‘Bridgerton’ star Nicola Coughlan on the “huge responsibility” of her first romantic lead role

Now shooting its fourth season, and renewed for a further two, Shondaland’s lavish Regency-era drama Bridgerton has become one of Netflix’s biggest success stories. Based on the popular series of books by Julia Quinn, the show’s first season starring Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page became must-watch pandemic escapism when it was released in 2020, and both the second and third seasons — each of which focuses on different characters — achieved consistently high viewing figures.

Leading such a global phenomenon would be daunting for anyone, but when Irish actress Nicola Coughlan stepped up for season three, which centres her long­standing character Penelope Featherington, it was the first time she had ever played a romantic lead.

“It felt like a huge responsibility,” says Coughlan, who is looking to become only the third actor to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination for the series after Page and twice-nominated Julie Andrews, who voices Lady Whistledown. “I knew quite early on in season two that I was coming up next, and that it was going to be deeply intense, so it was nice to have some mental preparation time.”

Born in Galway, Coughlan acted during childhood before going to university and then drama school. She finally got her break in 2018 when, aged 31, she was cast in Lisa McGee’s Northern Irish comedy Derry Girls (also on Netflix). Her turn as schoolgirl Clare Devlin propelled her into the spotlight and on to projects like Bridgerton, Doctor Who, Channel 4 comedy drama Big Mood and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, but she nevertheless appreciates her journey to the screen.

“It was a whole lot of rejection,” she says. “But I feel very grateful for the time I had working normal jobs, and also for knowing what it’s like to go to drama school, to take out a loan. When I’m on set, I’m hyper aware of how lucky I am, and how rarefied my position is.”

Coughlan has charmed Bridgerton fans across three seasons as perennial wallflower Penelope but now, finally, Penelope comes into her own, beginning a passionate romance with longtime friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). This meant a change of pace for Coughlan and Newton, to turn Penelope and Colin’s well-established friendship into a believable romance — one that evolves from a tentative first kiss to some steamy sex scenes. In these moments, the actress’s off-screen friendship proved invaluable.

“I can’t imagine doing this with someone who wasn’t a friend,” says Coughlan. “I was lucky that Luke was as invested in the story as I was, so we could always have a narrative about it. There is a trust and a respect, and it just makes it so much easier.”

Safe space

Another aspect that Coughlan found helpful was the presence of intimacy co-ordinator Lizzy Talbot. “I think people assume it’s like a dance routine, where every move is planned, and it’s not like that. It gives you a framework of safety and comfort,” she notes. “We were in the driver’s seat, but at the same time you don’t leave feeling, ‘Oh God, did something happen that shouldn’t have happened?’ No actor should ever feel like that when they walk off a set — it needs to feel safe.”

Just as Penelope and Colin — or ‘Polin’ as the show’s extensive fanbase has christened the couple — get to grips with their relationship and engagement, the revelation that Penelope is, in fact, ‘Lady Whistle­down’, the anonymous author of Bridgerton’s widely read gossip sheet, threatens their newfound happiness.

“I loved how they structured the whole season, there were so many different beats to play,” says Coughlan. “It’s interesting because Penelope is a character of real contradictions, she’s this wallflower but she’s got this real acerbic tone to her writing. She doesn’t have the greatest sense of who she truly is.”

Viewers of the show will know, however, that despite the shock, Colin sticks by Penelope’s side — one of the many things Coughlan admires about Bridgerton’s progressive, inclusive world-building.

“In a lot of heterosexual relationships, I think the balance between men and women can sometimes be very off. It’s lovely to see a relationship where the man is like, ‘I’m proud of you, I want you to shine and do your thing.’ That should be the benchmark. That was a moment I hope stays with people. Don’t ever compromise yourself.

“I have always said Bridgerton is a show that is quietly revolutionary because it centres female stories, complicated women, sometimes unlikeable women doing bad things, female pleasure,” she continues. “And it’s done an incredible amount for diversity on television, it’s really broken through.”

Alongside Penelope’s sexual and emotional awakening, this season also brought about a sartorial evolution as the character casts off the childlike citrus dresses of previous series and begins dressing in sleeker lines and more elegant colours.

“In season one I felt quite defensive about the yellow dresses, but, as time went on, I was like, ‘I need to get out of these,’” laughs Coughlan. “That first fitting for season three was magical, it was this whole different colour palette. I love Penelope’s transformation because it came from her, it’s how she always wanted to dress. It reflects her personality, she’s a real romantic and she’s got a deep softness to her.”

Coughlan worked closely with season three costume designer John Glaser (also returning for season four) to hone Penelope’s look, something that fed into her off-screen passion for fashion. The actress has become something of a style icon, gracing the covers of magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Stylist and Elle. She also appeared on the cover of Time Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders issue in August 2024.

“When I started fittings for [Bridger­ton] back in 2019, I got to see these craftspeople at work,” recalls Coughlan. “I saw how much moving a seam three centimetres can change an entire garment, and it was mesmerising. I was like, ‘I’m starring in this show that has these really over-the-top fashions, so why not have fun with it?’ Life is short. If you get the opportunity to wear an amazing thing, just do it.”

Working with stylist Aimée Croysdill, Coughlan takes care to choose up-and-coming designers, or those making an environmental or social impact. It is one of the ways in which the actress uses her platform to move the dial wherever she can. While she is not on social media, she is outspoken about issues that are important to her and regularly teams up with charities including Choose Love to raise money for causes close to her heart, such as trans rights or the refugee crisis.

“If you have a platform and you’re willing to reap the benefits of it, why would you not give a little bit of that to people who are not doing as well?” she comments. “There are a lot of actors who think, ‘Well, my job is to entertain and stay completely silent.’ It’s mad to assume every actor is the same and just wants to stand and perform and not do anything. I feel if you’re going to take the benefits, then you should share the wealth.”

And Coughlan’s platform looks set to get bigger. After finishing season four of Bridgerton, she will film the second season of Big Mood and then go into rehearsals for The Playboy Of The Western World with Derry Girls co-star Siobhan McSweeney, which will debut at London’s National Theatre in December.

“I haven’t been on stage for a long time so that’s exciting and terrifying,” she says, with a laugh. “But I’ve always wanted to work at the National, and to do a quintessentially Irish play there feels like an honour. I’m in Galway trying to listen out for the strong accents. The Bridgerton accent I can slip on and off easily, but going to the west of Ireland in the early 1900s is going to be an adjustment.”

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