The 38-year-old, best known for her role in Manchester-based sitcom Fresh Meat, stars in new Regency drama Mr Malcolm’s List. Ashton spoke about the difficulties she faced in commissioning and producing a series, telling Tatler magazine: “There was just this weird resistance. And bullying. Intimidation, humiliation, intimidation. I got yelled at by a producer because I questioned something about my work.” Ashton said the project, which she said was similar to HBO’s Girls , eventually ended up in “development hell” and was put on hold. The London-born star, who is engaged to actor Tom Hiddleston, also described the struggle to plan a pregnancy as an actor, given the “mixed messages” women in the industry receive. She said: “They tell you ‘Don’t get pregnant’ but also ‘Don’t leave it too long’ because then you will become an old maid. I have been a prehistorian in this field since I was 25 years old. The mixed messages are harsh and must be addressed.” Ashton, who wrote a 2019 play called For All the Women Who Thought They Were Crazy, exploring how workplace dynamics affect black women, has a villainous role in The Marvels’ superhero flick on the horizon. In an interview with the Guardian last week, Ashton said she landed in New York for the premiere of Mr Malcolm’s List just as news broke that Roe v Wade had been overturned in June. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s nothing dumber I could be doing right now than promoting a light-hearted movie.’ I also knew very well that my presence in that promotion would be as a pregnant woman,” she said. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Ashton argued that it is more important than ever to recognize the different journeys of people who have children. “We are having very important discussions about the autonomy we have over our bodies. What better autonomy could I have than to do it my way?’