Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan 'terrified' as she lands huge new role and opens up on trolling

Bridgerton's beloved star Nicola Coughlan is in a state of disbelief as she prepares to take on the role of leading lady in a romantic drama for the upcoming third series of the Netflix hit. The Derry Girls actress will be at the forefront of the new season, as her character Penelope Featherington embarks on a love story with Colin Bridgerton, portrayed by Luke Newton.

Nicola has confessed to feeling "terrified" about the increased scrutiny that comes with her elevated role, as she typically prefers playing "the oddball in the corner".

The 37-year-old said: "I'm in disbelief that I'm the leading lady in a romance show. And it's not because I find myself hideous, as some people have assumed when I say that (I'll have you know, in the right lighting I'm a solid seven), but because it's not something I ever dreamed of."

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The actor admits she feels more at ease being on the sidelines, having grown up with aspirations of becoming a "gay icon" rather than a leading lady, "purely because they never seemed to get the best lines or looked as if they were having the most fun".

"In the first two seasons, Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time she's very much centre-stage," she shared with Harper's Bazaar.

"The only issue with this is that 'oddball in the corner' is actually a niche I do very well. I'm comfortable there! Strange girl no one pays attention to? Where do I sign up? ", reports the Mirror.

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who plays the gossipy Lady Whistledown in the hit Netflix series, has opened up about how she can relate to her character's journey of self-discovery.

"A huge theme in this series of Bridgerton is the idea that Penelope is stepping out of the shadows and into the light," she explains. "Not only was this a journey that Pen had to embark on, it's also one I had to go on myself. I was presented with these brilliant opportunities but was racked with doubt as to whether I could take on the challenge."

The Irish actress, originally from Oranmore, County Galway, first dreamed of becoming an actor at the tender age of five, after witnessing her older sibling perform in a school production.

Following her university studies in Galway, she relocated to England to continue honing her craft at the Oxford School of Drama and the Birmingham School of Acting. However, financial constraints forced her to return to Ireland, where she secured part-time employment at an optician's in Galway.

Nicola's breakthrough came in 2016 when she landed the lead role in Jess and Joe Forever at the Old Vic in London.

Simultaneously, she graced the screens as Maggie, a character grappling with bipolar disorder, in Channel 4's Big Mood, alongside Lydia West as her loyal friend Eddie. The actress juggled these projects during an intense summer, with filming schedules overlapping for a period of over a month.

Furthermore, she secured a coveted role in the highly anticipated Barbie movie.

Reflecting on her remarkable career progression since 2017, Nicola acknowledges that her life has undergone a complete transformation. "I was working part time in an optician's, about to turn 30, living at home with my parents, unsure whether the whole 'acting thing' was ever going to happen or whether I was completely kidding myself," she says.

"Now, in 2024, I'm about to begin a global press tour for one of Netflix's biggest ever shows. It's hard for me to comprehend it. The funny thing is, I don't feel any different to the girl who used to ring people up and tell them they're overdue for their eye test."

Having found huge fame as anxious but hilarious Clare Devlin in Channel 4's Derry Girls from 2018, she says she is very good at separating her personal and professional life, admitting it's necessary "to hold on to my sanity" She adds: "I don't want to share too much of what's private and personal."

"I try my hardest to be authentic; I'm always as truthful as I can be when I'm interviewed but, at the same time, do I want to let the world inside my home? No, I absolutely don't."

When it comes to social media, the actress says she treads carefully. "It’s deeply frustrating when people put words in your mouth and imply that you mean things you don’t. Social media has made the world a dangerously binary place; the “If you support X, you hate Y” narrative is not something I am interested in, and I’ll do my best to fight against that notion.

"While I still get trolls who say terrible things to me, don’t forget, I used to be in a cult called Twitter. I’ve heard worse.’

Sharing her experience of being on the receiving end of trolls, she admits: "I have so much love and respect for the fans of things I've done I want them to know that I feel grateful but it is difficult to navigate being online when people throw their opinions of you at you like grenades."

Despite finding global fame, with recognition even in foreign countries, Nicola Coughlan maintains a humble approach, refusing to take any bit of it for granted.

"Mainly, what I love is being on set," Nicola reveals. "I waited too long to do this job for even a moment of the privilege of doing it to be lost on me."

With the highly-anticipated third series of Bridgerton due for release next month on Netflix, she realises that all eyes will be on her.

"I'm terrified of the scrutiny, the opinions, the number of eyes on me," she confesses. "But, ultimately, the thing that's making me step out of the shadows, even though it terrifies me, is that I'm so proud of the work I've done, the people I've worked with and these beautiful shows we've made."

Ending on an empowering note, she says: "I hope I can show the world, along with myself, that sometimes the oddball in the corner can take centre-stage."

The May issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK is on sale from 11 April.

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