching Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft and knew I wanted to do exactly what she was doing and portray a strong woman on camera like that.”

While researching universities, she discovered the New York Film Academy. After numerous auditions she was accepted and graduated three years later, with her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts for Performing Arts and Acting for Film.

“Training was very hands-on at NYFA,” says Simmie. “I had multiple scene and film study classes, where I would train and perform with other actors and put on shows around Los Angeles theatres. I had acting on camera classes, history of film studies, business in film and scriptwriting too. I was fortunate enough to take some of our training classes on the Universal Studios backlot, where we would not only act but take on different tasks as part of a film crew.

“During my time at NYFA I also fell into directing and stage managing theatre. I put on various shows such as Crave by Sarah Kane and Circle of Life: An Adaptation of The Lion King.”

Among the highlights of her career so far has been producing and starring in a multi-award winning film called Honor. The story about a British-Indian girl who is gay and is forced into an arranged marriage garnered global attention and went on to win many awards, including Best Actress in the Actors Awards and Inspiring Woman in a Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards amongst others.

“I put everything into this performance and story, and receiving the accolades I did, was so special to me as I knew that both myself and the rest of the cast and crew had done this important story justice.

“It is very important to me to educate through my art, and I wanted this story to be heard by the world, and have it represent women who have been silenced, or are too afraid to speak out. I wanted them to know that they are not alone. Forced marriage is such a common thing in places such as India, but it is also so common in England and the USA too and more awareness needs to be raised,” Simmie tells Weekend.

She has also appeared in award-winning films such as Sheepskin, Lucid Letter and Empty, as well as TV show Speechless, starring Minnie Driver and John Ross Bowie.

“Starring in Speechless was very memorable as I was working with the amazing cast and crew. It was a true honour to be part of that TV show,” says Simmie, who attended Jesson’s Primary School.

Her most recent project has been Tomorrow – a drama fantasy about a girl who keeps waking up in other people’s bodies and is trying to find her way home, which is set to be released in early 2023.

While living in LA, she has also performed in numerous theatre productions. “Theatre will always be my first love, and there is no greater feeling than working with a group of people for months to bring a play to life, and then to perform it in front of audiences,” says Simmie. She has also had success in the commercial world, representing brands across the world including CVS Beauty, Wayfair, Hairstory, Korres, Lange Hair, and Dermalogica beauty.

“Being the face of CVS Beauty was so memorable. The most rewarding part of being part of this commercial was being one of the faces who will inspire younger and older women to be happy and comfortable in their own skin,” Simmie tells Weekend.

Although she is incredibly grateful for every opportunity that comes her way, she has her eyes set on starring in an action-packed Tarantino-directed movie one day.

“The reason is that I want young Indian girls to watch me play someone so strong, and believe that they can do it too! I want to continue to be a role model. I grew up watching action-packed films with my dad and of course, joining the 007 family has always been a dream of mine, and hopefully one day that will come true. My biggest dream would be to be to work with the UN, and other organisations regarding human rights, and forced marriage. I want to travel to third world countries and help victims have a right to their dreams.”