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Brad Pitt’s Formula 1 feature F1 roared into cinemas recently, gathering strong traction for its adrenaline-packed racing visuals and high-profile cast. However, off-track, conversations have shifted to who didn’t get much time on screen. Bridgerton fame, Simone Ashley, was originally tapped for a notable role beside Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem.
At the very least, the F1 director has no taste because what do you mean you left Simone Ashley and Manny Jacinto—two of the most beautiful people to ever walk the Earth—on the cutting room floor? Cinematic malpractice!! pic.twitter.com/nipsgjFSVx
— Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) June 19, 2025
Yet, in the final edit, she’s seen for only a fleeting moment, with no dialogue. Her limited presence echoes a familiar situation from Top Gun: Maverick, where a famous Acolyte star, also cast by director Joseph Kosinski, had most of his footage removed during post-production.
Simone Ashley’s F1 Cut Mirrors Manny Jacinto’s
Simone Ashley had initially been listed as one of the principal cast members in F1, a racing flick headlined by Brad Pitt. However, onlookers spotted her only in a blink-and-miss sequence, no further narrative around her character.
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The film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, addressed the matter in a statement to People, explaining that trimming characters is part of streamlining a story. “It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make [it] into the final cut. But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.”
Joseph Kosinski on why Simone Ashley’s character was largely cut from the final version of ‘F1’
“It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make into the final cut. But Simone, she’s an… pic.twitter.com/uFgLacWZqs
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 17, 2025
The actress, meanwhile, shared her experience earlier with Elle, asserting, “I have a very small part, but I’m grateful to be in that movie. I got to experience many Grands Prix. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.”
The development mirrors a similar situation from Kosinski’s previous project, Top Gun: Maverick. Manny Jacinto, widely recognized for his performances in The Good Place and The Acolyte, was lined up to embody one of the Navy’s top-tier new aviators in the feature. Though he was present on set and shot his sequences, by the time the finalized cut reached cinemas, the majority of his part had been subtly cut.
Manny Jacinto reveals he didn’t know his lines were cut from ‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’ until after the movie was released.
“It’s flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn’t shocking to me. There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see… pic.twitter.com/Zm7E0zElaa
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 17, 2024
Kosinski, during a 2022 chat with IndieWire, remarked, “You just don’t have room to fit everything in. You end up throwing out stuff that you are sure, when you’re shooting it, will absolutely be in the movie.”
Jacinto himself spoke about the experience in a 2024 interview with GQ. “There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see them focusing the camera more on these [other] guys and not taking so much time on our scenes. Fortunately, it still was a great experience — you get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise.”
Both instances involved large-scale productions and ensemble casts where final runtime and pacing shaped the outcome. While their scenes were cut short, Ashley and Jacinto have publicly remained appreciative of their time involved in each project.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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