Nicola Coughlan’s school teacher has revealed how the actress’ setbacks during her school years mirror her character’s story arc in Bridgerton.
The Irish actress, 37, plays Penelope Featherton in the hit Netflix show, with the newly released third season following her character’s steamy romance with Colin Bridgerton.
Before her friendship with Colin moved to love, Penelope was left on the sidelines by suitors, as depicted in the first two series.
Add to that her mother and sisters’ belittling attitude toward her, and Penelope was very much out of the spotlight.
Now, Nicola’s teacher Caroline Moggan, who taught her between the ages of 13 and 15 at Calasanctius College in Oranmore, near Galway, has revealed how Nicola herself was on the sidelines when it came to her early stage appearances.
Nicola Coughlan ‘s school teacher has revealed how the actress’ setbacks during her school years mirror her plot lines in Bridgerton
Nicola’s teacher Caroline Mogganhas revealed how Nicola was on the sidelines when it came to her early stage appearances
‘She had a real presence on stage, even back then,’ History teacher Caroline, who also helped out with school plays, has told The Mirror, explaining how she had to break the news to Nicola that she hadn’t been given the lead in the school musical.
‘Even though she hadn’t landed the main part, we would always say there’s no such thing as a small part. When you’re introducing them to the stage, you want pupils to understand what makes the bigger parts look good,’ the teacher said.
Caroline is now thrilled that her former pupil is getting her time in the limelight, saying: ‘It doesn’t surprise me at all how well she has done. But at the same time, I can’t say I had that foresight early on, just that she had something.’
‘She was a real open book. She seemed to be able to click with adults and with her peers at the same time. She was happy in her own skin with always a smile and always a “hello”.’
The last six years have been a whirlwind for Nicola, who was cast as Claire Devlin in the BBC sleeper hit Derry Girls which skyrocketed her to national fame.
After a role as Hannah Dalton in Harlots in 2018, she then went on to make her West End debut in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, before being cast in Shonda Rhimes’ smash hit Bridgerton in 2020, putting her on the international stage.
The role has taken her from a supporting character in the period drama show’s previous two seasons to becoming Netflix‘s biggest star in one of its biggest hits.
But it’s been a long journey to the top for Nicola, who worked in an opticians while living with her parents, hopping between Galway and London where she was a jobbing actor for decades.
The Irish actress, 37, plays Penelope Featherton in the hit Netflix show, with the newly released third season following her character’s steamy romance with Colin Bridgerton
Before her friendship with Colin moved to love, Penelope was left on the sidelines by suitors, as depicted in the first two series. Add to that her mother and sisters’ belittling attitude toward her, and Penelope was very much out of the spotlight
‘She had a real presence on stage, even back then,’ Caroline says, explaining how she had to break the news to Nicola that she hadn’t been given the lead role in the school musical (pictured before she was cast in Derry Girls in 2017)
‘I was 31 when Derry Girls happened,’ she told Marie Claire.
‘It’s important for people to know I wasn’t an overnight success. In my twenties, I didn’t have money to be living in London and going to a million auditions.’
‘I had to work full time and it was hard. I left London a couple of times [and moved home], because it just wasn’t happening.’
Nicola then worked in various ‘mundane retail jobs’ while auditioning for theatre productions and small films, she even scored a £100 a day role as an extra on Made in Chelsea.
The Irish actress only shot to fame fairly recently for her role as Clare Devlin in Derry Girls in 2018
The star has admitted she is ‘terrified of scrutiny’ stepping up into her Bridgerton role, but is ready to take on the challenge.
‘It’s taken a while to get comfortable with being the lead in a show this big and this loved, but I’m really f****** proud of myself,’ she told Stylist.
Nicola has also said she’s very happy she didn’t get famous in her twenties. Her first professional acting role was aged nine, in ‘My Brother’s War’ starring James Brolin.
‘I used to look at the Olsen twins. I was like, ‘God, look, look at where they are,’ she told the LA Times.
She then went on to do voice work in cartoons until getting the big break in Derry Girls.
After weeks of anticipation, the ultimate bonkbuster returned on Thursday, with fans finally able to witness show leads Penelope and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) friends to lovers arc
But Bridgerton has pushed her success even further.
Pointedly, the new season of Bridgerton will see the actress perform sex scenes for the first time.
She added that there’s one scene where she is ‘very naked on camera by choice’.
‘It was the biggest f*** you,’ she said. ‘When I’m 80 I want to look back and think how hot I was,’.
After weeks of anticipation, the ultimate bonkbuster returned on Thursday, with fans finally able to witness show leads Penelope and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) friends to lovers arc.
The nation held its breath as they waited to see how the couple would fare in their racy moments after viewers were promised the ‘steamiest season yet’.
Yet even the most diehard fans were no doubt left choking on their cornflakes when part two of season three was released at 8am on Netflix.
Just 15 minutes into the period drama, viewers were faced with an explicit six-minute long sex scene featuring the show leads.
