Anjana Vasan to Simone Ashley: Tamil origin actresses redefining Hollywood

DH Web Desk

Anjana Vasan

Anjana Vasan, a Chennai-born, Singapore-raised actress of Tamil heritage, studied acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama after completing her education in Singapore. She began with small roles in Fresh Meat and Temple before gaining acclaim as Amina in We Are Lady Parts (2021–24). She later appeared in Killing Eve, Black Mirror, and most recently, Wicked Little Letters alongside Olivia Colman.

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Credit: Instagram/@anjvasan

Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley began with guest roles in shows like Wolfblood and Broadchurch before rising to fame in Sex Education and Bridgerton. A classically trained singer and pianist, she’s now working on her first music album and will star in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

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Credit: Instagram/@simoneashley

​Charithra Chandran

Charithra Chandran, a Tamil-origin British actress born in 1997, studied at Oxford before making her mark with Bridgerton. She later joined Dune: Prophecy and is set to appear as Miss Wednesday in One Piece (2026).

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Credit: Instagram/@charithra17

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Best known for starring in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, Tamil-Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan also voiced Priya in Pixar’s acclaimed film Turning Red.

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Credit: Instagram/@maitreyiramakrishnan

Poorna Jagannathan

After gaining acclaim for Never Have I Ever and a memorable role in Delhi Belly, Poorna Jagannathan is now set to star in the upcoming Lanterns series. Poorna also received the Gotham Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series for her work in Deli Boys.

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Credit: Instagram/@poornagraphy